The Air Seller

Did You Know?

• The 1967 film adaptation was produced by Odessa Film Studio.
• The film's soundtrack was composed by Viktor Vlasov.
• In 2019, the Ukrainian label Shukai restored and released the soundtrack along with unused songs.

Plot

Meteorologist Georgiy Klimenko and his Yakut guide Nikola investigate a strange wind anomaly in Yakutia, Russian Far East, and are captured by the villainous businessman Bayley. Using a gigantic air-sucking device built by Swedish scientist Engelbrecht, Bayley slowly steals Earth's atmosphere, storing deeply frozen oxygen in a cryogenic warehouse. He plans to create an oxygen deficit and sell fresh air to become master of the world, even boasting of trade relations with Martians, though the claim's credibility is left unclear. Engelbrecht's daughter Nora sympathizes with the prisoners and helps Nikola escape to warn the Soviets. The Red Army cannot assault the base directly because it risks explosive vaporization of the frozen air, as Bayley demonstrates by releasing a portion that levels enormous areas of Siberia and Europe. Bayley holds Nora hostage to control Engelbrecht. Realizing the danger, Nora commits suicide by exposing herself to frozen oxygen. Freed and seeking revenge, Engelbrecht sides with Klimenko. Nikola shows the Red Army a safe passage, and the base is stormed. Bayley, facing capture, swallows frozen air balls and explodes.