Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks, The (1924)

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A Comedy

A Yankee's Curiosity Punished and Rewarded

Goskino, 1924

The first production of Lev Kuleshov's
cinema workshop

Cinematography: A. A. Levitsky

To Russia!

Mrs. West in distress over her husband's
departure

Cowboy Jeddy, Mr. West's loyal servant
(played by Boris Barnet)

A letter for Mr. West
(played by Porfiriy Podobed)

To Mr. West, executive director of the YMCA

Dear Sir,

Having learned of your courageous endeavor
to visit the land of the Bolsheviks,

we are sending you
some New York magazines

that depict the barbarous state
of Russia today.

You are strongly advised to bring weapons
and a bodyguard with you.

With best wishes,
Yours truly, G. L. Collagan.

Russian Bolshevik types

- Take Jeddy with you, darling!
He will protect you from these beasts!

One morning, a month later, Mr. West
arrived in the Bolshevik capital.

Mr. West's luggage

Senka Svishch, a less than honorable
adventurer (played by G. Kharlampiev)

A glitch in the sock garter technology

- Don't worry, Sir, l'll defend you
from these barbarians.

Comfort means
different things to different people.

Keeping an eye on things

Zhban - an aesthete turned swindler
(played by Vsevolod Pudovkin)

ln the warm company of scoundrels

The Dandy and The Countess (played by
Leonid Obolensky and Alexandra Khokhlova)

Countess von Saks

The one-eyed man (played by Sergei Komarov)

The scent of dollars is in the air!
Take a look at this American surprise.

Jeddy is knocked off-course.

We'll squeeze every last dollar out of him.

- The Bolsheviks got Mr West and his
luggage!

Ellie, the American girl
(played by Valentina Lopatina)

Authorized personnel only.

- Ellie!

- Jed?!

Mr. West found refuge in the offices
of an American company.

But without his trusty
bodyguard he remained uneasy.

The swindlers set out on their mission.

Zhban sets the trap.

- Pray, tell me where did you
come across my briefcase?

- lt's a story worthy of an American tabloid...

Jail

- l snatched it from the beast's jaws.

- And then l raised my hat
in honor of your country,

the one true beacon
of culture and civilization.

The noose was tightening.

- lt's not safe for you here. You are being
followed. You will be safer in my apartment.

- But l have so much luggage...

- Take only the bare necessities.
We'll get the rest later.

At the police station, Ellie tries to free
her fellow countryman.

- l knew Jeddy in America.
He once protected me from being mugged.

- His boss convinced him
that all Russians were savages.

- Jeddy is set free.

Mr. West is taken on a tour of Moscow.

- Look at what those Bolshevik savages
have done to the university.

- This was once the lmperial Theater.

- l once lived in a palace...

- But now l live in a decrepit shack.
Here you'll get a taste of our grim reality.

- lt's time for tea, Soviet style.

Jeddy and Ellie set out
to find the missing Mr. West.

- Yes, l'm afraid this is exactly what it's like.
A very accurate depiction.

The Countess employs all her resources.

A second band of crooks (played by
P. Galadzhev, S. Sletov, V. Latyshevsky).

- Get a bunch of scary-looking guys together.

l want to stage a few Bolshevik
atrocities for the American idiot.

You'll get paid in dollars.

- All anyone knows is that Mr. West left
in the company of a very peculiar gentleman.

- Bolsheviks! Commissars!
lt's a raid! Save yourself!

- Don't worry, honey,
l'll show them what a true American is.

The trial.

Sentenced to death.

Everything began to spin
before Mr. West's eyes.

Awaiting execution.

Mr. Zhban's ruse.

Don't despair! Help is on its way.
Pay the messenger $1,000.

We'll get you out through the chimney.
But first fork over another $1,000.

A friendly rescue.

At the American office everyone was worried
about Mr. West's long absence.

- They say that Mr. West will be found today.

l recommend
that you go to the police station.

- We're saved!

- What the hell are you doing kissing my wife?

- Calm down! Calm down!

- Quick, pay him!

- Now this is what a real Bolshevik looks like.

ln the safety of an orphanage,

the former street urchin is immersed
in reading about real cowboys.

- Loves me... loves me not...

Mr. West's dream finally came true.

The University.

Knowledge for all workers.

The Bolshoi theater

- Now, we'll see
thousands of real Bolsheviks...

- Here they are!

- And they're all real.

For radio broadcast:

Dear Madge! Greetings from Soviet Russia.

Burn all the New York magazines
and hang a portrait of Lenin in my office.

Long live the Bolsheviks! Yours, John

On the way to the radio station

Moscow's Powerful Radio Station
Continuous Waves

People's Ministry of Post and Telegraph

The End