We will start the evening with a classic Russian animated short film. Large screen, excellent sound and free popcorn.

Бриллиантовая рука - The Diamond Arm
Directed by: Leonid Gaidai
Runtime: 100 min • in Russian with English subtitles

The Soviet Union's biggest box-office hit of 1969, The Diamond Arm proves that English-language cinema certainly didn't hold a monopoly in Dayglo-dyed self-consciously trendy comedies - this could very easily be double-billed with the likes of one of the early Pink Panther films or just about anything starring Peter Sellers or directed by Richard Lester from the mid-to-late Sixties.

Mild-mannered, middle-aged economist Semyon Gorbunkov (Yuri Nikulin) goes on an Adriatic cruise to escape his wife and children for a week or so. On board the Mikhail Svetlov he shares a cabin with Gennady Kozodoyev (Andrei Mironov), whom we know is up to no good because we've already seen him plotting with his sidekick while still ashore and know in advance that "Damned melon!" is some kind of password.

Needless to say, though, it's Semyon who ends up slipping on a slice of melon when he reaches Istanbul, and his reaction is overheard by the smugglers, who naturally assume he's Gennady - so they knock him out, sprain his arm, and wrap it up in plaster, concealing diamonds, jewels and rare coins in the folds of the bandages. But unbeknown to them, Semyon is actually awake during this process, and immediately reports it to the ship's captain, who radios back to port. But, to his surprise, Semyon isn't stopped in customs - because the police realise that retrieving the contraband might be one thing, but capturing the whole gang is rather more attractive.

So they equip him with money and a gun (loaded with blanks) and send him out as bait - but poor Semyon also has to explain his new-found wealth to his wife (Nina Grebeshkova) after his nosy Patricia Routledge-like concierge (Nanna Mordyukova) - whose 'name and shame' policy towards her tenants involves erecting large billboards with slogans like SHAME ON THE DRUNKARD AND DEBAUCHER S.S.GORBUNKOV! outside the block of flats she supervises - starts spreading rumours to anyone who'll listen. - DVDTimes

Trailer on YouTube

Yuri Nikulin on Wikipedia