| Complete Cast | |
|---|---|
| Carl Reiner | as Walt Whittaker |
| Eva Marie Saint | as Elspeth Whittaker |
| Alan Arkin | as Lt. Rozanov |
| Brian Keith | as Police Chief Link Mattocks |
| Jonathan Winters | as Norman Jonas |
| Paul Ford | as Fendall Hawkins |
| Theodore Bikel | as The Submarine's Captain |
| Tessie O'Shea | as Alice Foss |
| John Phillip Law | as Alexei Kolchin |
| Ben Blue | as Luther Grilk |
| Andrea Dromm | as Alison Palmer |
| Sheldon Collins | as Pete Whittaker |
| Guy Raymond | as Lester Tilly |
| Cliff Norton | as Charlie Hinkson |
| Richard Schaal | as Oscar Maxwell |
| Philip Coolidge | as Mr. Porter |
| Don Keefer | as Irving Christiansen |
| Cindy Putnam | as Annie Whittaker |
| Parker Fennelly | as Mr. Everett |
| Doro Merande | as Muriel Everett |
| Vaughn Taylor | as Mr. Bell |
| Johnny Whitaker | as Jerry Maxwell |
| Danny Klega | as Polsky |
| Ray Baxter | as Brodsky |
| Paul Verdier | as Maliavin |
| Nikita Knatz | as Gromolsky |
| Constantine Baksheef | as Vasilov |
| Alex Hassilev | as Hrushevsky |
| Milos Milos | as Lysenko |
| Gino Gottarelli | as Kregitkin |
| Paul Barselou | as Townsman (uncredited) |
| Sidney Clute | as Townsman (uncredited) |
| Peter Brocco | as Reverend Hawthorne (uncredited) |
| Laurence Haddon | as Bartender (uncredited) |
| Paul Lambert | as Minor Role (uncredited) |
| Larry D. Mann | as Man with Cat (uncredited) |
| James McCallion | as 'He stole my car' Townsman (uncredited) |
| Michael J. Pollard | as Stanley (airplane mechanic) (uncredited) |
| MPAA Rating: | U |
| Production Co.: | The Mirisch Corporation |
| Distributors: | United Artists (USA, 1966) MGM/UA Home Entertainment (DVD) |
| Release Date (US): | 5/25/1966 |
| Running Time (US): | 126 minutes |
| Languages: | English, Russian |
| Domestic Box Office: | $21,693,114 (05/25/1966) |
| Foreign Box Office: | $? |
| Production Budget: | $? (Est.) |
| Crew | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRODUCED BY | |||||
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| DIRECTED BY: Norman Jewison | |||||
| Writing Credits (WGA): | Nathaniel Benchley (novel) William Rose (screenplay) |
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| Original Music: | Johnny Mandel | ||||
| Cinematography: | Joseph F. Biroc | ||||
| Film Editing: | Hal Ashby J. Terry Williams |
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| Casting: | Lynn Stalmaster | ||||
| Production Manager: | James E. Henderling | ||||
| Art Direction: | Robert F. Boyle | ||||
| Set Decoration: | Darrell Silvera | ||||
| Costume & Wardrobe: | Wesley Jeffries | ||||
| Special Effects: | Daniel W. Hays | ||||
During the Cold War, a Russian submarine (of WW II vintage) runs aground off the fictional Gloucester Island. In order to get it free, the Captain (Bikel) orders his crew to borrow (i.e. steal) a boat from the local marina. Of course the shore party is seen, and a general panic ensues.
Some of the crew, led by Lt. Rozanov (Arkin) end up kidnapping Walt Whittaker (Reiner), a writer renting an outlying house for the summer. They take him downtown and force him to show them the telephone office, where they cut all the lines. Then Whittaker is tied up with Alice Foss (Tessie O'Shea), the switchboard operator.
Taking clothes from the dry-cleaner's for disguises, the shore party makes it through town to a secluded area, where they fire their guns as a diversion. This has the desired effect as the mob of "defenders" runs off toward the sounds of "battle." The shore party manage to take a large motorboat and head off around the island.
Meanwhile Alexei Kolchin (Law), who has been hiding near the Whittaker house after Whittaker ran him off, returns and confronts Alison Palmer (Andrea Dromm). Seeking to calm her, he offers her his gun, but she refuses it. Despite her initial misgivings, she comes to trust him and they walk along the beach, getting acquainted while watching over Annie Whittaker.
A rising tide frees the submarine and it sails into the harbor. There it is met by the townspeople, fronted by Whittaker and his family, and by Rozanov who acts as a translator. The Captain demands his missing men, not knowing they are on the motorboat they stole, and orders his vessel's main gun trained on the town. The Police Chief comes up and declares the Captain under arrest. For minutes, the townsfolk and the submarine's crew point guns at each other — until a small boy falls out of the church steeple where he had gone to watch events unfold. Hanging by his coat, he is in desparate need of rescue. Working together, the Russians and Americans accomplish this. Hostilities resolved, the Russians prepare to depart.
But one big problem remains. Fendell Hawkins (Ford) has used a ham radio to notify the Air Force, and fighters are on their way. It is Elspeth Whitakker (Eva Marie Saint) who provides the solution.
Filmed in northern California,1 this comedy collected a lot of star power. It uses its stars effectively to satirize Cold-War suspicions, although I would say the message is delivered a bit too broadly as the men of the town rush hither and yon, led by hyper-patriotic war veteran Fendell Hawkins brandishing a sword. It remains an enjoyable comedy, with standout performances by Alan Arkin drilling the shore party ("E-mer-gen-cy! Ev-ry-bo-dy to get from street!") and by John Philip Law and Andrea Dromm as the awkward young submariner and the woman who instinctively warms to him.
The rescue of the boy from the steeple is handled well. The recall of the fighter squadron2 seems to me contrived. But all in all the plot of this film holds together well, and it remains an eminently worthwhile experience.3
My Rating:
9 out of 10
Capsule review: Although dated and a bit over the top, The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! ably satirizes Cold War hysteria and gives us good to excellent performances by a large number of Hollywood stars of the period. It remains a very enjoyable comedy.
| IMDB Rating: 7.1 | Raters: 6,416 |
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