Don't Drink the Water

I have to side with those who find this version of Woody Allen's play much inferior to the remake by Allen himself which, ironically, has a greater right to be called the original since it was Allen's attempt to show the story as he envisioned it. I think much of the problem lies in the fact that at the time this version was made Allen wasn't yet a respected director and no one worried much about preserving the "Woody Allen touch" --- except Woody Allen, of course.

Interesting note on the comparison between Jackie Gleason's take on the lead character with Allen's own portrayal years later. If you were to combine the physical bellicosity of Jackie Gleason with the sardonic Jewish humor of Woody Allen you might get someone like the recently deceased Lou Jacobi --- who originated the part on Broadway and who was, in Allen's opinion, largely responsible for the success of the play.

(By the way, I stole the line in my summary from Harpo Marx, who used it to describe the phenomenally successful Broadway production of ABIE'S IRISH ROSE.)

I saw the version starring Woody Allen and feel it is far superior to this film. The play was a hit on Broadway and starred Lou Jacobi.

Allen wasn't a big name when this film was made, so he didn't direct the film and the studio did what they wanted with it.

It's the story of a successful caterer, Walter Hollander (Jackie Gleason) and his family, wife Marion and daughter Susan (Estelle Parsons and Joan Delaney) who are on vacation. Walter had wanted to go to Miami, but Marion wanted a tour of Europe. So they went to London, Paris, Barcelona, and Rome. On their way to Athens, their plane is hijacked.

They land in a Communist country, Vulgaria, and are taking photos when they Vulgarians go after them, thinking they are spies. The American Embassy saves them and protects them. They can't leave until their travel is arranged.

Their fate is in the hands of a bumbler, Axel (Ted Bessell), the son of the Ambassador. He makes mistake after mistake and his negotiations with the big shot on the other side, Krojack (Michael Constantine) don't go well. Meanwhile the Hollanders are trying to figure out how to escape and go home.

This is a funny and entertaining film, but Allen's version is laugh out loud hilarious, and Allen is a scream. The funniest scene here for me was when Walter is burned in effigy, and they dress the mannequin in clothes identical to Walter's - very loud and very funny.

Gleason is way out there in the role, very Ralph Kramden, and Parsons as his cheerful wife is very good and looks great - I know her only as an elderly woman, but she's always been a terrific actress. Bessell is excellent as well as a sincere goof-up.

Good but not great. See the Allen version, which was done as a TV movie.

Estelle Parsons and Jackie Gleason are perfect together as a Jewish couple from Newark, New Jersey who are going to travel to Europe together with their adult daughter, Susan. Somehow, the trip is more of a disaster where they are considered by Vulgarians to be American spies or infidels. Nothing could be further from the truth. Despite Woody Allen's script, the movie never really flows or develops to it's potential. Despite the premise, you can't help but enjoy the sparring nature of Parsons and Gleason on screen as a middle aged couple. Gleason is a Kosher caterer from New Jersey and she's his housewife. The time spent in Vulgaria is at the American embassy during the cold war in Eastern Europe. Despite some good laughs, the film could have been better with this cast of characters. I enjoyed Parsons and Gleason together.

Gleason shines in this cold-war comedy.Gleason and his family are mistaken for spys in a communist style country and chased into an American embassy.The Laughs are often and the cast excels,especially Gleason,"Krojack" and "Father Drobney".The movie is hardly a masterpiece but if your in the right frame of mind its Hilarious!

It's much better than the later remake with Woody Allen which was harsh,cynical and forced.And produced much less laughs also.

Its just Good Clean Fun!

I thought this version was better than the one made in 1994 by Woody Allen, the show's writer. Jackie Gleason is the entire movie and he has some hilarious bits as a caterer from New Jersey suspected for being a spy behind the Iron Curtain in "Vulgaria." Everyone around him is quirky, crazy or incompetent and Gleason fills up the screen (literally!) with slow burns, explosions and sarcasm. His Walter Hollander is a far more formidable character than Woody Allen's take on the role.

I also enjoyed Ted Bessel ("Donald" from "That Girl") as the bumbling embassy attache', Axel McGee--the only man in the Foreign Service to be hanged in effigy by the staff of his own embassy.

I was surprised years later to find that this movie was directed by Howard Morris who was "Ernest T. Bass" on the "Andy Griffith Show."