Russian Rhapsody (1944) User Reviews

Gremlins beat the crap out of Furher.

[emasterslake · 7/10 · 22 May 2006]

Hitler is furious with the Soviet Union that he wants to bomb Moscow all by himself.

So he flies from Berlin to Moscow by airplane. But little does he know is that little invaders are taring his plane apart. And those invaders are Gremlins from the Kremlin!.

These little guys sing and tor mechanical stuff apart with pleasure.

And they even pull a few pranks on Hitler himself.

Will these Gremlins be able to prevent Hitler from bombing Moscow? Well you try to guess that when you see this cartoon.

This cartoon was originally titled "Gremlins from the Kremlim" but due to Disney and Warner Bros both wanting to do their own cartoon about Gremlins. They had to change the title that doesn't have the word Gremlin in it.

It's a good WW2 short. Also be on the look out for 9 Gremlins that resemble the producers, writers, and creators behind the Looney Tunes.

Good luck in finding this short by internet search cause it's hard to tell when it'll ever be released on DVD.

Funny, and a little creepy

[rbverhoef · 8/10 · 13 March 2004]

An animated short movie from Warner Brothers that mocks with Adolf Hitler must be funny. I was not disappointed, although it is not just funny, it is kind of creepy to see an animated Hitler on screen as well.

Spoilers.

Hitler wants to bomb Moscow and the only person suitable for the job, so he thinks, is Hitler himself. He flies a plane to Russia but on the way he has some trouble with the gremlins from the Kremlin. The way the little creatures mock with Hitler and send him to his grave is hilarious. There is also a short appearance by Stalin that is as funny as it is unexpected. A great short from Warner Brothers.

for once, the Russians are unequivocally the good guys

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 17 April 2007]

Throughout the Cold War, it was customary to portray Russians as drunk at best, evil at worst. Even today in movies, Russians tend to get relegated to the roles of mobsters and corrupt oligarchs. Apparently, we've forgotten that the Soviet Union was our staunch ally in World War II. "Russian Rhapsody" sticks with that. It portrays Hitler -ranting like in "The Great Dictator" - concerned about German planes going missing over Russia, so he decides to fly there personally (he's the best pilot). During the flight, Gremlins from the Kremlin start dancing all over his plane and dismantling it.

I should say that this isn't the best Looney Tunes cartoon. Far from it. But I just like that there was one cartoon that portrayed Russians positively.

Gremlins wrecking havoc on Nazis

[QKnown · 9 January 2001]

During the early 1940s, It was pretty easy for allied nations to mock Adolph Hitler and his Nazi ways. But shortly after a year when this cartoon first appeared, footage of the concentration camps was released world-wide to stunned individuals. All of a sudden, Hitler and the Nazi party were no laughing matter.

So maybe this was why I never saw this toon air on my television during my youth years. Yet I recently caught it and *shocker* enjoyed it! Mel Blanc did an amusing job imitating Hitler plus the Gremlin theme song is pretty catchy! Along with the energetic directing by Bob Clampet (Nearly all of his toons had some anarchy in them) and the familiar faces of Warner Bros. animators & execs, put on the bodies of the gremlins,make this cartoon memorable.

It's best to watch it with an open mind,forget what Hitler stood for, and enjoy watching the "Gremlins from der Kremlin" .

From the studio that brought us Bugs Bunny & Porky Pig . . .

[oscaralbert · 7/10 · 3 June 2015]

. . . comes a green-eyed master stroke of comic genius named - - Adolf Hitler (a.k.a., Der Fuhrer). At a time late in WWII--1944--when it was an open "secret" that this Charlie Chaplin look-alike had had his minions toss about half of the World's Jews into ovens, Hollywood's Jewish-run movie studios enjoyed presenting Mr. Hitler as being even funnier than The Tramp. For instance, as a goofy-looking Fuhrer rises here from the grave like some Biblical Messiah, he delivers this zany one-liner: "Nazis is the craziest people!" At this closing comment, all I could think was WWAFS (What would Anne Frank Say?). I personally lived through the 9-11 Era, but I do NOT recall ever viewing Osama bin Laden being the Toast of the Town in Springfield on THE SIMPSONS. Perhaps this is because, say what you will about him, Hitler was LESS likely to behead cartoonists than Freedom's current enemies. Possibly Hollywood is NOT exactly singing, "Hooray for Holocaust" in Russian RHAPSODY, but it's hard to believe that this cartoon was ever Politically Correct.

