Aelita
Also known as Aelita: Queen of Mars in the USA : [Revolt of the Robots]
(1924) Soviet
B&W : 2841 metres
Directed by Yakov Protazanov

Cast: Yulia I. Solnetseva [Aelita], N.M. Tseretelli [Engineer Los; and Engineer Spiridonov], Nikolai P. Batalov [Gussev], Valentina E. Kuindzhi [Natasha Los], Aleksandra F. Pergonets [Ihoshka, Aelita’s servant], Konstantin V. Eggert [Tuskub], U.A. Zavadsky [Gor], V.G. Orlova [Masha, Gussev’s fiancée], Pavel N. Poly (Pavel Pol) [Erlich], N.M. Tretiakova [Elena Erlich], Igor Ilinskii [Kratskov], N. Tretyakova [bearded Martian astronomer], Sofya Levitina, Varvara Massalitinova, Mikhail Zharov, Tamara Adelheim, Vladimir Uralsky

Mezhrabpom production. / Scenario by Fydor Otsep and Alexei Faito, from the novel Aelita by Aleksei N. Tolstoi. Art direction by Sergei Kozlovski and Victor Simonov. Set design by Isaac Rabinovich. Costume design by Aleksandra Exter. Makeup by N. Sorokin. Cinematography by Yuri Ahelyabuzhski and Emil Schünemann. / Released 25 September 1924. / Standard 35mm spherical 1.37:1 format. / Protazanov left exile in France to return to Russia; this was possibly his first film after his return to the Soviet Union. The film was released in the USA on 25 March 1929.

Drama: Science fiction-Fantasy.

Synopsis: A Russian expedition to Mars brings Socialism to a hidden civilization of slaves.

Survival Status: Prints exist [35mm preservation positives].

Keywords: Actors - Animals: Camels, Dogs, Horses, Mice - Apartments - Automobiles - Bands - Battles - Battleships - Beds - Blotters - Books - Boots - Bread - Bridges - Brushes - Buses - Candles - Chains - Children: Babies, Orphans - Cigarette holders - Clocks - Clothing: Furs, Gloves, Shawls, Shoes - Coffins - Cooking - Crime: Attempted murder - Crowds - Dance - Daydreams - Desks - Disguises: False beards, Wigs - Drawings - Eavesdropping - Evictions - Families: Neglected wives - Fireplaces - Fires - Flowers - Food: Chocolate, Coffee, Wine - Gates - Glasses - Guards - Handwriting - Hospitals - Investigations - Jealousy - Jewelry: Wrist watches - Keys - Kissing - Labor - Lamps - Laundry - Law: Enforcement: Detectives, Policemen - Leashes - Letters - Locks - Locomotives - Love triangles - Luggage - Machinery: Sewing machines, Spaceships - Marriages: Husband-wife relationships - Martians - Medical: Bandages, Nurses - Mirrors - Money - Musical instruments: Acordians, Cymbals, Drums - Notes - Offices - Orphanages - Parades - Pens - Photographs - Planets - Posters - Radio equipment: Antennas - Railroads: Cars, Tracks - Rations - Razors - Revolts - Royalty: Queens - Shaving brushes - Shaving cream - Shipbuilding - Signage - Slaves - Smoke - Snow - Socialism - Soviets - Special effects: Miniatures - Speeches - Stage shows - Statues - Steam shovels - Street scenes - Teapots - Telephones - Telescopes - Tenants - Tents - Toasts - Tobacco: Cigarettes, Cigars - Tools: Feather dusters, Hammers, Tape measures - Torches - Toys - Trains - Train tracks - Trams - Valets - Wakes - Water - Weapons: Bombs, Guns, Knives, Whips

Listing updated: 3 November 2006.

References: Film credits, film viewing : Bardèche-History p. 173; Jensen-Lang p. 62; Youngblood-Soviet pp. 30-32, 37, 42, 54, 65, 115, 143, 173, 252, 264, 268, 317 : Website-IMDb : with additional information provided by Alexander Prikhojan.

Home video: DVD.