Leonid Gaidai

Directing

Leonid Gaidai

Born 1923-01-30 · Svobodny, Amurskaya guberniya, RSFSR, USSR

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".

Acting credits

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

The Wind poster
7.5

Filmed in the context of the fortieth anniversary of the creation of the Komsomols, the League of Young Communists, tells the story of three youth delegates from the League in 1918, who must make the dangerous journey to Moscow during the civil war to participate in League’s congress.

The Wind

1959

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

Lyana poster
6.4

A group of Moldavian folk musicians compete for the top Soviet prize. Singer Lyana loves the flautist, but he's fallen afoul of the group leader.

Lyana

1955

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

12 Chairs poster
7.7

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

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained poster
6.7

The thirty-year-old decathlete leaves the big sport and becomes a stunt performer in the cinema. About how the movie is shot, and about the development of personal relationships between the main characters.

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

1977

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Георгий Вицин. Отшельник

2008

No artwork available
NR

No synopsis available yet.

Георгий Вицин. Не надо смеяться

2016

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

In Transit poster
NR

An elderly man takes in his orphaned niece after the death of his younger brother. On the way home, on the train, in communication with various people, the true traits of his character are revealed.

In Transit

1961

Behind the camera

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 Chairs poster
7.7

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
7.7

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

Obsession poster
7.6

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

Obsession

1965

Obsession poster
7.6

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

Obsession

1965

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