Les Russes arrivent, les Russes arrivent

A situation comedy of errors with lots of sight gags, a who's who of character actors, and a heartwarming ending.

However, I don't understand the "goof" listed above: "Errors in geography: Both the US and Russian maps show Gloucester as an isolated island, which is clearly not the case. There is also the implication (in the film) that Gloucester is not connected to the mainland, also not the case."

How can this be an error when Gloucester is a fictional island? The map looked like Nantucket stood on its end.

Better quotes for this movie are:

"Emergency. Everybody to get from street." -- Russian landing party "We've got to get organized!" --Jonathan Winters "Muriel, whatcha doin' up there?"

How well I remember seeing The Russians Are Coming The Russians Are Coming way back in theater and enjoying this wonderful satire on Cold War paranoia. Norman Jewison put together a great cast of scene stealing players and it's great to see these guys try to top each other.

A Russian submarine keeping an eye on our naval movements off the American shore runs aground on the shore of eastern Long Island which is quite like it was in 1966, sparsely populated with small towns. Non speaking English Captain Theodore Bikel sends Lieutenant Alan Arkin ashore with some men including young seaman John Philip Law without any real instructions.

People spot these Russian speaking sailors and the panic starts. Arkin arrives at the house of Carl Reiner who is a composer with wife Eva Marie Saint and son Sheldon Collins and niece Andrea Dromm. Law makes his own separate peace with Dromm. Nice piece it is too.

Arkin and Reiner are great together, Arkin with his fractured English and Reiner trying to both be civilized and live up to his son's expectations of killing the dirty Reds who've invaded.

When word gets out Brian Keith as sheriff and deputy Jonathan Winters have to compete with Paul Ford at his blusteriest who is ready to form a militia on the spot. What an advertisement for Second Amendment absolutists.

Lots of funny stuff involving these Russians stuck in a place they've been taught to fear as enemies and the Americans who've been cut off in this remote part of Long Island who are paranoid over an invasion. Let's say a humanitarian situation brings this part of the Cold War to a complete thaw.

But I will say that I doubt in those days there was a Soviet equivalent. Is there a film out there called The Yankees Are Coming The Yankees Are Coming.

This is still a very funny film.

It's fair to say Norman Jewison has never directed a bad film. Fiddler on the Roof, Jesus Christ Superstar and Other People's Money are excellent. This film is an antidote to all other Cold War films which are either about spies or impending nuclear holocaust. The Russian submarine beaches on the New England coast by accident and the crew are very anxious about the blunder they have made. I think there's a chance this film was partly inspired by 49th Parallel. At the beginning, it's obvious that they do not wish to use their guns in anger. John Phillip Law does well as Alexei; there's a lot more to him than the angel in Barbarella. He is quite afraid of what may happen and is genuinely distraught after he pointed his gun at the wee lass because she made a noise that made him panic. The Americans are not portrayed favourably for the most part. They are shown as jingoistic and they behave in a manner reminiscent of the people who thought Orson Welles' War of the Worlds broadcast was a news report on an actual Martian invasion. Americans, young and old, from Whittaker's 9 year old son to the elderly guys in the American Legion beanies are shown as spoiling for a fight. This might be meant to represent American cold war paranoia which had its dark side in blacklisting by the House Un-American Activities Committee and Ronald Reagan's keenness to use military action in the 1980s. The Russians are shown as well meaning and decent, genuinely afraid of what might happen to them. The scene between Alexei and Alison on the beach is very good and what they say to each other (to be found in the memorable quotes section) makes perfect sense. Alan Arkin is also very good as Lieutenant Rozanov. Whitakker is very concerned when he thinks he's killed him after impulsively firing a gun at the car he's driving. It's good the way mutual distrust turns into friendship. Leaving the serious analysis aside, there are some very funny moments like when Arkin & co tie the elderly lady up and place her on top of the cupboard and her husband doesn't notice she's there. It's a good scene at the end when the townspeople escort the submarine out the harbour in their boats and with them being there the McDonnell F-101 Voodoos flying overhead don't attack the sub. A feel good comedy indeed.

A Cold War "comedy" delivers lots of laughs, but also much to think about. Knowing what we know now (years after the fall of Communism), the story seems to foreshadow a brighter future for humankind. Carl Reiner's Masterpiece!

A small New England island town is visited by the crew of a Russian submarine. The submarine has run adrift, and is stuck. The townspeople, through a series of misunderstandings, quickly perpetuate ever-increasing rumors about a Russian paratrouper invasion. Although the town is in a complete panic, the focus on a few characters and their interactions with the "alien enemies" reveals a more human side of the global East/West conflict. The final scenes are a heartwarming testimony to the triumph of the human spirit. A wonderful "Sunday afternoon" family film

I lived on Martha's Vineyard for three years, which is why this film still commands a place in my heart. I was particularly amused by the habit of the lawmen (Keith, Winters) to regard the summer people as idiots because they don't know them, and the year-round residents as idiots because they know them too well. Gloucester Island is televisionless and almost radioless, as Nantucket was at the time, which added to the buildup of confusion in this long (in the style of the '60s) but still enjoyable comedy.