The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming
Directed by Norman Jewison
Written by William Rose from a novel by Nathaniel Benchley
1966/USA
The Mirsch Corporation
First viewing/Netflix
[box] Pete Whittaker: [to his father] Don’t tell them anything! He hasn’t even tortured you yet![/box]
Peacenik comedy was undoubtedly funnier at the time than it is now.
A Soviet submarine commander comes up for a look at America off the coast of a small Massachusetts island and runs aground. He sends a nine-man team headed by fractured English speaker Lt. Ronozov (Alan Arkin) off in search of a motorboat to pull the sub back out to sea.
The townspeople think they are being invaded. Mild hilarity ensues en route to international understanding, with even some international romance along the way. With a lot of funny fellows including Theodore Bickel, Carl Reiner, Brian Keith, Johathan Winters and Paul Ford and Eva Marie Saint as Reiner’s wife.
I remember this as being better than it is. The premise is good, the actors are funny, but it just didn’t make me laugh much. Your mileage may vary. The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming was nominated for Academy Awards in the categories of Best Picture; Best Actor (Arkin); Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material Coming from Another Medium; and Best Film Editing.
