Blue Puppy
Encyclopedia
Blue Puppy is a 1976 Soviet animated film. The lyrics and screemplay were written by Yuri Entin, loosely based on the tale by Gyula Urban.
Several quotes from the film's lyrics became common colloquial sayings, for example, "What trouble can we stir up?" and "Ah, how I'm angry, ooh, how I'm angry!" voiced by Mikhail Boyarsky
, and the phrase "One ought to live skilfully."
The film was unique in utilizing a non-traditional animation technique where spots of colorful India ink
were used to form the characters. This gave a great deal of plasticity to the animated characters. For example, the Black Cat would vanish from the foreground only to reappear immediately in the back, or the evil Pirate would transform into a thundercloud by inflating himself with his own malice.
A puppy
, who is strangely born with a coat that is a shade of light blue, is rejected by all. Nobody wants to play with him or to be his friend. Even the Grey Dogs avoid him. The Black Cat
, a dodger and a faker, is the only one that feigns interest. Unexpectedly, the Pirate attacks the island and using the Black Cat, kidnaps the Blue Puppy.
Along comes the Good Sailor
, who always helps ones in trouble and does good things. As the Sailor sails the sea, the Black Cat tells him about the abduction of the Puppy. The Sailor decides to rescue the puppy and begins chasing the Pirate; the Pirate eventually attacks the Seaman with a saw-fish which sinks the Sailor's ship. The Pirate ties the Seaman and the Puppy together with shackles, but the Puppy manages to free both himself and the Sailor.
Meanwhile, the Pirate and the Black Cat are celebrating their victory and sing a song about their spurious friendship. Their celebration is cut short, however, as the Seaman confronts and defeats the Pirate. He and the Puppy return to the island as heroes. Now, nobody tries to avoid the Puppy. More importantly, however, the Puppy now has a real friend. The moral of the story is that it is not so awful to be different from others, as long as one has friends, and the respect of one's peers.
on vinyl records
and, later, on a CD. The soundtrack
includes not only the film songs, but also the plot narration in rhyme. Some singles from the soundtrack are included in special children audio-collections.
At the end of 1990s, the tale was reborn on the theater stage
. Plays loosely based on the film were staged at the St. Petersburg Marionette Theater and at the Moscow Chamber Music Puppet Theater. A musical version has also appeared at a Krasnoyarsk
night club.
A computer video-game Birthday of the Blue Puppy was released by Fargus.
However, the additional connotation to the Russian word "blue" is a recent phenomenon, and writer Yuri Entin has pointed out that he never thought of such an association in 1976, when the film was made.
In the original work of the Hungarian writer, Gyula Urban, the Puppy was black, but in the Soviet tale, Entin wanted the Puppy to be a non-traditional color.
Several quotes from the film's lyrics became common colloquial sayings, for example, "What trouble can we stir up?" and "Ah, how I'm angry, ooh, how I'm angry!" voiced by Mikhail Boyarsky
Mikhail Boyarsky
Mikhail Sergeevich Boyarsky is a Soviet/Russian actor and singer, currently living in the city of Saint Petersburg. He is best known and loved for the role of d'Artagnan in the film d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers and its sequels . He was also a popular singer of the 1980s and completed several...
, and the phrase "One ought to live skilfully."
The film was unique in utilizing a non-traditional animation technique where spots of colorful India ink
India ink
India ink is a simple black ink once widely used for writing and printing and now more commonly used for drawing, especially when inking comic books and comic strips.-Composition:...
were used to form the characters. This gave a great deal of plasticity to the animated characters. For example, the Black Cat would vanish from the foreground only to reappear immediately in the back, or the evil Pirate would transform into a thundercloud by inflating himself with his own malice.
Plot summary
Puppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
, who is strangely born with a coat that is a shade of light blue, is rejected by all. Nobody wants to play with him or to be his friend. Even the Grey Dogs avoid him. The Black Cat
Black cat
A black cat is a feline with black fur. It is not a particular breed of cat and may be mixed or of a specific breed. The Bombay, known for its sleek black fur, is an example of a black cat. The all-black pigmentation is equally prevalent in both male and female cats...
, a dodger and a faker, is the only one that feigns interest. Unexpectedly, the Pirate attacks the island and using the Black Cat, kidnaps the Blue Puppy.
