Smoke and Shorty (TV)

Смок и Малыш – Russian title

Smok  i malysh – Russian title

Smoke and Shorty – English title

A 1975 Russian television production [Litovskaia, Rigas Kinostudija (Moscow)]

Producer: Algimantas Svajas

Director: Raimund Vabalas

Story: “Smoke  Bellew” by Jack London (John Chaney)

Teleplay: Pranas Morkus, Raimund Vabalas

Photography: Jonas Tomasiavicius  (Jan-Witold  Tomasiavicius)

Music: Vyacheslav Ganelin

Running time: 225 minutes

Cast:

Smoke – Veniamin Smekhov

Shorty – Gediminas Girdvainis

Uncle – Antanas Gabrenas

Joy – Eugeniia Bajoryte

Stein – Kenno Oja

Lucille – Regina Arbaciauskaite

Mad Charlie – Vitautas Tomkus

Saltmay – Balis Bratkauskas

Slavovic – Genrikas Kurauskas

Lieutenant – Jouzas Rigertas

Sanderson – S. Jukna (Stepas Jukna)

With: Marionas Gedris, E. Jebertaviciute, V. Jurkunas, Viatutas Kantzleris (Vyatutas  Kanzeleris), D. Kristopaitite, A. Kubilius (Algirdas Kubilius), A. Semeskiavisius, Antanas Surna, O Valiukiaviciute, Mikolas-Valdas  Jatautis, Elvyra Zebertaviciute

\

The story takes place at the end of the twentieth century during the Alaska Gold Rush. Keith Bellew, a writer for a San Francisco newspaper, for which he’s written a novel and a sequel is on the verge of bankruptcy. Bellew decides to go to Alaska to try his luck searching for gold. On the way Bellew meets and becomes friends with another miner named Shorty. Along the way Bellew  earns the nickname "Smoke."

After a long and arduous trek, where they’ve risked their lives, Smoke gets to Dawson. He will have to go through several ups and downs. He finds work as a dishwasher in a restaurant and saloon. Smoke makes a fortune playing the game of roulette, and then loses it.

The Russian TV mini-series was a musical adventure based on the novel by Jack London "Smoke Bellew". The film consisted of three series: "The Taste of Meat", "Dreams" and "Gold".

Film Clip:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF_RiRblgKk