- For the MST3K episode, see MST3K 505 - The Magic Voyage of Sinbad.
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad is a 1953 fantasy adventure movie made in the former Soviet Union. It was not released in the United States until 1962.
Plot[]
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
Sinbad the sailor, known for sailing the world and seeing many wondrous and magical things, returns to the city of Copasand with no money. Sinbad soon sees that many of the people of the city are poor and hungry, while the city's merchants are wealthy. Sinbad proposes that the merchants should fund a journey for him and a crew to find 'the Bird of Happiness', expecting that it will cure the ailments of the city. The merchants deride Sinbad and send him away.
Sinbad meets a woman named Lyubava, but while Sinbad is charmed by her, she claims she has not known him long enough to start a romance. Sinbad then encounters the young daughter of King Neptune, who finds Sinbad singing near the waters. Sinbad explains his problems trying to convince the merchants, and the young woman formulates a plan. If Sinbad will take a boat into the waters, she will provide him with golden fish.
Sinbad then awakens the city, and makes a proposal: if he can catch golden fish in the nearby waters, the merchants must surrender all their goods to the people. If he fails, they can have his head. The merchants are hesitant, but they believe that Sinbad is doomed to failure and agree to his plan.
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
Thanks to Neptune's daughter, Sinbad catches the golden fish, and the merchants relinquish their goods to the people. However, one of the men notes to Sinbad that not everyone has been able to partake in the distribution of goods, and now that everything has been given away, there is no money left for Sinbad to make his journey.
Dejected, Sinbad is at a loss for what to do, until Neptune's daughter causes the golden fish to become actual gold. With his newfound riches, Sinbad has the money to build his boats and prepares for his journey to find the Bird of Happiness. Lyubava sees him off, promising to send a bird to find him every year until he returns.
Sinbad's journey leads him and his crew to several lands. Their first encounter is with a group of barbarians along a rocky cliff. Sinbad and his crew attempt to make peaceful talk, but the barbarians intend to kill them outright. The group holds them off, and takes the leader's horse. Much later, they arrive in India.
One of Sinbad's men hears of a magic bird that the King has. Sinbad wishes to trade for the bird, but the King wants Sinbad's horse (which can talk). Sinbad accepts the King's challenge to play chess. If the King wins, he gets the horse. If Sinbad wins, he can have the bird.
The Magic Voyage of Sinbad
Sinbad wins the game, but upon seeing the bird, he and his crew note that it is not the bird they are looking for. It does not bring happiness, but has the power to put people to sleep. The group still takes it and manages to escape from the King's wrath by using the bird's powers.
Deciding to go home, Sinbad and his crew encounter rough waters. In order to calm the maelstrom, Sinbad sacrifices himself to Neptune. He arrives in the King's court, and offers to play a song for the royal.
Cast[]
- Sergei Stolyarov as Sinbad/Sadko
- Alla Larionova as Lyubava
- Yelena Myshkova as Princess of Lake Ilmen
- B. Surovtsev as Ivashka
- Mikhail Troyanovskiy as Trifon
- Nadir Malishevsky as Vyashta the Giant
Notes[]
- Sadko won the Silver Lion Award at the 1953 Venice Film Festival.
- This movie's hero is not Sinbad, and director Aleksandr Ptushko never intended him to be. When this Soviet-financed film was released to American audiences, the lead character Sadko was given the name "Sinbad" in hopes of enticing American film-goers. The American importers expected that viewers would not care to see a movie made by Russians.[1]
- Sadko was based on an opera by Rimsky-Korsakov. It was adapted for the American screen by Francis Ford Coppola. To learn more about the epic hero, visit here.
- The city of Copasand is actually Sadko's traditional hometown of Novgorod.
- The instrument that the protagonist is seen playing is known as a gusli.
- In The Amazing Colossal Episode Guide, Kevin Murphy expresses fondness for the Soviet/Finnish fantasy films covered by the show. Murphy notes that they have moments of true cinematic beauty followed by patently ridiculous scenes, making them easy to riff and a more enjoyable experience than other "bad" movies.
- During the Kickstarter for the Gizmoplex, Joel also praised the film's production value, and in particular called the scene where the crew is put to sleep by the magic bird a truly beautiful piece of art.
MST3K Connections[]
- Director Aleksandr Ptushko also directed The Day the Earth Froze and The Sword and the Dragon.
- Sergei Stolyarov also portrayed Aljoscha Popovich in The Sword and the Dragon.
- Ninel Myshkova also portrayed Vasilisa in The Sword and the Dragon.
- Mikhail Troyanovskiy also portrayed the soothsayer in The Day the Earth Froze.
- Sergey Martinson (monk) also portrayed Mishatychka in The Sword and the Dragon.
- Cinematogrepher Fyodor Provorov was also cinematographer for The Sword and the Dragon.
- Production designer Evgeniy Svidetelev was also special effects designer for The Sword and the Dragon.
- Art director Yevgeni Kumankov was also production designer for The Sword and the Dragon.
- Costume designer Olga Kruchinina was also costume designer for The Sword and the Dragon.
- Dubbing director James Landis was also dubbing director for The Sword and the Dragon.