Along comes the Good Sailor
Sailor
A sailor, mariner, or seaman is a person who navigates water-borne vessels or assists in their operation, maintenance, or service. The term can apply to professional mariners, military personnel, and recreational sailors as well as a plethora of other uses...
, who always helps ones in trouble and does good things. As the Sailor sails the sea, the Black Cat tells him about the abduction of the Puppy. The Sailor decides to rescue the puppy and begins chasing the Pirate; the Pirate eventually attacks the Seaman with a saw-fish which sinks the Sailor's ship. The Pirate ties the Seaman and the Puppy together with shackles, but the Puppy manages to free both himself and the Sailor.
Meanwhile, the Pirate and the Black Cat are celebrating their victory and sing a song about their spurious friendship. Their celebration is cut short, however, as the Seaman confronts and defeats the Pirate. He and the Puppy return to the island as heroes. Now, nobody tries to avoid the Puppy. More importantly, however, the Puppy now has a real friend. The moral of the story is that it is not so awful to be different from others, as long as one has friends, and the respect of one's peers.
Publications
Since its inception, the tale was published many times by MelodyMelodiya
Melodiya is a Russian record label. It was the state-owned major record company/label of the Soviet Union.-History:It was established in 1964 as the "All-Union Gramophone Record Firm of the USSR Ministry of Culture Melodiya"...
on vinyl records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
and, later, on a CD. The soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
includes not only the film songs, but also the plot narration in rhyme. Some singles from the soundtrack are included in special children audio-collections.
At the end of 1990s, the tale was reborn on the theater stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
. Plays loosely based on the film were staged at the St. Petersburg Marionette Theater and at the Moscow Chamber Music Puppet Theater. A musical version has also appeared at a Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk
Krasnoyarsk is a city and the administrative center of Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located on the Yenisei River. It is the third largest city in Siberia, with the population of 973,891. Krasnoyarsk is an important junction of the Trans-Siberian Railway and one of Russia's largest producers of...
night club.
A computer video-game Birthday of the Blue Puppy was released by Fargus.
Ambiguous meaning of the tale
In the early 1990s, Yuri Entin was under constant pressure over his film. This is because the word goluboy (blue) is the modern Russian slang term for gay. This misconception was helped along by some of the quotes from the songs in the movie, for example, when the Blue Puppy is teased by the other dogs: "You are blue! You are blue! We don't want to play with you!" or in the subsequent song by the Puppy, which has the line, "I am hurt by an evil fate, oh, why am I blue?"However, the additional connotation to the Russian word "blue" is a recent phenomenon, and writer Yuri Entin has pointed out that he never thought of such an association in 1976, when the film was made.
In the original work of the Hungarian writer, Gyula Urban, the Puppy was black, but in the Soviet tale, Entin wanted the Puppy to be a non-traditional color.
Voice cast
- Mikhail BoyarskyMikhail BoyarskyMikhail Sergeevich Boyarsky is a Soviet/Russian actor and singer, currently living in the city of Saint Petersburg. He is best known and loved for the role of d'Artagnan in the film d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers and its sequels . He was also a popular singer of the 1980s and completed several...
as a Pirate - Alisa FreindlichAlisa FreindlichAlisa Brunovna Freindlich is a Soviet and Russian actress, People's Artist of the USSR.-Biography:Alisa Freindlich was born into the family of Bruno Freindlich, a prominent actor and People's Artist of the USSR. She is of German and Russian ancestry. Her father and paternal relatives were ethnic...
as Blue Puppy - Alexander GradskyAlexander GradskyAlexander Borisovich Gradsky is a Russian rock singer, bard, multi-instrumentalist and composer. He was one of the earliest performers of rock music in Russia. His diverse repertoire includes rock 'n' roll, traditional folk songs performed with a rock twist, and operatic arias...
as a Sailor and the Sawfish - Andrei MironovAndrei MironovAndrei Alexandrovich Mironov was a Soviet theatre and film actor who played lead roles in some of the most popular Soviet films, such as The Diamond Arm, Beware of the Car and Twelve Chairs...
as a Black Cat
External links
- Blue Puppy at Animator.ruAnimator.ruAnimator.ru is a Russian website chronicling the films, people and studios of the animation industry in Russia, the former Soviet Union and the CIS. It also includes a forum, a news block, a photo-gallery and an animators labour exchange...