interesting but not really funny

[mrdonleone · 6/10 · 8 May 2009]

yes I saw this one in the Film Museum of Brussels. it was a bit silly, I thought, but it fit right in the context: a lesson about communism in Hollywood. this cartoon contains of two parts: the first one was about how the situation was in those years of war and the second one was to ridicule it with lots of satire and parodies of existing political figures. the cartoon left me a bit unsatisfied, because I wondered the whole if Hitler would have seen this (because the 'main' character is a satire on him)? they couldn't tell me in the Film Museum, what was a pity. I do realize why this cartoon was banned (or should be banned at the time): it contains too much propaganda for political systems.

Gremlins again - this time on our side.

[theowinthrop · 9/10 · 21 January 2007]

This was the second of three Warner Brothers, anti-Hitler cartoons that were broadcast yesterday on the Turner Classic Film Network's "Cartoon Alley".

Hitler is upset that all attempts to bomb Moscow have met with disaster, so he announces at the start that he will fly a special plane to hit the city. He announces that the flight will be by the greatest Nazi superman in history. When he is asked if will be flown by him, he answers "Mm, COULD BE!!", which was a radio comedy catchphrase of the day (I think from Jack Benny's program).

So he sets off, and for most of the cartoon we just watch him flying. But we see these cartoon gremlins (who this thread explains were caricatures of Fritz Freleng, Chuck Jones, and others, and they proceed to destroy the airplane (while singing a song to the tune of OY CHICHOINYA" - "We're all gremlins, from the Kremlin"). In the end they cause Hitler to crash, and he is so confused by the whole adventure he turns into a caricature of Lew Lehr, who did comic travelogues for the movies. His catch phrase was "Monkeys is the Cwaziest peoples." The cartoon is funny, and one can see some past influences, When the gremlins are trying a variety of things to do to Hitler, the cartoonist orchestrates them to just miss hitting each other. A cartoon about the building of the world's tallest skyscraper had a sequence when about five or six different construction workers tried to hammer nails in different corners of the structure as planned, but all fail to notice that their nails, if driven up , down, or sideways, will end up nailing some co-worker in his rear.

This was also the second Warner's cartoon where the fictitious "Gremlins" popped up to destroy aircraft - the other was a Bugs Bunny cartoon where he is outsmarted by the Gremlins who are trying to destroy the U.S. Air Force plane Bugs is on. That cartoon only had one Gremlin on it, and it also had a joke at the end dealing with gasoline rationing.

One of the highlights here was the mask of Joseph Stalin, used to frighten Hitler who was trying to kill some of the Russian Gremlins before that. Stalin also appears in the last of the three Warner cartoons I saw this morning, "Herr Meets HARE", but was rarely in any of the Warner cartoons made after the "Cold War" began to heat up in the late 1940s.

Funny Wartime Propaganda

[Markc65 · 9/10 · 28 June 2001]

A very funny, energetic cartoon (but what do you expect coming from Clampett?). It starts out with a devastating caricature of Hitler ranting and raving. The level of exageration is amazing. Hitler sprays spit as he talks and has a truly manaical look in his eyes. He decides he is the only man to carry out a bombing mission to Moscow, but en route his plane is attacked by gremlins from the Kremlin. The Kremlins are mostly caricatures of the Warners staff. Leon Schlesinger is seen hitting Brother-in-law Ray Katz with a mallet in one scene. There is also a great scene of Hitler being electrocuted by the gremlins to an amazing drum solo. He twists and writhes into different shapes that show his true colors, such as a jackass. The cartoon ends with Hitler doing a Lew Lehr imitation, a reference that is lost on modern audiences. The only thing that mars this cartoon is a glaringly bad cut that was probably due to a censorship problem with the studio or the Hays office. Schlesinger would not have paid for a retake if something was cut.

Surreal sillyness

[TheOtherFool · 4/10 · 1 June 2004]

Hitler is concerned about his aeroplanes towards Moskou, as they all somehow seem to be missing. He decides to go on the mission himself (as he's apparently the best pilot), but in the air he has to do battle with some strange small creatures, who call themselves 'The Gremlins From The Kremlin'.

