"Nevsky" scripts

[Steven Hill]

Follow-up to Miriam Margala's query about the printed script of "Aleksandr
Nevskii".

Given that the script (co-written by Sergei Eizenshtein and Petr Pavlenko) was
made into a Classic (with capital "C") Soviet film in November, 1938, and won many
awards for director Eizenshtein (Eisenstein), I think the script has been
published and re-published over the decades, as often happens with "classics."

But in most instances I expect that the author credit on the cover page -- and the
library catalog entries -- would show EIZENSHTEIN (EISENSTEIN), SERGEI
MIKHAILOVICH, as the first listed author, not Pavlenko (much down-graded in
historical hindsight).

If memory serves, Eizenstein's collected works in six volumes (published in the
late 1960s in Moscow, IN RUSSIAN, of course: "Izbrannye proizvedeniia") devotes
one of the 6 volumes to his film scripts (perhaps that is volume 6?), including
"Nevskii." In addition to the scripts as such, that (6th?) volume also has a large
critical apparatus in the back, with much background information about the making
of each film and including script variants for each.

Now, in the last decade or two, Prof Richard Taylor in England (Swansea) has been
publishing Eizenshtein's selected writings in several volumes, IN ENGLISH
TRANSLATION. I don't know whether they have yet gotten to the script of Nevskii,
but they will, you can be sure.  Taylor's group is doing an excellent job on that
series.

Separately from Eizenshtein's collected writings, various publishers have brought
out paperback series of "classic film scripts" in English, and Nevsky would be a
good bet to have been included in one or two of those paperback series.  Look
under the title "Alexander Nevsky" or "Eisenstein's Alexander Nevsky," and if it's
there, it should come up.  [Not necessarily under "Pavlenko."]

PS.  You probably are aware there is a much smaller message board for those
interested specifically in FILM & MEDIA in Russia & E Europe, the "SLAVCIN" board.
If this SEELANGS exchange does not eventually wrap up the search for "Nevskii,"
let me know & I could refer you to the "Slavcin" address.

Good hunting,
Steven P Hill,
University of Illinois (USA).
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