Leonid Gaidai

Directing

Leonid Gaidai

Born — Died

1923-01-30 — 1993-11-19

Place of birth

Svobodny, Amurskaya guberniya, RSFSR, USSR

Known for

Directing

Credits

52 titles

Leonid Iovich Gaidai (Russian: Леони́д Ио́вич Гайда́й; 30 January 1923 – 19 November 1993; Svobodny) was a Soviet comedy film director, screenwriter and actor who enjoyed immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former Soviet Union. His films broke theatre attendance records and were some of the top-selling DVDs in Russia. He has been described as "the king of Soviet comedy".

Known for

Film credits

1960s · 4 titles

Series credits

Behind the camera

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures poster
7.5

The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate", "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y". The plot follows the adventures of Shurik, the naive and nerdy Soviet student who often gets into ludicrous situations but always finds a way out very neatly.

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures

1965

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures poster
7.5

The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate", "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y". The plot follows the adventures of Shurik, the naive and nerdy Soviet student who often gets into ludicrous situations but always finds a way out very neatly.

Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures

1965

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style poster
7.6

Shurik, a kind but naïve ethnography student, falls in love with the intelligent, athletic and beautiful All-Union Leninist Young Communist League member Nina. He has a rival in the wealthy comrade Saakhov, who concocts a kidnapping scheme to force Nina to marry him.

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style

1967

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style poster
7.6

Shurik, a kind but naïve ethnography student, falls in love with the intelligent, athletic and beautiful All-Union Leninist Young Communist League member Nina. He has a rival in the wealthy comrade Saakhov, who concocts a kidnapping scheme to force Nina to marry him.

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style

1967

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession poster
7.9

A scientist builds a time machine and accidentally sends his apartment complex manager and a petty burglar to 16th century Moscow, while Tsar Ivan the Terrible travels to 1973.

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession

1973

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession poster
7.9

A scientist builds a time machine and accidentally sends his apartment complex manager and a petty burglar to 16th century Moscow, while Tsar Ivan the Terrible travels to 1973.

Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession

1973

The Diamond Arm poster
7.7

A diamond smuggling operation goes wrong when an ordinary Soviet citizen becomes unwittingly involved, and the criminals are forced to court him to retrieve their diamonds.

The Diamond Arm

1969

The Diamond Arm poster
7.7

A diamond smuggling operation goes wrong when an ordinary Soviet citizen becomes unwittingly involved, and the criminals are forced to court him to retrieve their diamonds.

The Diamond Arm

1969

There's Good Weather in Deribasovskaya, Or It's Raining Again in Brighton Beach poster
5.9

When mysterious Russian bandit named Artist came in USA, brave Russian special agent Fyodor Sokolov runs to States for defeat evil master.

There's Good Weather in Deribasovskaya, Or It's Raining Again in Brighton Beach

1993

There's Good Weather in Deribasovskaya, Or It's Raining Again in Brighton Beach poster
5.9

When mysterious Russian bandit named Artist came in USA, brave Russian special agent Fyodor Sokolov runs to States for defeat evil master.

There's Good Weather in Deribasovskaya, Or It's Raining Again in Brighton Beach

1993

For the Matches poster
6.3

In Eastern Finland, in Liperi to be exact, Anna-Liisa Ihalainen asks her husband Antti to get some matches from the Ihalainen household. Unfortunately that trip takes a little longer than expected...

For the Matches

1980

For the Matches poster
6.3

In Eastern Finland, in Liperi to be exact, Anna-Liisa Ihalainen asks her husband Antti to get some matches from the Ihalainen household. Unfortunately that trip takes a little longer than expected...

For the Matches

1980

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross poster
7.6

This is the very first silent slapstick comedy short about adventures of Worldly, Coward, and Fool. What's more fun: fishing with worms, or dynamite? Three friends decided to have a blast! Unfortunately their dog Barbos just loves playing fetch. And this time that stick was used for blast fishing. Barbos saw people throwing a smoking stick in a water, and fetched it right back to his owners. The "unusual cross" part begins when owners try to outrun the dog with dynamite.

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross

1961

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross poster
7.6

This is the very first silent slapstick comedy short about adventures of Worldly, Coward, and Fool. What's more fun: fishing with worms, or dynamite? Three friends decided to have a blast! Unfortunately their dog Barbos just loves playing fetch. And this time that stick was used for blast fishing. Barbos saw people throwing a smoking stick in a water, and fetched it right back to his owners. The "unusual cross" part begins when owners try to outrun the dog with dynamite.

Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross

1961

12 Chairs poster
7.6

A former aristocrat Ippolit Vorobyaninov leads a miserable life in Soviet Russia. His mother-in-law reveals a secret to him - she hid family diamonds in one of the twelve chairs they once had. Vorobyaninov in cooperation with a young con artist Ostap Bender start a long search for the diamonds.

12 Chairs

1971

12 Chairs poster
7.6

A former aristocrat Ippolit Vorobyaninov leads a miserable life in Soviet Russia. His mother-in-law reveals a secret to him - she hid family diamonds in one of the twelve chairs they once had. Vorobyaninov in cooperation with a young con artist Ostap Bender start a long search for the diamonds.

12 Chairs

1971

SportLotto - 82 poster
6.8

Adventurous comedy about a bunch of people hunting the winning lottery ticket.

SportLotto - 82

1982

SportLotto - 82 poster
6.8

Adventurous comedy about a bunch of people hunting the winning lottery ticket.

