The Cloth Peddler (1945 film)

The Cloth Peddler (Azerbaijani: Arşın Mal Alan) is a 1945 Azerbaijani comedy film made in Baku, based on the Arshin Mal Alan (operetta) by the famous Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibeyov.

The Cloth Peddler
Directed by	Rza Tahmasib
Written by	Uzeyir Hajibeyov
Starring	Rashid Behbudov, Leyla Badirbayli, Lutfali Abdullayev
Cinematography	Alisattar Atakishiyev, Mukhtar Dadashov
Distributed by	Baku Studio
Release date	October 1, 1945 (October 1, 1945)
Country	Soviet Union , Azerbaijan SSR
Language	Azerbaijani Turkic

Plot

Set in Baku at the turn of the 20th century, a young successful businessman Asgar (Rashid Behbudov) wishes to marry. He wants his bride to be the choice of his heart, however, Azerbaijani tradition restricted him from communicating with the lady as a lover before marriage. So Asgar decides to disguise himself as a mere cloth peddler and the young woman Gulchoehra (Leyla Badirbayli) falls in love with him. However, she is concerned that her father, Soltan bey (Alakbar Huseynzade) will not allow her to marry a cloth peddler. Young Asgar then reveals himself to her father and asks for her hand in marriage. Seeing that he is indeed a wealthy young man, the father agrees and the two are permitted to marry.[1][2]

Cast

• Rashid Behbudov (Asgar),
• Leyla Badirbayli (Guelchohra),
• Alakbar Huseynzade (Soltan bey)
• Munavvar Kalantarli (Jahan khala)
• Ismayil Afandiyev (Suleyman)
• Rahila Mustafayeva (Asya)
• Lutfali Abdullayev (Vali)
• Mirzaagha Aliyev

About movie

• The film has already been shown in 136 countries and translated into 86 languages.[3]
• The film was screened on the basis of Uzeyir Hajibayov's same name operetta.[4]
• Film was re-mastered and colorized in 2013 in Los Angeles at the expense of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation of Azerbaijan.
• The 1945 film was shot in black-and-white in the midst of Soviet engagement in World War II[5]
• The Ministry of Culture and Tourism brought a copy of the film "Arshin Mal Alan" in the Moscow Film Foundation to Baku with the financial support of the International Bank, and organized a re-translation of the film into Azerbaijani language. The film was demonstrated for the first time in the 60th anniversary of it on 16 May 2006.[4]
• The film was screened at the Le Balzac Cinema of France in March 2018 within the framework of the Week of foreign films.[6][7]

Colorization

Premiere of the colorized version in Baku (2013)

• At the initiative of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the film was colorized and remastered in Los Angeles in 2012-2013. Its colorized version premiered in Baku, Azerbaijan in December 2013.[8]

Premiere in Hollywood

• The colorized version of Arshin Mal Alan (The Cloth Peddler), was shown on September 19, 2015 in Hollywood, US by the Consulate General of Azerbaijan in Los Angeles[9]

References

1. "The Pre-Soviet Era: Celebrating 100 Years in Film, Not 80-Aydin Kazimzade". azer.com. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
2. "The Cloth Peddler". www.peramuseum.org. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
3. "Azerbaijani "Arshin Mal Alan" movie premiered in Hollywood". Trend.Az. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
4. "Üzeyir Hacıbəyov". anl.az. Retrieved 2018-05-21.
5. Hilsman, Hoyt (2015-09-20). "The Cloth Peddler Has Its Hollywood Premiere". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
6. AZERTAC Video (2018-03-15), “Arşın mal alan” filmi fransalı tamaşaçılar tərəfindən maraqla qarşılanıb, retrieved 2018-05-20
7. "Semaine des cinémas étrangers 2018 - Arshin Mal Alan" (in French). Retrieved 2018-05-20.
8. RESTORATION AND COLORIZATION OF "ARSHIN MAL ALAN" MOVIE
9. "Azerbaijani "Arshin Mal Alan" movie premiered in Hollywood". Trend.Az. 2015-09-21. Retrieved 2018-05-30.

External links

The Cloth Peddler on IMDb

See also

• List of Azerbaijani films
• Arshin Mal Alan (operetta)
• If Not That One, Then This One