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Die Stunde der Komödianten

Original title: The Comedians
  • 1967
  • 16
  • 2h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
2.3K
YOUR RATING
Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
Trailer for this film based on the novel
Play trailer1:19
1 Video
17 Photos
Drama

A cynical Welsh hotel owner secretly romances a diplomat's wife in Haiti, under the violent reign of the despot "Papa Doc" Duvalier.A cynical Welsh hotel owner secretly romances a diplomat's wife in Haiti, under the violent reign of the despot "Papa Doc" Duvalier.A cynical Welsh hotel owner secretly romances a diplomat's wife in Haiti, under the violent reign of the despot "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

  • Director
    • Peter Glenville
  • Writer
    • Graham Greene
  • Stars
    • Richard Burton
    • Elizabeth Taylor
    • Alec Guinness
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    2.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Peter Glenville
    • Writer
      • Graham Greene
    • Stars
      • Richard Burton
      • Elizabeth Taylor
      • Alec Guinness
    • 50User reviews
    • 30Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins & 1 nomination

    Videos1

    The Comedians
    Trailer 1:19
    Watch The Comedians

    Photos17

    Richard Burton and Lillian Gish in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Elizabeth Taylor in "The Comedians" 1967 MGM
    Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    James Earl Jones and Georg Stanford Brown in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Lillian Gish and Raymond St. Jacques in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Lillian Gish in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Elizabeth Taylor and Peter Ustinov in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Richard Burton and Lillian Gish in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Lillian Gish in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)
    Richard Burton, Lillian Gish, and Zakes Mokae in Die Stunde der Komödianten (1967)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Burton
    Richard Burton
    • Brown
    Elizabeth Taylor
    Elizabeth Taylor
    • Martha Pineda
    Alec Guinness
    Alec Guinness
    • Major H. O. Jones
    Peter Ustinov
    Peter Ustinov
    • Ambassador Manuel Pineda
    Paul Ford
    Paul Ford
    • Smith
    Lillian Gish
    Lillian Gish
    • Mrs. Smith
    Georg Stanford Brown
    Georg Stanford Brown
    • Henri Philipot
    Roscoe Lee Browne
    Roscoe Lee Browne
    • Petit Pierre
    Gloria Foster
    Gloria Foster
    • Mrs. Philipot
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Dr. Magiot
    Zakes Mokae
    Zakes Mokae
    • Michel
    Douta Seck
    • Joseph
    Raymond St. Jacques
    Raymond St. Jacques
    • Captain Concasseur
    Cicely Tyson
    Cicely Tyson
    • Marie Therese
    Thomas Baptiste
    Thomas Baptiste
    • Haitian Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Make Bray
    • Haitian Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Robin Langford
    • Angelito Pineda
    • (uncredited)
    Dennis Alaba Peters
    • César
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Peter Glenville
    • Writer
      • Graham Greene
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

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    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      To get Dame Elizabeth Taylor to do the movie at a "bargain" salary, producer and director Peter Glenville told her that he had offered it to Sophia Loren. She promptly cut her customary $1 million salary in half and signed on.
    • Goofs
      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

      Petit Pierre: [to Brown] They are waiting for Major Jones. For some reason they believe that only white men are experts in killing.

    • Connections
      Featured in Die Komödianten in Afrika (1967)

    User reviews50

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    A good effort that succeeds in many areas, but still falls short of greatness
    After delighting audiences in director Franco Zeffirelli's 1967 hit adaptation of Shakespeare's THE TAMING OF THE SHREW, the Burtons' popularity with audiences seemed to be on the wane as their next film, Peter Glenville's THE COMEDIANS (1967) became their first full-fledged box office disappointment. There was much publicity surrounding the political thriller as it shot in Africa (masquerading as Haiti) and the fact that Taylor accepted half her usual salary and took second billing behind Burton kept gossips wagging for months (she reportedly only took the part out of fear of being replaced with Sophia Loren). But when the film opened, critics found it slow and talky and audiences simply seemed uninterested. Although the film is never quite as interesting or as suspenseful as it could have been, I dare say that THE COMEDIANS probably plays a great deal better today without the heavy expectations of the time surrounding it.

    Graham Greene does a respectable job of paring down his complex novel for the screen, and director Glenville keeps the film moving at a reasonable pace in spite of its lengthy runtime of 150 minutes. The film is always interesting and occasionally gripping, although Greene and Glenville keep the audience at a relative distance which prevents the picture from striking as hard as it could have. Burton is in good form, and Alec Guinness, Paul Ford, and Lillian Gish all turn in top notch support (only Peter Ustinov feels under utilized). Unfortunately, Taylor is dreadfully miscast as a German military wife – complete with a woefully unconvincing accent – and her ill-fitting presence creates several lulls in the film as the number of scenes between her character and Burton's character are increased (in order to give the diva her proper screen time) which hampers a few long stretches of the film and slightly undermines what could have been a first-rate effort.
    helpful•19
    2
    • robb_772
    • Feb 6, 2008

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    FAQ16

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 21, 1967 (West Germany)
    • Countries of origin
      • France
      • Bermuda
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • French
      • Haitian
      • Spanish
    • Also known as
      • The Comedians
    • Filming locations
      • Benin
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • Maximillian Productions
      • Trianon Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Gross US & Canada
      • $5,200,000
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 30 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • 70 mm 6-Track
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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