THE OVERCOAT
CINEMATOGRAPHIC PIECE IN GOGOL’S MANNER Leningradkino. 1926
Screenplay by YURI TYNYANOV
Directors: GRIGORI KOZINTSEV, LEONID TRAUBERG
Cinematographers: ANDREI MOSKVIN, YEVGENI MIKHAYLOV
Cast: ANDREI KOSTRICHKIN, ANTONINA YEREMEYEVA, ALEKSEI KAPLER
There is nothing better than Nevsky Prospect, at least not in Petersburg.
Akakiy Akakievich Bashmachkin, a clerk of whom it cannot be said that he was very remarkable.
A. GERMANN CAFE
What strange characters are met on the Prospect!.. Cheats are part of it too!
The young clerk chasing the girl was so far a person of no consequence, and yet - rather impetuous.
THE FOREIGNER IVAN FEDOROV’S ROOMS
Pyotr Petrovich Ptitsyn - a landowner coming to Petersburg to burke one old matter.
– The person who has connections in the well-known department has arrived.
You may consider your case as settled.
Bashmachkin’s flat was on the third story, one little room without any pretentions to style.
…RETIRED MAJOR FEDUL KARPOVICH FERDYSCHEK…
…HEAVENLY CREATURE RETIRED MAJOR…
In the Rooms of the Foreigner Ivan Fedorov.
– As a man of education, would you give us a co-operation, so to say?
– The thing is not tricky: where it is written “Pyotr” - work a bit with a knife and a pen...
... and you’ll get “Prov” instead of “Pyotr”.
– He is not a general but is equal to one. He’s got such an education and excellent deeds.
A lot of drafts and white paper were circulating in a certain department…
The Person of no consequence came by the rooms again.
– Your case is rotten. Bashmachkin has your case.
– Isn’t it Bashmachkin over there?
– Send for Bashmachkin, and as he comes, beckon him, and beckon him well.
Then keep after him about the case…
Dreaming of a heavenly creature.
– The lady you saw yesterday on the prospect has sent a carriage for you and asks you to come.
– Sign please!
– The lady you saw the other day asks you to come.
…FOMA FOMICH VEDENYAPIN REPORTS ON PYOTR PETROVICH PTITSYN…
…WITH REFERENCE TO THE FOLLOWING POINTS:
1. ON THE 26TH OF MARCH 1830 THE AFOREMENTIONED LANDOWNER PYOTR…
…PETROVICH PTITSYN WAS VISITING ME, FOMA FOMICH VEDENYAPIN,
AS MY WARM-HEARTED FRIEND…
– Foma Fomich, exchange your maid for my brown pig.
Be sure it will bear piglets next year.
– You’re yourself a brown pig, Pyotr Petrovich! A swine can’t do what a maid can.
– If I’m a brown pig, then you are a rebel and a Turkish spy, Foma Fomich!
…HAVING BEEN REFUSED TO EXCHANGE MY HOUSE MAID AGRAFENA,
HE TRIED TO LAY VIOLENT HANDS ON ME,
AND WAS CHASED BY FORCE FROM THE HOUSE BY MY KENNELMEN…
…REPORTS ON PROV PETROVICH PTITSYN…
The cream of the cultured society gathered at night in the rooms.
– Well done, instead of me, Pyotr, you put the defunct Prov. He cannot pay you, - take this…
25 RUBLES IN PAPER MONEY
– Pyotr!.. Pyotr, not Prov!..
– You are asked to draft a document.
– No, I’d rather copy something.
Like that he turned into a lifelong titular counselor Bashmachkin.
– The cloth has got worn…
There is in Petersburg a mighty foe for coatless clerks. That foe is frost.
Petrovich, the tailor.
– No it can’t be repaired: a wretched garment. You need a new one…
– And how much would it… er… cost?
– Well, three fifty-ruble notes or more.
– 150.
From that moment on he dreamed of his new overcoat as of an agreeable companion.
– I have already had some, my good woman.
Overcoat’s capital.
EXPENSES: LINEN TO WASH - 00, 57; COBBLING - 1,00;
EVENING TEA - 2,05; WEARING THE UNIFORM OFF DUTY…
– For his long service our Akakiy Akakievich got a gratuity of 60 rubles,
a buckle in a button-hole, and a hemorrhoid in his bottom.
The most solemn day in the life of Akakiy Akakievich.
– New overcoat! Let’s wet it!
– It’s not a new overcoat, it’s just… er… an old coat.
– All right, I invite you all to tea instead of Akakiy Akakievich.
As luck would have it, it is my name day.
The clerk who had invited him to tea lived a long distance from Akakiy Akakievich.
Soon Akakiy Akakievich felt that he was one too many in this company.
– Brother, they… they stole my new overcoat…
– Brother, who should I… address?.. Superintendent?.. Police constable of the quarter?..
It is known that the Person of consequence used to be a Person of no consequence.
But which merits made of him a Person of consequence is not known.
– A clerk is waiting for you in the anteroom.
– Ah! He can wait, I haven’t time now.
– A clerk is waiting for you over there… Shall I call him?
– Your Excellency, I came to ask you…
– What next, dear sir! Don’t you know how to proceed?
You should have addressed the secretary first…
– Secretaries, your Excellency, are people… er… you can’t depend on…
– What? What?! What! Where did you get hold of such spirit, young man?
– How dare you, young man?!
In an instant it had blown a quinsy into his throat.
– You had better lose no time, my good woman,
order him now a deal coffin - an oak one will be too dear for him.
Apparitions, each stranger than the one before, were haunting him.
UNDER THIS REFERENCE NUMBER IT IS REPORTED THAT A TITULAR COUNSELOR,
AKAKIY AKAKIEVICH BASHMACHKIN, IS WITHDRAWN FROM THE RECORDS…
…BY REASON OF DEATH. A. BASHMACHKIN
THE END