thejcowboy22 Being eight years old and nothing to do on a gray Sunday afternoon, My Sister dragged me to the movies to watch this compounded misunderstanding of Detente. The Post World War two era had the Soviet Union and The U.S.A. at odds with each also known as the Cold War.A simple case of Communism against Democracy in it's purest form.This also carried over to the Olympic games which made it more entertaining as The U.S. would battle the Soviets for athletic supremacy. Getting to our picture and review. A Soviet submarine is floating off the coast of New England. Through their periscope they see Gloucester Island. The Submarine Captain (Theodore Bikel) wants to have a closer look so the Sub drifts into a sandbar. Embarrassed but prideful, the Captain orders his second in command Lieutenant Yuri Rosanov (Alan Arkin)who speaks a fractured English but comprehend-able to the language. Takes his landing party of eight to shore and try to steal a boat secretly to free the sub without an international incident and embarrassment. Meanwhile an Obnoxious nine year old Pete Whittaker(Sheldon Collins) notices the strangers in black outside his summer home. He tells his Dad Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner)that there's Russians outside their home with machine guns. Rosanov enters the house and tells Whittaker that they are Norweigen fisherman but his story falls apart as Rosanov admits he's Russian and draws his pistol at the Whittaker's demanding their station wagon. Meanwhile the Whittakers attractive babysitter Allison Palmer (Andrea Dromm) shows up to tend to the Whittakers three year old daughter Annie. Mrs. Whittaker (Eva Marie Saint joins in on the encounter offering the car keys to displaced Russians. One Russian stays behind to guard the family named Kolchin (John Phillip Law). Meanwhile the other eight Russian sailors drive toward the town but the Station wagon runs out of gas. The Russian steal another car,an old sedan owned by Muriel Everett (Doro Merande)a letter carrier who quickly phones the homely gossipy telephone operator of the island Alice (Tessie O'Shea). Muriel tells Alice that her car was stolen from Russian paratroopers who plan to invade and take over the Island. The bumbling Deputy Norman(Jonathan Winters) gets wind of this information and sets up a Militia led by over zealous Fendall Hawkins (Paul Ford) complete with a sword at his side ready to attack. A domino effect takes over the locals as there ready to fight to save their country. One problem though except for a few people no one has seen the Russians. The Police chief,the relaxed Brian Keith feels there only rumors and everyone should go home. One mishap after another makes this film memorable and a laugh out loud comedy for all to enjoy . A running gag throughout the film is when the town drunk Luther (Ben Blue) is trying to saddle his horse to re-create the midnight ride of Paul Revere. Another one of my favorite scenes is when Whittaker is recaptured by the Russians then tied together back to back with Alice the operator. Their mouths gagged trying to untie each other. The film reminds me of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World with so many recognizable character actors spattered all around. Break out performance for Alan Arkin fresh off the Second City ensemble in Chicago One last question? Does Norman Jewison ever direct a bad Film? Off camera Brian Keith meets Johnny Whittaker for the first time. Johnny plays the boy who is hanging from the steeple in the film. Johnny will reunites with Keith on the TV show Family Affair a year later playing the orphaned nephew Jody.

Wuchak Released in 1966 and directed by Norman Jewison from Nathaniel Benchley's novel, "The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming!" is a dramedy about a Soviet sub that runs aground off the coast of the fictional Gloucester Island, Massachusetts. When a team comes ashore to borrow a boat the small population confuses the situation for an all-out Soviet attack on America. 'Gloucester Island' is televisionless and nigh radio-less, just as Nantucket Island was at the time, which facilitates the build-up of confusion.The all-star cast includes Carl Reiner & Eva Marie Saint as the couple who initially meet the Russians. Alan Arkin pretty much steals the show as the leader of the ashore team. Brian Keith appears as the likable level-headed police chief with the bumbling Jonathan Winters as his assistant. Theodore Bikel is on hand as the Russian Captain.The title alludes to Paul Revere's Ride, which is hilariously lampooned at the end in a sequence concerning the town drunk (Ben Blue). The movie was released at the height of the Cold War and had significant effect in both DC and Moscow. It was somewhat revolutionary in that it portrayed the Soviets in a positive light. Alaskan Senator Ernest Gruening mentioned the picture in Congress; and it was even screened in the Kremlin. When shown at the Soviet Film Writers' Union, Sergei Bondarchuk was reportedly moved to tears.If you can ignore the obvious and incongruous geography of the Northern California coast as a stand-in for a Nantucket-like island, this is a somewhat worthwhile political dramedy made by the producers of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World," although not as zany. The movie was a hit critically and commercially, and was even nominated for Best Picture, but this was likely due to the Cold War Zeitgeist.Seeing it today, it was clearly overrated. The cast is great, but the antics and bickering of the townsfolk is tedious rather than funny. The ending is semi-iconic, but the way someone is rescued is wholly unbelievable – the gutter wouldn't have been able to hold the man's weight, not to mention the all-around unrealistic depiction of the event (no one had a long ladder nearby?). The best subplot is the one with the young Russian (John Phillip Law) romancing an American cutie (Andrea Dromm, who appeared on Star Trek's pilot "Where No Man Has Gone Before").The film is a bit overlong at 126 minutes and was shot in Bodega Bay, Fort Bragg, Mendocino, Caspar and Westport, California.GRADE: C+ (5.5/10)

Rabby Tat This is a warm and funny movie from an earlier time. Clever and fun. Character driven without the silly special effects so common in modern movies. It relies upon good writing, quality acting and genuine physical comedy to do the job. I see that some reviewers did not like the ending, but this is integral to achieving the positive message that the movie wanted to convey. During the Cold War, people were in credible fear and this was an attempt to calm the fears while also giving a message of hope. If you do not appreciate this movie, you need to look at our history and once informed, consider it in the context of the day. Otherwise, from the late Brian Keith, "I thought all the nuts went home on Labor Day." :-)

dolfcarlson I feel that I am uniquely qualified to comment on this movie. I saw it when it first came out in 1966, and liked the way it lampooned cold war mentalities. Since then I have worked for six years in the former Soviet Union and married a Russian woman whose father was a naval officer, similar in many ways to the character played by Theodore Bickel. Those experiences have made me appreciate how perfectly this film captures the cultural characteristics of both the people of the New England shore communities (I was born in Connecticut) and the Russian sailors. My Russian wife and I have watched this film together, and we both love it. Alan Arkin and Theodore Bickel speak flawless Russian, much better than Sean Connery in 'Red October'. I'd recommend this movie to anyone.