This short animation story is really silly and not that fun either. It's even pretty boring. I've seen so many better propaganda films from that era; you can stop your efforts to track this one down if you'd ask me: go for a movie like 'Education For Death' instead.

4/10.

one of the best war time shorts!

[Thanosied790870 · 9/10 · 5 October 2007]

It seems that too many Messershmits aren't reaching Moscow. Naturaly, Adolf isn't too happy, and after a hilarious speech (shouting into a mike with "PU" written on it and standing behind a banner of the Swazi labeled "New Odor") He announces that he himself will fly and bomb Russia. As soon as he crosses the border, gremlins get on to the plane, and start playing pranks on the unsuspecting Fuher. after a while, Hitler catches on, and tries to kill the little trouble makers, but ends up being electrocuted and pushed out of the plane. This cartoon is full of references to Radio shows and comedians of the time. Another thing worth noting is that to my knowledge, it is the ONLY ww2 American cartoon to feature Russians as the protagonists.

Unfunny sympathy towards Russians

[robert3750 · 2/10 · 30 July 2022]

I really don't care for this "let's lampoon Hitler while being sympathetic towards Stalin" cartoon. Stalin was monstrously evil. Portraying him sympathetically because he was against another monster (after first signing a pact with him) is ridiculous.

What's There To Say About This Cartoon--Except That This Review Might Have Some Spoilers?

[Angel-Marie · 10 March 2002]

I mean it. This cartoon has the shock value of any cartoon (past or present--and by present, I mean the animated sitcoms such as "The Simpsons" and "Family Guy", which have done refs to Hitler, both caricatured and spoken) that isn't afraid to rip a new one into Hitler (which he deserves BTW) and the wackiness that can only come out of the twisted imagination of a Warner Bros. animator of yore (i.e., Bob Clampett). Everything about this cartoon freaks me out and makes me laugh, from the head-splitting rantings of Hitler (who makes references to Friz Freleng and "What's Cooking Doc") to the electrocution scene and the plane crash ending.

Aside from the tripped-out Clampett-esque effects, I also like the "Gremlins From The Kremlin" song. Cartoon Network does air this one on occasion (but unfortunately, the print is one that cuts from Hitler screaming after being scared by a Joseph Stalin mask to a scene where he's semi-conscious and about to be dropped from the plane. I'm guessing that the original version will never see the light of day) and it's worth your time and money to get cable, a VCR, a video, and try to track this cartoon down.

What would Hitler order at a deli?

[erichyoung · 10/10 · 30 August 2001]

This cartoon answers the question of what Hitler would order at a deli. In fact, Hitler's entire speech centers on the subject! Very funny! What an outstanding cartoon, with many references which people of my age won't understand. (I need to ask my dad about these things). Highly recommended.

Grrremlins from der Krrremlin

[eye3 · 8/10 · 12 July 1999]

That's one of the shtick jokes from this wartime jewel. I gave it an 8 out of ten for its one flaw, a screw-up in continuity.

Basically, it's a vehicle for silly slapstick at Hitler's physical expense. Some of the gremlins bear striking resemblances to the gang at Termite Terrace. And where else would you hear "Volga Boatmen" at 8-to-the-bar?

I said there was one flaw, in continuity. There was another flaw - a social one. See, there was one bit at the end I found eye-brow-raising by 1999 standards where Hitler, dazed from his plane crashing on top of him, looks Oriental - read Japanese. You can say, "yeah, it was racist, but it was the 1940s, it was WWII, everyone was like that, &c." But the casual, remorseless, didn't-think-twice-about-it attitude of the joke struck me from beyond the film-frames of this cartoon.

Hitler vs. Gremlins

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 21 April 2016]

"Russian Rhapsody" is a 7-minute cartoon from over 70 years ago, from the latter years of World War II and this is actually the animated take on Hitler unsuccessful attempt to invade the Soviet Union. Of course, it is all very much over-the top and absurd as it is a Warner Bros cartoon, but I still believe the most interesting aspect here is really that it is 100% propaganda from start to finish. Unfortunately, I must say that the comedy is not on par with the best from the Golden Age of Animation and maybe it shows that writer Lou Lilly is not exactly the most prolific. I guess Clampett and Blanc (wow they must have hated him in Germany) did a good job again and the "Gremlins from the Kremlin" song is actually quite catchy. The Russians must have liked this little movie. I myself did not and that is why I don't recommend it.

