The Comedians (1967)

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 | Arms Dealer | Rebel | Bribery | Tears

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 3 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robin Langford	...	Angelito Pineda (uncredited)
Dennis Alaba Peters	...	César (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Glenville

Writing credits
Graham Greene		(novel "The Comedians")
Graham Greene		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Glenville	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Henri Decaë		(director of photography) (as Henri Decae)

Film Editing by
Françoise Javet

Art Direction by
François de Lamothe

Production Management
Lucien Lippens	....	unit manager
Louis Wipf	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Michel Lacor	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Christidès	....	set dresser (as Robert Christides)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
Jacques Carrère	....	dubbing mixer
Cyril Swern	....	sound recordist
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ernest Day	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Laurence Rosenthal	....	conductor

Other crew
Judith Coxhead	....	assistant to producer
Alice Ziller	....	continuity
Phillip Kenny	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Maximillian Productions (uncredited)
• Trianon Films (uncredited)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD) (4 film set)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD) (4 film set)

Other Companies

• Alexandre  miss Taylor's hair style (as Alexandre of Paris)
• Tiziani of Rome  miss Taylor's gowns

Also Known As:

Runtime:

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

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | French | Haitian | Spanish

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Benin

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Average Shot Length = ~11.6 seconds. Median Shot Length = ~11.4 seconds.

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.

Quotes:

Brown:I don't believe in causes.
Dr. Magiot:The role of cynic doesn't really suit you, Brown.
Brown:I don't believe in play-acting either.
Dr. Magiot:You imagine because you've lost one faith, you've lost all? You're wrong, Brown. There is always an alternative to the faith we lose.
Brown:I have no faith in faith.

Movie Connections:

References Objective, Burma! (1945)

Forgotten, but really interesting

When I bought "The Comedians" in DVD, I had never heard before of that movie, although I am a fan of the cinema of the specific era. Moreover, it surprised me I didn't know anything about a film with such an excellent cast: it isn't easy to find Burton, Taylor, Guinness, Ustinov, Gish and Ford in the same movie. And there was something else: it was based on a novel and written for the screen by an author whose work I admire: Graham Greene. Therefore, I was curious to find out why a movie with so many virtues flopped and was so soon forgotten. After watching it, I understood: "The Comedians" is a movie that was made for the general audience, a film that should be fun, fast and easy to digest, a typical Hollywood epic. However, it contains none of the classic ingredients: a) it isn't fun, it is a serious political drama, with a deeply British, cynical and black humour, b) it is not melodramatic enough and the love story between Burton and Taylor evolves quite unorthodoxically, without any clichés, c) it isn't fast at all, it's almost three hours without impressive action scenes and much - quite sophisticated - dialogue, d) it isn't easy to digest, it is a sad and bitter movie with an ambiguous ending. These are the reasons why "The Comedians" flopped, but they are also the reasons that make the film exceptionally interesting. Set in Tahiti during the dictatorship of Francois Duvalier ("Papa Doc"), an ideal location for Graham Greene's stories, it demonstrates the cruelty of the regime, through the story of 6 Westerners and some locals in the background. It is a big, flawless production providing food for thought accompanied by excellent cinematography, professional directing and a slow, but strong and memorable scenario. The claustrophobic atmosphere of the brutal dictatorship is exceptional, the actors give magnificent performances and it is also one of the few films that end without an answer, without a typical happy or tragic ending. I recommend it to viewers that enjoy films that provide more than a pleasant evening.