Director

Aleksandr Ptushko

1900 – 1973

Who they are

Born: 19 April 1900, Lugansk, Lugansk uyezd, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire [now Luhansk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine]
Died: 6 March 1973
Known for: The New Gulliver, The Stone Flower, Sadko

Aleksandr Ptushko (1900–1973) was a Soviet director who began in stop-motion animation and went on to make fantasy epics blending live action, special effects and Russian folklore. Often called "the Soviet Walt Disney," he is closer in spirit to Willis O'Brien or Ray Harryhausen. He pioneered Soviet feature animation and colour filmmaking.

Where to start

The New Gulliver (1935)In the library
Landmark feature mixing a live-action boy with puppet animation, establishing Ptushko as a leading Soviet animator.
The Stone Flower (1946)Full guide
Fairy-tale feature and an early showcase of Soviet colour filmmaking.
Sadko (1953)In the library
Spectacular folklore fantasy that brought Ptushko international attention.
Ilya Muromets (1956)In the library
Large-scale epic about a Russian folk hero, celebrated for its visual effects and scale.
Ruslan and Ludmila (1972)Log in to add it to the library
Late-career adaptation of Pushkin's fairy-tale poem, rich in effects and imagery.

Their films in the library

Awards

1953 Silver Lion, Venice Film Festival (Sadko)
1969 People's Artist of the USSR

The full list · 19

1928The Incident At The StadiumLog in to add it to the libraryDirector · Actor
1932Lord of LifeLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1935The New GulliverLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1937The Tale of the Fisherman and the GoldfishLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1938The Merry MusiciansLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1939The Golden KeyLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1946The Stone FlowerLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1950Three EncountersLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1953SadkoLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1956Ilya MurometsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1959SampoLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1961Scarlet SailsLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1962The Magic Voyage of SinbadLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1963The Sword and the DragonLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964A Tale of Lost TimesLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1964The Day the Earth FrozeLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1967The Tale of Tsar SaltanLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1972Ruslan and LudmilaLog in to add it to the libraryDirector
1988The fairy-tale world of Aleksandr PtushkoLog in to add it to the libraryActor as self (archivefootage)

Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.