Strange and pretty hilarious anarchy

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 15 January 2018]

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.

'Russian Rhapsody' is classic Bob Clampett in style. This is meant in a good way, Clampett's distinctively wild and outrageous style is all over 'Russian Rhapsody' in visuals and humour and like his best cartoons a lot of the cartoon is pretty anarchic (again typical of prime-Clampett). By all means, 'Russian Rhapsody' is not one of his best cartoons overall, but it is very good and does Clampett in his prime period justice.

By all means, 'Russian Rhapsody' could have been better. Some of the references may go over some viewers heads, especially if they are not familiar with what is being referenced (it was a bit hit and miss with me, some were familiar, others weren't), and the ending falls somewhat flat.

However, there is so much to admire about 'Russian Rhapsody', that Clampett's style can be found all over it and that he's on top form is just one of the things. It's a very strange cartoon certainly, with a fairly positive view of Russians, gremlins and Hitler like you've never seen him before in a cartoon, and it may not be for the easily offended or historians looking for accuracy (it is a lampoon cartoon so that should be pushed at the back of the mind).

It is also though a very funny, and often hilarious, cartoon, with some very witty dialogue, deliciously weird, anarchic and for the time perhaps daring sight gags and the visual humour provides a lot of the fun too. One does admire how much is gotten away with here in 'Russian Rhapsody', the gremlins come close to stealing the show and personally will admit to thoroughly enjoying this interpretation of Hitler. Stalin is even included and it's a highlight.

As to be expected, Mel Blanc is outstanding as always. He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here. Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor.

When it comes to the animation, 'Russian Rhapsody' is very good. Much of it is fluid in movement, vibrant and very meticulous in detail, much of it also pretty imaginative. Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it. The song is very catchy.

Overall, not one of Clampett's best and not for everyone perhaps but strange and great fun. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Nutzies are da cwaziest peoples!

[Calvin_C · 14 January 2001]

This cartoon is a real classic. Hitler is made into a literal jack-ass in the film. For those who don't know, Hitler isn't an Oriental in the end..."Nutzis are da cwaziest peoples" is a Lew Lhler impression. Watch for this gag in countless other cartoons like Porky's Snooze Reel (1942) and Scaredy Cat (1948).

Gremlins from the Kremlin

[dtucker86 · 10/10 · 28 September 2023]

Forty years before the 1984 movie about Gremlins we have this little gem made during World War II featuring the voice of Mel Blanc as Adolf Hitler as he flies a bomber mission that is sabatoged by singing gremlins who get delightful revenge upon him. Its really nostalgic seeing these vintage war cartoons today even if they are considered racists (the way they lampoon the Japanese for instance). Whats interesting is that Hitler is flying a mission to Russia who was tehcnically our ally in the war (the cartoon shows him screaming in horror at a mask of Stalin) and yet in terms of a body count Stalin was even worse then Hitler.

A jazzy masterpiece by Carl Stalling

[slymusic · 27 May 2009]

"Russian Rhapsody" is a most excellent World War II Warner Bros. cartoon directed by the wild & crazy Bob Clampett. It provides a wonderful opportunity to poke fun unmercifully at Adolph Hitler, which I'm quite sure helped to put a lot of Americans at ease about the outcome of the war.

Here are my favorite sequences from "Russian Rhapsody" (please DO NOT read any further if you have not yet seen this film). I absolutely love Mel Blanc's hilarious vocal characterization of Hitler during his nonsensical opening speech; listen for all the various plays on words! Also watch Hitler's reaction upon spotting a face mask of Joseph Stalin. Hitler gets electrocuted to a wonderfully jazzy drum beat! One of the gremlins carries a box of "termiteskis" on the wing of Hitler's bomber, to a smooth swinging accompaniment of "Ochi Tchornya"; a termite then eats away at the wing (to a Russian kick dance) and burps. To a slower version of "Ochi Tchornya", a mustachioed gremlin sings "I'm a greeeeemlin, from the Kreeeeemlin" before he reacts hilariously to getting hit on the foot; this leads into the entire crew of gremlins busy at work in sabotaging the bomber to a fine jazzy accompaniment of the famous Song of the Volga Boatman.

Carl W. Stalling did an outstanding job with his music score for "Russian Rhapsody". It seems a shame that he is such an underrated composer of the 20th Century, but for my money, he will always be ranked at the top.