The Comedians (1967)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Peter Glenville

Writers:

Graham Greene (novel)
Graham Greene (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 October 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

They lie, they cheat, they destroy...they even try to love.

Plot:

Set in the Haiti of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, The Comedians tells the story of a sardonic white hotel owner...

Plot Keywords:

Haiti | Affair | Fake Identity | Rebellion | Dictatorship

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Brown
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Martha Pineda
Alec Guinness	...	Major H. O. Jones
Peter Ustinov	...	Ambassador Manuel Pineda
Paul Ford	...	Smith
Lillian Gish	...	Mrs. Smith
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Henri Philipot
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Petit Pierre
Gloria Foster	...	Mrs. Philipot
James Earl Jones	...	Dr. Magiot
Zakes Mokae	...	Michel
Douta Seck	...	Joseph
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Captain Concasseur
Cicely Tyson	...	Marie Therese

Also Known As:

Les comédiens (France)

Runtime:

UK:150 min | USA:152 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Benin

Company:

Maximillian Productions

Trivia:

This is the first film where Richard Burton was paid more than his wife, Elizabeth Taylor. Burton got $750,000 while Taylor, the first actor to receive a $1 million fee for a single picture, settled for a mere half-a-million.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last few shots in the movie, as the Character is leaving the airport, there is initially a departing Vickers VC10 airliner flying overhead from right to left, this changes to a close up, followed by a shot of the same airliner now flying into the distance -- unfortunately this is different 4 engine Jetliner, probably a Boeing 707.

Movie Connections:

References Objective, Burma! (1945)

Graham Greene story plays like "The VIP's" in precarious surroundings...

Talky and rather dull combination of political thriller and history lesson. When natty politico Alec Guinness is thrown into jail upon his arrival in strife-ridden Haiti, local welcoming factor Richard Burton helps him through the red tape; Elizabeth Taylor plays Burton's lover, Peter Ustinov is Taylor's husband. Rather a bit like Liz and Dick's "The VIP's"--with the soap opera trimmings intact--although Guinness is very good and the location shooting is interesting. Burton hardly knows a subtle moment; he is so full of hot air that his spouting-off seems rote. Taylor looks as though her main concern was trying to stay attractive in the wilting heat. Graham Greene adapted the screenplay from his own novel, and sadly bears most of the blame for the overripe characters and dialogue. *1/2 from ****