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Moscow on the Hudson

  • 1984
  • R
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
12K
YOUR RATING
Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:20
2 Videos
61 Photos
ComedyDramaRomance

A Russian saxophonist visiting New York with a circus troupe suddenly decides to defect from the USSR during a shopping trip to a department store, but he finds adjusting to American life mo... Read allA Russian saxophonist visiting New York with a circus troupe suddenly decides to defect from the USSR during a shopping trip to a department store, but he finds adjusting to American life more difficult than he imagined.A Russian saxophonist visiting New York with a circus troupe suddenly decides to defect from the USSR during a shopping trip to a department store, but he finds adjusting to American life more difficult than he imagined.

  • Director
    • Paul Mazursky
  • Writers
    • Paul Mazursky
    • Leon Capetanos
  • Stars
    • Robin Williams
    • Maria Conchita Alonso
    • Cleavant Derricks
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.5/10
    12K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Paul Mazursky
    • Writers
      • Paul Mazursky
      • Leon Capetanos
    • Stars
      • Robin Williams
      • Maria Conchita Alonso
      • Cleavant Derricks
    • 59User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
    • 67Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations

    Videos2

    Moscow on the Hudson
    Trailer 2:20
    Watch Moscow on the Hudson
    Moscow On The Hudson: I Defect
    Clip 0:52
    Watch Moscow On The Hudson: I Defect

    Photos61

    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams and Maria Conchita Alonso in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams and Alejandro Rey in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams and Alejandro Rey in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams and Cleavant Derricks in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)
    Robin Williams in Moscow on the Hudson (1984)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Robin Williams
    Robin Williams
    • Vladimir Ivanoff
    Maria Conchita Alonso
    Maria Conchita Alonso
    • Lucia Lombardo
    Cleavant Derricks
    Cleavant Derricks
    • Lionel Witherspoon
    Alejandro Rey
    Alejandro Rey
    • Orlando Ramirez
    Saveliy Kramarov
    Saveliy Kramarov
    • Boris
    • (as Savely Kramarov)
    Elya Baskin
    Elya Baskin
    • Anatoly
    Oleg Rudnik
    • Yury
    Aleksandr Benyaminov
    Aleksandr Benyaminov
    • Vladimir's Grandfather
    • (as Alexander Beniaminov)
    Lyudmila Kramarevskaya
    • Vladimir's Mother
    • (as Ludmila Kramarevsky)
    Ivo Vrzal-Wiegand
    • Vladimir's Father
    • (as Ivo Vrzal)
    Natalya Ivanova
    • Sasha
    • (as Natalie Iwanow)
    Tiger Haynes
    • Lionel's Grandfather
    Eyde Byrde
    • Lionel's Mother
    • (as Edye Byrde)
    Robert MacBeth
    • Lionel's Stepfather
    Donna Ingram-Young
    • Leanne
    Olga Talyn
    • Svetlana
    Aleksandr Narodetsky
    • Leonid
    • (as Alexander Narodetzky)
    Pierre Orcel
    • Young French Man
    • Director
      • Paul Mazursky
    • Writers
      • Paul Mazursky
      • Leon Capetanos
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In preparation for his role, for about a year, lead actor Robin Williams studied Soviet customs and learned the Russian language. Reportedly, Williams spent five hours a day learning Russian and had learned to speak it well within a month. By the time of principal photography, Williams was at a proficiency level where he could carry out a conversation. Williams's teacher was a Russian actor called David.
    • Goofs
      In the USSR of the 1980s even teenagers weren't acquainted with middle finger gesture, let alone an 80-year-old man doing it towards KGB officers.
    • Quotes

      The Judge: Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning. Today you will become citizens of the United States of America. No longer are you an Englishman, Italian, a Pole or whatever, neither will you be a hyphenated American. From this day you are no longer a subject of a governement, but an intergal part of the government, a free man. May you find in this nation the fulfillment of your dreams of Peace and Security, and may America in turn never find you wanting in your new proud role of citizen of the United States. Will the petitioners please rise. Now let us take the oath of allegiance.

    • Alternate versions
      CBS edited 19 minutes from this film for its 1986 network television premiere.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Hard to Hold/Tank/Moscow on the Hudson/Mike's Murder (1984)
    • Soundtracks
      Freedom
      Written by David McHugh

      Produced by Chaka Khan and David McHugh

      Performed by Chaka Khan

      Courtesy of Warner Bros. Records

    User reviews59

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    THE ONLY western movie I've seen that truly shows life in the Soviet Union
    This is THE ONLY movie I've seen that truly shows life in the Soviet Union, which is made in the West.

    This is a great movie! It really hits on why people tried to run from the Soviet Union, the oppression there and the taste of freedom in the USA. It is extremely realistic! We were ashamed at some points in the movie associating ourselves with the former fellow countrymen. But the showed THE TRUTH! All of the things shown used to happen in real life.

    Robin Williams was brilliant. He spoke Russian with almost no accent, which was amazing!

    I am from the Soviet Union so I know what I'm talking about. Nearly all of the rest of the movies are not more than a joke when it concerns reflecting life in Russia or Soviet Union. Even in the Air Force One (with Harrison Ford!) I was laughing like crazy when they showed supposedly Russian Prison.

    So, all of you lucky to be born in freedom, please see this movie and you maybe will start thinking why you are so lucky and how exciting but difficult is to be an immigrant!
    helpful•94
    19
    • krolikovod
    • Dec 14, 2002

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    FAQ2

    • WHY IS THIS THE ONLY REFERENCE POINT FOR Lucia Lombardo

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 6, 1984 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Russian
    • Also known as
      • Moskau in New York
    • Filming locations
      • Munich, Bavaria, Germany(city: Moscow)
    • Production companies
      • Columbia Pictures
      • Bavaria Film
      • Delphi Premier Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $13,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $25,068,724
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,536,687
      • Apr 8, 1984
    • Gross worldwide
      • $25,068,724
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 55 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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