A Soviet-Italian comedy film that relied on real stunts and a very difficult lion
In short: The 1974 film Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia was a high-stakes, stunt-heavy production that avoided digital effects. From landing a plane on a highway to chasing cars through Leningrad, the movie pushed boundaries, but its most unpredictable cast member was a real lion that proved nearly impossible to direct.
The film originated from a debt-repayment scheme between the Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis and the Soviet studio Mosfilm. After the 1970 production of Waterloo, De Laurentiis owed money to the studio and proposed a light, commercial comedy to settle the balance. Directors Eldar Ryazanov and Franco Prosperi were tasked with the project, which eventually evolved into a fast-paced treasure hunt across Leningrad, inspired by the American comedy It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.
Ryazanov insisted on practical effects, eschewing compositing in favor of real-world stunts. The production team famously disguised the Ulyanovsk Baratayevka Airport as an M1 highway to film a plane landing among moving cars, a feat performed by pilot Ivan Tarashan. Other sequences, including a gas station explosion and intense car chases, were executed without miniature effects or chroma key, often featuring the Italian stuntman Sergio Mioni alongside actors who performed their own risky maneuvers.
The most notorious element of the production was the inclusion of a real lion named King, provided by Baku engineer Lev Berberov. Despite the owner's insistence on the animal's suitability, the lion was untrained and difficult to work with, leaving the cast terrified after an early incident where it scratched actor Ninetto Davoli. Experts later noted the animal suffered from physical ailments like rickets, which were hidden during close-ups but evident in motion. Following the production, the lion was kept at a school in Moscow, where it was eventually shot by a police officer after attacking a student.
Despite the chaotic production, the film was a massive success, drawing 49.2 million viewers in the Soviet Union in 1974. It remains a notable example of Soviet-Italian cooperation, blending the directors' desire for commercial appeal with a commitment to authentic, if dangerous, filmmaking techniques that defined the era's action-comedy genre.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Unbelievable Adventures of Italians in Russia
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