About

Known credits:
44
Birthday:
1900-04-19
Place of birth:
Lugansk, Lugansk uyezd, Yekaterinoslav Governorate, Russian Empire [now Luhansk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine]
Website:
N/A

Aleksandr Ptushko

Overview

Aleksandr Lukich Ptushko (Russian: Александр Лукич Птушко, 19 April [O.S. 6 April] 1900 – 6 March 1973) was a Soviet animation and fantasy film director, and a People's Artist of the USSR (1969).

Ptushko is frequently (and somewhat misleadingly) referred to as "the Soviet Walt Disney," because of his prominent early role in animation in the Soviet Union, though a more accurate comparison would be to Willis H. O'Brien or Ray Harryhausen. Some critics, such as Tim Lucas and Alan Upchurch, have also compared Ptushko to Italian filmmaker Mario Bava, who made fantasy and horror films with similarities to Ptushko's work and made similarly innovative use of color cinematography and special effects.

He began his film career as a director and animator of stop motion short films, and became a director of feature-length films combining live action, stop motion, creative special effects, and Russian mythology. Along the way he would be responsible for a number of firsts in Russian film history (including the first feature-length animated film, and the first film in color), and would make several extremely popular and internationally praised films full of visual flair and spectacle.

Known for

Acting
1988 The fairy-tale world of Aleksandr Ptushko Actor self (archivefootage) 58
Average
The Incident At The Stadium Actor N/A
N/A

Directing
1972 Ruslan and Ludmila Directing Director 58
Average
1967 The Tale of Tsar Saltan Directing Director 59
Average
1964 A Tale of Lost Times Directing Director 59
Average
1961 Scarlet Sails Directing Director 59
Average
1959 The Day the Earth Froze Directing Director 58
Average
1956 The Sword and the Dragon Directing Director 58
Average
1953 The Magic Voyage of Sinbad Directing Director 58
Average
1949 Tri vstrechi Directing Director N/A
N/A
1946 The Stone Flower Directing Director 58
Average
1945 Teremok Directing Director N/A
N/A
1939 The Golden Key Directing Director 58
Average
1938 The Merry Musicians Directing Director 58
Average
1937 The Tale of the Fisherman and the Goldfish Directing Director 59
Average
1935 The New Gulliver Directing Director 58
Average
1932 Lord of Life Directing Director N/A
N/A
The Incident At The Stadium Directing Director N/A
N/A

Writing
1972 Ruslan and Ludmila Writing Writer 58
Average
1967 Viy Writing Screenplay 62
Fair
1967 The Tale of Tsar Saltan Writing Writer 59
Average
1938 The Merry Musicians Writing Writer 58
Average
1938 The Dog and the Cat Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1938 Маленький-удаленький Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1937 The Tale of the Fisherman and the Goldfish Writing Screenplay 59
Average
1936 The Giant Turnip Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1936 The Fox and the Wolf Writing Writer N/A
N/A
1935 The New Gulliver Writing Writer 58
Average
1932 Lord of Life Writing Writer N/A
N/A
The Incident At The Stadium Writing Writer N/A
N/A

Art
1967 Viy Art Art Direction 62
Fair
1961 My Friend, Kolka! Art Art Direction 58
Average
1946 The Stone Flower Art Art Direction 58
Average
1945 The Lost Letter Art Creative Director 59
Average
1945 A Winter Tale Art Creative Director 58
Average
1944 Telephone Art Creative Director 58
Average
1944 Sinbad the Sailor Art Creative Director N/A
N/A
1937 The Fox and the Grapes Art Creative Director N/A
N/A
1936 The Wolf and the Crane Art Art Direction N/A
N/A
1936 The Giant Turnip Art Creative Director N/A
N/A
1932 Lord of Life Art Art Direction N/A
N/A
The Incident At The Stadium Art Art Direction N/A
N/A

Camera
1942 Batyr of the Steppes Camera Director of Photography N/A
N/A

Visual Effects
1967 Viy Visual Effects Special Effects Supervisor 62
Fair