A public cabaret in 1910 Odessa conceals the underground work of Bolshevik revolutionaries.
Story Structure — 4 Plot Phases
Odessa's New Spectacle
The story establishes Odessa in 1910 and introduces Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de Cordel. With official permission, he organizes a cabaret theater.
Key Events
Odessa in 1910 — The film is set in Odessa in the year 1910.
Location: Odessa
A French Viscount Arrives — A Frenchman known as Viscount de Cordelia becomes central to the theater's creation. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Odessa
Official Permission Granted — The cabaret is organized with permission from the governor and the town's influential fathers. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Odessa
A Lively Stage
The cabaret presents a varied entertainment program. Bengalsky / Nikolai Kovalenko performs as a singer alongside dancers and other stage performers.
Key Events
The Cabaret Opens — Andrei organizes a lively cabaret theater in Odessa. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Cabaret theater
Bengalsky Takes the Stage — Bengalsky performs as the cabaret's singer. Characters: Bengalsky / Nikolai KovalenkoLocation: Cabaret theater
The Entertainment Program — The program includes a charming dancer, a gypsy duet, and a corps de ballet.
Location: Cabaret theater
The Hidden Purpose
The apparent entertainment venue is revealed as a Bolshevik creation. Its public performances conceal the work of underground revolutionaries.
Key Events
The Entertainment Program — The program includes a charming dancer, a gypsy duet, and a corps de ballet.
Location: Cabaret theater
The Cabaret's Secret — The lively cabaret is revealed to have been created by the Bolsheviks. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Cabaret theater
Underground Work Begins — The theater serves as a front for a group of underground revolutionaries. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Cabaret theater
Revolution Under Cover
The revolutionary group works under the enemy's nose while the theater maintains its public appearance. The cabaret's double role becomes the central dramatic idea.
Key Events
Revolutionaries Undercover — The theater's visible entertainment conceals the underground revolutionaries' activities. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de Cordel, Bengalsky / Nikolai KovalenkoLocation: Cabaret theater
The Enemy Is Deceived — The revolutionary group operates under the enemy's nose by using the theater as cover. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de CordelLocation: Cabaret theater
The Theater's Double Role — The cabaret remains both a public entertainment venue and a revolutionary cover. Characters: Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de Cordel, Bengalsky / Nikolai KovalenkoLocation: Cabaret theater
Story Breakdown
Odessa Setting — The story begins in Odessa in 1910, establishing the historical and geographical setting.
Odessa in 1910 — The film explicitly places its events in Odessa during the year 1910.
Public Urban Life — The cabaret becomes part of the city's visible public entertainment.
Viscount's Arrival — Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de Cordel is introduced as the Frenchman associated with the theater's organization.
French Identity — The plot describes the organizer as a certain Frenchman.
Central Organizer — The Viscount organizes the cabaret theater.
Official Approval — The cabaret is established openly with permission from local authorities and influential town figures.
Governor's Permission — The theater is organized with the governor's permission.
Town Fathers — The town's fathers also authorize or support the theater's establishment.
Cabaret Performances — The theater presents a lively variety program designed to appear legitimate and entertaining.
Bengalsky Sings — Bengalsky / Nikolai Kovalenko is identified as the cabaret singer.
Dance Program — The performances include a charming dancer, a gypsy duet, and a corps de ballet.
Bolshevik Foundation — The apparently lively venue is revealed to have been created by the Bolsheviks.
Hidden Creators — The Bolsheviks are disclosed as the force behind the cabaret's creation.
Secret Structure — The theater's public identity conceals a broader underground organization.
Underground Cover — The theater functions as a front allowing revolutionaries to work beneath the enemy's attention.
Revolutionary Work — A group of underground revolutionaries conducts its work through the theater's cover.
Enemy Deception — The group operates under the enemy's nose while the cabaret appears to be ordinary entertainment.
Based on the events that took place in Odessa in 1910, when, on the instructions of the Foreign Bureau of the RSDLP, a prominent Bolshevik underground worker arrived in the city under the guise of a French timber merchant, who was to organize the delivery of illegal literature to Russia through the Odessa port. The task can be completed. In Odessa, a variety show theater was created, which, having gained fame, toured Russia and received "theater props" from France...
Directed by
Georgi Yungvald-Khilkevich
Key Cast
Mykola Hrynko — Andrei Maksimovich / Viscount de Cordel