SportLotto - 82

1982

Strictly Business poster
7.3

Three stories based on O. Henry novels. (1) Bob Tidball recovers $30,000 in pristine credit cards from a bandit’s sack and races across the plains until his horse breaks its leg. Forced to mount Dodson’s stallion, he’s ambushed and killed by “Shark” Dodson, who seizes the entire loot. (2) A thief slips through a third-floor window to steal a stack of bills from a sleeping gentleman’s dressing table. When the homeowner awakens and raises only one hand against the revolver—his other immobilized by a sudden rheumatic attack—the would-be robber reconsiders his plan. (3) Sam and Bill, two small-time grifters short $2,000 for their swindle, decide to kidnap Ebeneger Dorset’s young son. They demand exactly that sum as ransom, setting in motion a desperate bargain.

Strictly Business

1963

Strictly Business poster
7.3

Three stories based on O. Henry novels. (1) Bob Tidball recovers $30,000 in pristine credit cards from a bandit’s sack and races across the plains until his horse breaks its leg. Forced to mount Dodson’s stallion, he’s ambushed and killed by “Shark” Dodson, who seizes the entire loot. (2) A thief slips through a third-floor window to steal a stack of bills from a sleeping gentleman’s dressing table. When the homeowner awakens and raises only one hand against the revolver—his other immobilized by a sudden rheumatic attack—the would-be robber reconsiders his plan. (3) Sam and Bill, two small-time grifters short $2,000 for their swindle, decide to kidnap Ebeneger Dorset’s young son. They demand exactly that sum as ransom, setting in motion a desperate bargain.

Strictly Business

1963

Thrice Resurrected poster
5.4

In 1919, on the tow boat Komsomol went to beat the whites. During the Second World War, during the heroic battle on the Volga on this boat were transporting wounded soldiers and children

Thrice Resurrected

1960

Sovershenno seryozno poster
6.9

An interesting voyage through the Soviet television and film industry.

Sovershenno seryozno

1961

Sovershenno seryozno poster
6.9

An interesting voyage through the Soviet television and film industry.

Sovershenno seryozno

1961

Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation poster
5.7

The first private enterprises are started in the Soviet Union in the late 80s. A gang of bad guys, owners of a private restroom, kidnap a good guy - owner of a toy store. Private eye Dmitri's first job is to try and free the store owner.

Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation

1989

Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation poster
5.7

The first private enterprises are started in the Soviet Union in the late 80s. A gang of bad guys, owners of a private restroom, kidnap a good guy - owner of a toy store. Private eye Dmitri's first job is to try and free the store owner.

Private Detective, or Operation Cooperation

1989

Bootleggers poster
7.3

This is the second silent (save for a song) slapstick comedy short about adventures of Worldly, Coward, and Fool. In a small hunting lodge three friends are making illegal moonshine. Bottled "product" fills shelves quickly. Life is good. But their dog Barbos doesn't understand that bringing a moonshine condenser coil to a police station is a bad idea...

Bootleggers

1961

Bootleggers poster
7.3

This is the second silent (save for a song) slapstick comedy short about adventures of Worldly, Coward, and Fool. In a small hunting lodge three friends are making illegal moonshine. Bottled "product" fills shelves quickly. Life is good. But their dog Barbos doesn't understand that bringing a moonshine condenser coil to a police station is a bad idea...

Bootleggers

1961

Chest of Drawers Was Lead Through the Street... poster
6.4

An omnibus of comical shorts.

Chest of Drawers Was Lead Through the Street...

1978

Obsession poster
7.5

Student Shurik has just two hours before the beginning of the exam and he has no lectures notes.

Obsession

1965

Obsession poster
7.5

Student Shurik has just two hours before the beginning of the exam and he has no lectures notes.

Obsession

1965

Incognito from St.Petersburg poster
6.0

A comedy based on a classic play 'Revizor' by Nikolai Gogol.

Incognito from St.Petersburg

1978

Incognito from St.Petersburg poster
6.0

A comedy based on a classic play 'Revizor' by Nikolai Gogol.

Incognito from St.Petersburg

1978

It Can't Be! poster
7.3

The film includes three short stories based on the stories of Mikhail Zoshchenko: "Crime and Punishment", "Fun Adventure", and "Wedding Event" about the negative phenomena of the provincial life of the young country of the Soviets: stupidity, drunkenness, money-grubbing, lack of spirituality.

It Can't Be!

1975

It Can't Be! poster
7.3

The film includes three short stories based on the stories of Mikhail Zoshchenko: "Crime and Punishment", "Fun Adventure", and "Wedding Event" about the negative phenomena of the provincial life of the young country of the Soviets: stupidity, drunkenness, money-grubbing, lack of spirituality.

It Can't Be!

1975

Gift for a Single Woman poster
3.8

To catch a couple of car thieves, a policewoman goes undercover as an old woman that recently has gotten a luxury car "Volga" - a plan that is bound to attract the criminals. For how hard can it be to steal a car from an old woman?

Gift for a Single Woman

1973

A Groom from the Right Society poster
6.5

Semyon Danilovich Petukhov was very surprised to found upon returning from vacation that he was declared dead and... buried.

A Groom from the Right Society

1958

Dangerous for Your Life! poster
6.7

A funny comedy about a very adventurous day in a life of Stepan Molodtsov - a very responsible young man.

Dangerous for Your Life!

1985

Dangerous for Your Life! poster
6.7

A funny comedy about a very adventurous day in a life of Stepan Molodtsov - a very responsible young man.

Dangerous for Your Life!

1985

No artwork available
NR

The wife (Nina Ruslanova) sells her husband (Mikhail Svetin), because he lost his job as a manager in connection with perestroika.

Bird Market Incident

1988

A Weary Road poster
6.0

The station keeper Kruglikov was exiled to a remote Siberian village many years ago for shooting his superior, a general, who demanded that he go with him as a matchmaker to Kruglikov's favorite girl, Raya. A political exile is brought to the station. She turns out to be Raya. For a few minutes the former bride and groom were together, and then she was taken away again.

A Weary Road

1956