Bite your elbows, the creators of fashionable videos, wring your hands in bitter anguish producers - the glory of the pioneers in the field of video maker and laurels of virgin-directors, alas, do not belong to you! Ah, premonitions lied to you, yes, your eyes lied to you - the right of the “first night” with a clean and innocent creature called the “clip” was used long before the present. When, ask? In 2014, the anniversary will just kick off. We advise everyone to sit down: this year the first in the world (!) Music video will turn 75 years old.
Where did the famous Steamboat come from? Utesov, “Concert on the screen”, the year 39th ...
In 1940, another life-affirming comedy was released on the screens of Soviet cinemas. Among other "agitation" of that time, she was distinguished by extraordinary musicality and entertainment. The fact that there will be a lot of music in the film was warned by the title “Concert on the screen”. And the action, it should be noted, went well. Everything that the musical comedy should abound in it came together: the plot, director's and camera work, the brilliant acting of actors and many songs that later became truly popular and beloved by millions of Soviet citizens.
It was “Concert on the Screen” that wrote the ticket to a long life for such song masterpieces as “The Sea Spreads Wide”, “Be Healthy, Live Richly” and, of course, “Steamboat”. Utesov takes another step towards the title of one of the symbols of the Soviet stage. But he is already known throughout the country for his “Lemons”, “Public Women” and, especially, “Cheerful Guys”.
Make it a Steamboat hit? Cliffs will help!
The 39th year ... Taking on the shooting of the "Concert ...", the scriptwriter and director Tymoshenko in alliance with the cameraman duo Nazarov-Danashevsky, most likely, did not expect that he was destined to become the first creators of the video in the world. It was about a high-quality and vivid film, shot professionally and “with a soul”. What was required of them, the crew members performed. The rest was “completed” by songwriters and inimitable Leonid Utesov.
Yes, he performed creations created by others, but he did it with such skill that he easily turned any song into his own. In the 1930s and 1940s, getting into the Skalov Orchestra was the ultimate dream of many venerable musicians; dozens of masters of pen and musical staff considered it an honor to write a song for the great Odessa citizen . In today's language, to create a song for Leonid Utesov guaranteed meant to make it a hit. “Steamboat” has become one of them.
The first clip in the world: Utesov plays all the main roles
If we remove purely technical points from the scene-clip, then we can safely say that the main reason for its success is Utesov. “Steamboat”, the text of which is not particularly intricate, and the music had a “jazz” touch alien to the Soviet Union, gained popularity thanks to the multi-faceted talent of the devoted son of Odessa.
Leonid Utesov plays all the roles in the “steamboat” scene, and his acting skills, combined with the signature banter of the sly one, make watching the film interesting and enthralling after many decades.
Utesov’s song “Steamboat” became the “first beep” in the ocean of world clip making. The main characters of the video are the expressive leader of the orchestra on the quay, the mischievous carefree local slut, the young man weary of love with his only bouquet. And also a stately river wolf-captain, and, of course, she is a charming madame, whose charming little flower-face is sung by the main character.
Here they are: “Steamboat”, Utesov and an immortal creation, considered the first Soviet clip.