The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming is a 1966 American comedy film. Based on the Nathaniel Benchley juvenile novel, The Off-Islanders, it was adapted for the screen by William Rose. The movie tells the Cold War story of the comedic chaos which ensues when the Soviet submarine, Спрут (Sprut, Squid), accidentally runs aground near a small New England town.

Primary cast

• Alan Arkin : Lt. Rozanov
• Carl Reiner : Walt Whittaker (aka "Whittaker Walt")
• Eva Marie Saint : Elspeth Whittaker
• Brian Keith : Police Chief Link Mattocks
• Jonathan Winters : Officer Norman Jones
• Paul Ford : Fendall Hawkins
• Theodore Bikel : The Russian Captain
• Tessie O'Shea : Alice Foss (telephone operator)
• John Phillip Law : Alexei Kolchin
• Ben Blue : Luther Grilk

Other first-billed cast

• Andrea Dromm : Alison Palmer
• Sheldon Collins : Pete Whittaker (as Sheldon Golomb)
• Guy Raymond : Lester Tilly
• Cliff Norton : Charlie Hinkson
• Michael J. Pollard : Stanley, the airplane mechanic
• Richard Schaal : Oscar Maxwell

Production

Despite being set on the fictional "Gloucester Island" off the coast of New England, the movie was filmed on the California coast, mainly in Mendocino. The harbor scenes were filmed in Noyo Harbor, a small town south of Fort Bragg. Because of the filming location on the West Coast, the dawn scene at the beginning of the movie was actually filmed at dusk.

The submarine used in the movie was a fabrication. The United States Navy refused to loan one for the production and barred the studio from bringing a real Russian submarine, forcing the studio to create their own. It was segmented into four parts, each having its own motor to power it. Upon close inspection while watching the film, the viewer may notice the separate parts as the "sub" floats in the water.

Awards

• Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Alan Arkin)
• Writers Guild of America, East - Best Written American Comedy (William Rose)

Awards (nominations):

• Academy Award for Best Picture
• Directors Guild of America - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures (Norman Jewison)
• Academy Award for Best Actor (Alan Arkin)
• Academy Award for Film Editing (Hal Ashby & J. Terry Williams)
• Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay (William Rose)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay (William Rose)

Audio clip

• "" (Alan Arkin as Lt. Rozanov)

See also

• The Russians are coming
• Whiskey on the rocks

External links