Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming, The (1966) – Nostalgia Central

A Russian submarine runs aground off the American coastline and becomes stranded near Cape Cod. A nine-man team commanded by Lieutenant Rozanov (Alan Arkin) goes ashore to search for a motorboat to release the sub.

The team arrive at the summer house of holidaying New York writer Walt Whittaker (Carl Reiner), who is spending the weekend with his family on the picturesque (and fictional) Gloucester Island.

When he realises the interlopers are Russians, he believes it is an invasion. Soon the information leaks, leading to hysteria and paranoia among the inhabitants of the small New England village.

Brian Keith plays Link Mattocks, the local chief constable, a stay-cool sourpuss whose idea of coping with the crisis is to give the submarine a parking ticket like any other out-of-bounds vehicle.

War veteran Fendall Hawkins (Paul Ford) forms a civil militia to march on the airport and Link goes with him, leaving assistant chief Norman Jonas (Jonathan Winters) in confused command.

Surprisingly believable is an un-Cold War puppy love romance between a shy Russian sailor (John Phillip Law) and a blonde Cape Cod babysitter (Andrea Dromm).

The film was adapted from the novel The Off-Islanders by Nathaniel Benchley.

The US Navy refused to provide a real submarine for the production on the grounds it would not allow one of its vessels to fly the Soviet flag.

Walt Whittaker
Carl Reiner
Elspeth Whittaker
Eva Marie Saint
Lieutenant Rozanov
Alan Arkin
Link Mattocks
Brian Keith
Norman Jonas
Jonathan Winters
Fendall Hawkins
Paul Ford
Captain
Theodore Bikel
Alice Foss
Tessie O’Shea
Alexei Kolchin
John Phillip Law
Luther Grilk
Ben Blue
Alison Palmer
Andrea Dromm
Pete Whittaker
Sheldon Collins
Lester Tilly
Guy Raymond
Charlie Hinkson
Cliff Norton
Oscar Maxwell
Richard Schaal
Mr Porter
Philip Coolidge
Irving Christiansen
Don Keefer
Annie Whittaker
Cindy Putnam
Mr Everett
Parker Fennelly
Muriel Everett
Doro Merande
Mr Bell
Vaughn Taylor
Jerry Maxwell
Johnny Whitaker
Polsky
Danny Klega
Brodsky
Ray Baxter
Maliavin
Paul Verdier
Gromolsky
Nikita Knatz
Vasilov
Constantine Baksheef
Hrushevsky
Alex Hassilev
Lysenko
Milos Milos
Kregitkin
Gino Gottarelli

Director
Norman Jewison

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