"The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming". Did anyone watch

[Hieronymus]

tonight on PBS?
There's a very powerful message there.

[scarletwoman]

1. I saw it in the theater when it was first released. (yes, I'm old)

But I don't think I've ever seen it again since. I remember enjoying it, but not thinking of it as particularly deep.

sw

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Powerful message about fear and war

I'd love to see it again.

[scarletwoman]

14. I don't know, maybe it's because the "message" seemed so obvious to me.

I'd stopped buying into the "communist=bogeyman" thing many years before the movie came out, so I just saw it as a great satire poking fun at the idiocy of that mindset, not some big revelation.

But it would definitely be fun to see it again, I'm sorry I missed it tonight.

[csziggy]

2. I also watched in the theatre when it was released

I remember having a big crush on one of the Russian sailors back then. Funny thing, when I watched it on cable a few years ago, none of them looked very attractive to me and I could not figure out which one I had had the crush on. :shrug:

[scarletwoman]

3. That's funny -- same here. I absolutely drooled over John Philip Law when it came out.

He played the lead young Russian sailor. Years later I saw a still photo of him from the movie, and I could't figure out how I could have ever thought he was hot.

[Adsos Letter]

5. "There will be a big war and everyone will be blaming YOU Whitticker Walt...

...that movie cracked me up....and I, too, saw it in theater. :D

[Hieronymus]

12. He played the winged guy [angel] in Barbarella, too.

[man4allcats]

4. Damn! I missed it!

I didn't know it was being aired. Serves me right for not paying attention. A truly great movie advocating communication over the violence of warfare!

[Forkboy]

6. Caught the last 45 minutes....great movie!

Of course, anything with Jonathan Winters is great to me.

And yes, the movie is timely.

[ashling]

7. SHIT! I didn't know it be on - only one thing to say

Emehrgency! Emehrgency! Everyone to get from street!

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. lol

:rofl:

great line

[Beregond2]

11. !

LOL! Damn, that's the line I was going to quote.
I love the scene with Carl Reiner and the large woman tied together.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Damn I missed it! That is one of my favorite movies!!

Saw it in the theater way back when it first came out. What a great movie, and yes, a very powerful message.

[On the Road]

13. For Some Reason, There Have Been a Lot of Cold War Comedies On Recently

including "Comrade X" and one I thought was called "1, 2, 3 Go" but can't find for the life of me.

[DFW]

15. Maybe you're thinking of "1-2-3" with James Cagney and Horst Buchholz?

That was the one set in West Berlin before the wall was put up.

[On the Road]

17. That is the One -- Thank You

Kind of a 50s-style madcap comedy. I have a vivid memory of my extended family (who never ever watched movies) sitting around the TV and dying with laughter as the young communist was being tortured by repeated playings of "Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini."

[DFW]

16. I have that one video AND DVD

It is still one of my favorite movies of all time. MANY years after it came
out, I made friends with the actor who played one of my favorite characters
(the Russian submarine captain). One of my favorite memories is when he grabbed
me one New Year's Eve, and said, "get your guitar. We are going to sing Russian songs!"

Recently, we had some friends over, one of whom is from Moscow and speaks only
Russian. We played the movie for them, as they all had some connection with Russia.
We explained to the Russian woman who didn't speak German (maybe ten word of English)
what was going on, and she understood all the Russian dialogue, of course. She even got
the "E-German-cy" part.

The movie is very 1960s, but its underlying theme is still very valid, i.e. it is easy
fear the image of people that is placed in our heads until we get to meet face to face.
This was, by the way, one of the few American movies that was played uncut in the Soviet
Union at the time it came out.

We never got into a shooting war with the Soviet Union, so the movie's lighthearted mood
still works. It's probably too late to make "Al Qaeda is coming! Al Qaeda is coming!"