Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev was a renowned Soviet-Russian film director and screenwriter, often referred to as the high priest of Stalinist cinema. Throughout his illustrious career, he received an impressive six Stalin Prizes in 1941, 1942, 1946, 1946, 1948, and 1951. Pyryev also held the esteemed position of Director of the Mosfilm studios from 1954 to 1957, solidifying his status as the most influential figure in the Soviet motion picture industry.
Born on November 17, 1901, in Kamen-na-Obi, Tomsk Governorate of the Russian Empire (now Altai Krai, Russia),Pyryev's early career was marked by his involvement in the world of theater. He acted on stage, directed by the likes of Vsevolod Meyerhold in The Forest and Sergei Eisenstein in the Proletcult Theatre production The Mexican. Additionally, Pyryev acted in Eisenstein's first short film Glumov's Diary. His early career also included production jobs behind the camera, working with director Yuri Tarich.
Pyryev made his directorial debut in the silent film era with Strange Woman in 1929. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, he rivaled Grigori Aleksandrov as the country's most successful director of musical comedies, with all of his films starring his wife, Marina Ladynina. Even during World War II, when the Soviet film industry was evacuated to Alma-Ata, Pyryev continued to produce popular and light-hearted features.
One of his most notable films from this period is Six O'Clock after the War is Over, released in November 1944. The romantic comedy follows two characters, played by Ladynina and Yevgeny Samoilov, who, separated by war, arrange a date at 6 PM on Victory Day. The film culminates in the victory celebrations, which are showcased towards the end of the movie.
