For the Matches

Name: For the Matches
Genre: Comedy, Adventure, History
Released: 1980-01-18
Duration: 1 h 40 min
Rating: 7.9
Cast: Evgeni Leonov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Rita Polster, Ritva Valkama, Georgiy Vitsin

Tulitikkuja lainaamassa (1980)

Timing: 1:40 (100 min)

7.9/10
78 684

—
no scores

6.3/10
40

6.7/10
1400

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Everything about the movie

Video 1

Photo 1

Actors and characters

Video for the film For the Matches — "За спичками" - комедия, режиссёр Леонид Гайдай, 1980 г

1:48

Release date

1980-01-18

Country

Finland, Soviet Union

Production

Mosfilm, Suomi-Filmi

Genre

Comedy, Adventure, History

Budget

$2 987 770

Box office

Website

Director

Risto Orko, Leonid Gaidai

Actors

Evgeni Leonov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Rita Polster, Ritva Valkama, Georgiy Vitsin, Galina Polskikh, Kauko Helovirta, Leo Lastumäki, Pekka Autiovuori, Olavi Ahonen
All actors and roles (10)

Scenario

Producer

Camera operator

Sergei Poluyanov

Composer

Aleksandr Zatsepin

Artist

Feliks Yasyukevich, Tapio Vilpponen

Audition

Editing

Klavdiya Aleyeva
Whole Team (41)

Short description

In Eastern Finland, in Liperi to be exact, Anna-Liisa Ihalainen asks her husband Antti to get some matches from the Ihalainen household. Unfortunately that trip takes a little longer than expected...

What's left behind the scenes

In the summer of 1978, a decision was made to produce a joint film with the Finns. The 25th anniversary of the establishment of special relations between the USSR and Finland was approaching, and it needed to be marked with a new film. They decided to film it at Mosfilm. They suggested Georgiy Daneliya as the Soviet director, but he was preparing to shoot "Autumn Marathon," so he declined the offer to participate in the project. Then they turned to Leonid Gaidai.
Leonid Gaidai strayed freely from the script, finding the written dialogues far too drawn out. While they would have been normal for Finnish audiences, they would have been considered tedious in the USSR. Gaidai shortened the dialogues—much to the disappointment of the Finnish audience.
The idea of filming with seven Soviet and seven Finnish actors had to be abandoned. Evgeny Leonov was cast in the lead role immediately, after which they began searching for his co-star. Screen tests were organized with Donatas Banionis, Leonid Kuravlyov, and Vyacheslav Nevinny.
In the summer of 1978, it was decided to release a joint film with the Finns. The 25th anniversary of the establishment of special relations between the USSR and Finland was approaching, and it needed to be marked with the release of a new movie. They decided to film at Mosfilm. Georgy Daneliya was proposed as the Soviet director, but he was preparing to film "Autumn Marathon," so he declined the offer to participate in the project. They then turned to Leonid Gaidai.
The idea of making a film with seven Soviet and seven Finnish actors had to be abandoned. Evgeniy Leonov was immediately cast in the lead role, and then they began searching for a partner for him on set. Auditions were organized with Donatas Banionis, Leonid Kuravlyov, and Vyacheslav Nevinniy.
Leonid Gaidai freely deviated from the script, finding the written dialogues too drawn-out. They would have been normal for Finnish viewers, but in the USSR they would have been considered tedious. Gaidai shortened the dialogues – to the disappointment of the Finnish audience.