The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming (1966)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Nathaniel Benchley (novel)
William Rose (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 May 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

It's A Plot!... to make the world die laughing!!

Plot:

Without hostile intent, a Soviet sub runs aground off New England. Men are sent for a boat, but many villagers go into a tizzy, risking bloodshed.

Plot Keywords:

Boat | Submarine | Island | Sailor | New England

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Carl Reiner	...	Walt Whittaker
Eva Marie Saint	...	Elspeth Whittaker
Alan Arkin	...	Lt. Rozanov
Brian Keith	...	Police Chief Link Mattocks
Jonathan Winters	...	Norman Jones
Paul Ford	...	Fendall Hawkins
Theodore Bikel	...	The Russian captain
Tessie O'Shea	...	Alice Foss (telephone operator)
John Phillip Law	...	Alexei Kolchin
Ben Blue	...	Luther Grilk
Andrea Dromm	...	Alison Palmer
Sheldon Collins	...	Pete Whittaker (as Sheldon Golomb)
Guy Raymond	...	Lester Tilly
Cliff Norton	...	Charlie Hinkson
Richard Schaal	...	Oscar Maxwell
Philip Coolidge	...	Mr. Porter
Don Keefer	...	Irving Christiansen
Cindy Putnam	...	Annie Whittaker
Parker Fennelly	...	Mr. Everett
Doro Merande	...	Muriel Everett
Vaughn Taylor	...	Mr. Bell
Johnny Whitaker	...	Jerry Maxwell
Danny Klega	...	Polsky
Ray Baxter	...	Brodsky
Paul Verdier	...	Maliavin
Nikita Knatz	...	Gromolsky
Constantine Baksheef	...	Vasilov
Alex Hassilev	...	Hrushevsky
Milos Milos	...	Lysenko
Gino Gottarelli	...	Kregitkin
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Paul Lambert	...	(uncredited)
Michael J. Pollard	...	Stanley (airplane mechanic) (uncredited)

Directed by
Norman Jewison

Writing credits
Nathaniel Benchley		(novel "The Off-Islanders")
William Rose		(screenplay)

Produced by
Norman Jewison	....	producer
Walter Mirisch	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Johnny Mandel

Cinematography by
Joseph F. Biroc		(as Joseph Biroc)

Film Editing by
Hal Ashby
J. Terry Williams

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Art Direction by
Robert F. Boyle

Set Decoration by
Darrell Silvera

Makeup Department
Del Armstrong	....	makeup artist
Naomi Cavin	....	hair stylist
Sydney Guilaroff	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jim Henderling	....	production manager (as James E. Henderling)
Fred Lemoine	....	unit manager
Allen K. Wood	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kurt Neumann	....	assistant director (as Kurt Neumann Jr.)

Art Department
Anthony Bavero	....	property master (as Anthony N. Bavero)
Lewis E. Hurst Jr.	....	set designer
James F. McGuire	....	set designer
Thomas Wright	....	sketch artist (as Thomas J. Wright Jr.)

Sound Department
Al Overton	....	sound (as Alfred J. Overton)
Clem Portman	....	sound re-recordist
John Romness	....	sound
Sidney Sutherland	....	sound editor (as Sidney E. Sutherland)
James D. Young	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Daniel Hays	....	special effects (as Daniel W. Hays)

Stunts
John Moio	....	stunts (uncredited)
Felix Silla	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Bob Young	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Wesley Jeffries	....	wardrobe

Music Department
Richard Carruth	....	music editor

Other crew
Leon Belasco	....	dialogue director
Betty Levin	....	script supervisor
Peter Nelson	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• Mirisch Corporation, The

Distributors

• United Artists (1966) (USA) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1970) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2002) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Film Effects of Hollywood

Other Companies

• Pablo Ferro Films  titles

Also Known As:

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (USA) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

126 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:S | Sweden:11 | USA:Unrated | Australia:G

Filming Locations:

Bodega Bay, California, USA

Company:

Mirisch Corporation, The

Trivia:

The name of the Russian submarine, converted letter by letter from Cyrillic, translates literally to SPRUT, which is pronounced "sproot." It means "octopus" in Russian.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Kolchin is saying goodbye to Allyson before jumping on the submarine, a woman in a blue coat passes by behind them on her way to the small crafts. A few moments later, the same blue-coated woman is running behind them again.

Quotes:

Police Chief Link Mattocks: [to the Russian sub captain after tell him he's under arrest] All right, let's have your name and address.
Lieutenant Rozanov: [translating in Russian] We wants our address.
The Russian Captain: [in Russian to the sailors] Point your gun... take aim right between their eyes!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in The Russians Are Coming (1973)

Soundtrack:

The Shining Sea

Human Spirit Overreaches Ideological Boundaries

A Cold War "comedy" delivers lots of laughs, but also much to think about. Knowing what we know now (years after the fall of Communism), the story seems to foreshadow a brighter future for humankind. Carl Reiner's Masterpiece!

A small New England island town is visited by the crew of a Russian submarine. The submarine has run adrift, and is stuck. The townspeople, through a series of misunderstandings, quickly perpetuate ever-increasing rumors about a Russian paratrouper invasion. Although the town is in a complete panic, the focus on a few characters and their interactions with the "alien enemies" reveals a more human side of the global East/West conflict. The final scenes are a heartwarming testimony to the triumph of the human spirit. A wonderful "Sunday afternoon" family film