The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966)

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

Director:

Norman Jewison

Writers:

Nathaniel Benchley (novel), William Rose (screenplay)

Stars:

Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, Alan Arkin

Nominated for 4 Oscars. Another 5 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Carl Reiner	...	Walt Whittaker
Eva Marie Saint	...	Elspeth Whittaker
Alan Arkin	...	Lt. Rozanov
Brian Keith	...	Police Chief Link Mattocks
Jonathan Winters	...	Norman Jonas
Paul Ford	...	Fendall Hawkins
Theodore Bikel	...	The Russian Captain
Tessie O'Shea	...	Alice Foss
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

Storyline

In the Cold War, when the captain of a Russian submarine comes too close to the Gloucester Island in Massachusetts to give a look at America, the submarine gets stranded. A nine-man team commanded by Lieutenant Rozanov goes onshore to search a motor boat to release the submarine and arrives at the summer house of the New Yorker writer Walt Whittaker that is spending the weekend with his family in Gloucester. When he realizes that they are Russians, he believes that it is an invasion. Soon the information leaks, leading hysteria and paranoia along the inhabitants of the small village.

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Plot Keywords:

soviet submarine | stranded | soviet navy | language barrier | cold war | 

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Taglines:

Don't You Just Hate People Who Drop In Unexpectedly?

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Genres:

Comedy | War

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

25 May 1966 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!

Filming Locations:

Eureka, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,900,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

The Mirisch Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

126 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alan Arkin, who co-starred with Carl Reiner in this film, had previously starred in "Enter Laughing" on Broadway, a play based on Reiner's semi-autobiographical novel. Arkin played "David Kolowitz," the part Reiner based on himself. Reiner later co-adapted and directed the film version of "Enter Laughing."

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Goofs

In several scenes the sub is shown "grounded" on the island. BUT, in those same scenes, the sub is shown "rocking" with the motion of the waves. Beached vessels are solidly grounded and do not move.

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Quotes

[first lines]
[Rozanov arrives on the bridge of the Russian submarine after learing from the chart man how close they are to the USA coast]
Lieutenant Rozanov: [in Russian; subtitled] What is it Captain? What are you doing?
[to a chart man]
Lieutenant Rozanov: Show me our position.
[the chart man shows Rozanov how close they are to an island]
Lieutenant Rozanov: [in Russian] What? WHAT? Tovarich Captain...
The Russian Captain: [in Russian] Take it easy.
Lieutenant Rozanov: [in Russian] Permit me, Captain. Look at our position.
The Russian Captain: [in Russian] I don't need your advice.
[...]

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Crazy Credits

In the title, the letters R and N in RUSSIANS are reversed to resemble Russian letters (which would literally translate to Ya and I), and the G in COMING is a hammer and sickle.

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Alternate Versions

The restored special widescreen letterbox version, aired on network TV, has subtitles in the lower bar for the "Russian" dialogue between the Russians in which the formated video version does not have them.

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Norman Jewison (1999)

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Soundtracks

The Shining Sea
(uncredited)
Written by Johnny Mandel & Peggy Lee
Performed by Irene Kral

User Reviews

A personal favorite!

"Hilarious" doesn't begin to describe it! I saw this in the theater in 1966 when it first came out, and I enjoyed it immensely! Arkin was great and Bikel excels in just about everything he does! This gets ***** out of ***** with me!

So it's an excellent comedy, but like all truly great comedy, it has a dark and serious side: that people will become hysterical with xenophobia when they live in a culture that expects it of them. During the Cold War, it was a given among us kids that ALL the Russians were evil beings, godless Communist robots out to destroy us. We were taught to so regard ALL of them.

This movie serves as a poignant reminder that not everyone who lives in an officially "hostile" nation hates us.