Dear colleagues:

Here's one "out of left field," in case anyone might be interested.
I was watching an American commercial film made in 1955, "Soldier
of Fortune," starring Clark Gable and based on a novel by Ernest K
Gann. A secondary role is played by ANNA STEN (1908-93), a
Russian-Ukrainian-German actress who migrated to the US in
1933 and never left. In this 1955 film, there is an episode in a
beer hall, in which everybody gets drunk, philosophizes nostalgically,
sobs, laughes, and even fights. Right in the midst of this drunken
revelry, Miss Sten sings an old Russian song, even climbs up on a
table and dances to the music.

Not recognizing the song (I have a tin ear for singing), I asked my
knowledgeable colleague Dmitrii Vasil'evich Bobyshev, a native
Russian poet and also a scholar, now located here at the University
of Illinois. He immediately recognized it as "Tsyplenok zharenyi"
["Fried Chick"!], a sort of comic political song from the decade (appx.)
of 1918-28. My knowledge of similar comic or nonsense songs,
unfortunately, is limited to the likes of Danny Kaye, Spike Jones,
Ish Kabibble, "Polly Wolly Doodle," and "Mairzy Doats," so this
was a new one for me.

And since Dmitrii Vasil'evich was kind enough to forward to me the
complete lyrics of Anna Sten's song (i.e., sung by her in "Soldier of
Fortune"), I attach those lyrics below. Comments are welcome.

Best wishes to all,
Steven P Hill,
Slavic Langs. & Lits. and Cinema Studies,
University of Illinois (USA),
___________________________________________________________

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Цыплёнок жареный
музыка и слова народные
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Цыплёнок жареный,
Цыплёнок пареный
Пошёл по Невскому гулять.
Его поймали,
Арестовали,
Велели паспорт показать.

Паспорта нету -
Гони монету,
Монеты нет - сымай штаны.
Цыплёнок жареный,
Цыплёнок пареный,
Штаны цыплёнку не нужны.

- Я не советский,
Я не кадетский,
А я куриный комиссар -
Я не расстреливал,
Я не допрашивал,
Я только зёрнышки клевал!

Но власти строгие,
Козлы безрогие,
Его поймали как в силки.
Его поймали,
Арестовали
И разорвали на куски.

Цыплёнок жареный,
Цыплёнок пареный
Не мог им слова возразить.
Судьёй задавленный,
Он был зажаренный...
Цыплёнки тоже хочут жить!
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