The Last Inch

The Last Inch
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Russian: Последний дюйм
Directed by	Nikita Kurikhin Teodor Vulfovich
Written by	James Aldridge Leonid Belokurov
Produced by	S. Goloshchekin
Starring	Vladislav Muratov Nikolai Kryukov Mikhail Gluzsky Aliagha Aghayev Mukhlis Dzhanni-zade Aleksey Rozanov
Cinematography	Samuil Rubashkin
Edited by	Elena Bazhenova
Music by	Moisey Vaynberg
Production company	Lenfilm
Release date	June 10, 1959 (1959-06-10)
Running time	89 min
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

The Last Inch (Russian: Последний дюйм, romanized: Posledniy dyuym) is a 1959 Soviet adventure drama film directed by Nikita Kurikhin and Teodor Vulfovich. It is based on an eponymous short story by James Aldridge published in the USSR in 1957, and in London in 1960.

Plot

The film is about an unemployed Ben Ensley, a professional pilot, who decides to take dangerous underwater photographs to make money, and goes with his son Davy (who begged him to come along) to the distant Shark Bay. While taking the pictures, Ben gets bitten by a shark and bleeds heavily. The only chance for him to survive is to fly back to the small African town they set off from.

Davy carries his father into the plane and then follows his instructions to take off from the island and follow the route back. But the most complicated and dangerous part of the flight is the landing. Ben Ensley, who's half-conscious from loss of blood, instructs his son about the last inch that he must feel when landing a plane.

The last inch also references to the thin margin between life and death of the heroes.

Cast

• Vladislav Muratov as Davy (as Slava Muratov)
• Nikolai Kryukov as Ben Ensley (voiced by Yuri Tolubeyev)
• Mikhail Gluzsky as Gifford
• Aliagha Aghayev as cafe owner
• Mukhlis Jani-Zade as mechanic (voiced by Sergey Yursky)
• Aleksey Rozanov as doctor

Music track

• «Ben's Song», lyrics by Mark Sobol, music by Mieczysław Weinberg) was performed by Mikhail Ryba.
• The English variant entitled I don't care about your staff was created in 2025 by Viatcheslav Yatsko

External links

• The Last Inch at IMDb