Line #15 Film/TheRussiansAreComingTheRussiansAreComing


1	[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_russians_are_coming_1966_poster.jpeg]]
2
3	''The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming'' is a 1966 American comedy film, which puts a twist on a UsefulNotes/ColdWar story of the comedic chaos that ensues when the Soviet submarine Спрут (pronounced ''Spr-oo-t'' -- "Octopus") accidentally runs aground near a small New England island community.
4
5	Before long, the Russian crew are in very deep trouble. A humble comedy writer and his family quickly get caught up in the mess and, as you can imagine, HilarityEnsues.
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7	The film was directed by Creator/NormanJewison, and the cast includes Creator/CarlReiner, Creator/AlanArkin, Creator/EvaMarieSaint, Creator/BrianKeith, Creator/JonathanWinters, and Creator/TheodoreBikel.
8
9	----
10	!!The film contains examples of:
11	* AdaptationalHeroism: The Russians are more good-natured and well-meaning than in the novel, ''The Off-Islanders.'' In that novel, the captain is more self-centered (and plots to murder his political officer so the man can't write a bad report about everything), one of the shore party tries to rape a woman, and they don't help save a child's life in the climax.
12	* AgeLift: The teenaged Allison's book counterpart is a middle-aged woman.
13	* AlliterativeName: Walt Whittaker
14	* AnimatedCreditsOpening
15	* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Averted; the spoken Russian is authentic (and not subtitled, except in the DVD release).
16	* TheBackwardsR: In the title card in the credits, and in the poster art as indicated above. To explain--the 'backwards R' is not an "R", but actually makes the sound "ya" in Cyrillic. And the backwards N is not an N, but is actually the short "i" sound.
17	* BilingualBonus: When two Russian crewmen are in Walt Whittaker's garage, there is a bit of dialogue between them:
18	--> '''Crewman 1:''' ''seeing bag of fertilizer'' "Hey, look! American grain!"
19	--> '''Crewman 2:''' ''smells it'' "No, that's shit."
20	--> '''Crewman 1''': "Yeuch!" ''wipes hands off on shirt''
21	* BoundAndGagged: Telephone switchboard operator Alice Foss, by the Russian crew. Later both Walt and Alice.
22	* BrattyHalfPint: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNcNy7bJxDg Pete Whittaker,]] with a side of HotBlooded PatrioticFervor (example: him calling ''his dad'' a "[[TheQuisling traitor]]" (compared directly with [[{{Turncoat}} Benedict]] [[UsefulNotes/TheAmericanRevolution Arnold]]) for trying to help the ''heavily armed Russians'' so they can get out of his house without trouble (and potentially bloodshed) occurring).
23	* BrickJoke: Early in the movie, Norman tells Luther to take his horse and inform the residents of the other half of the island of what has happened. The last scene in the movie features Luther riding, shouting, [[TitleDrop "The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming!"]]
24	* TheCaptain: Admittedly, he's a bit of a {{Jerk Ass}}, and somewhat incompetent.
25	* ClimbingClimax: When the Russians and the townsfolk make a human pyramid to help the boy at the top of the church.
26	* CluelessDeputy: Norman Jonas
27	* ConflictKiller: The climactic encounter between the Russians and the townsfolk is an incredibly tense MexicanStandoff up until some kid that climbed the town’s clock tower to have a better view slips and dangles from a ledge, making both sides band together to rescue him.
28	* DeathFromAbove: Subverted. The American fighter planes come swooping in, but disengage when they see that the submarine has a civilian escort consisting of the locals in their boats.
29	* DefiantToTheEnd: PlayedForLaughs with [[BrattyHalfPint Pete]].
30	* EccentricTownsfolk: The residents of Gloucester Island are a bunch of loons, especially Fendall Hawkins, an old vet who musters the townspeople into a militia and makes the situation much worse.
31	* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Everything unfolds over the course of a single morning and afternoon.
32	* FamiliarSoundtrackForeignLyrics: The sailors hike down the road accompanied by "It's a Long Way to Tipperary" in Russian.
33	* TheFilmOfTheBook: Loosely adapted from the 1961 novel ''The Off-Islanders'' by Nathaniel Benchley.[[note]] Son of humorist and actor Robert Benchley, father of author Creator/PeterBenchley. [[/note]]
34	* FunnyForeigner: The whole Russian crew.
35	* GentleGiant: The Russian version of "Uncle Harry", Gromolsky.
36	* HelloAgainOfficer: Walt keeps running into the same Russian officer...
37	-->"Always I'm saying goodbye to you, and always I'm meeting you again."
38	* HiddenInPlainSight: The Russians that go about in disguise.
39	* HistoricalInJoke: Hawkins' line "If they want a war, let it begin here" is a quote supposedly uttered (accounts differ) by American militia captain John Parker, right before the shooting at Lexington green, April 19, 1775.
40	* HollywoodNewEngland:
41	-->"Cahm on Norm, they're oappen' ahp th' bahr!"
42	* HypocriticalHumor: During a brawl between the police and the civilian militia, Deputy Norman says "For God's sake, why is it we can't learn to live together?" A man says "You're right, Norman"... and Norman punches him in the jaw.
43	* LargeHam: Paul Ford, of course.
44	* MostWritersAreWriters: Walt Whittaker is a comedy writer.
45	* TheNameIsBondJamesBond: Leading to the Russians addressing Walt Whittaker as "Whittaker Walt".
46	* NoCommunitiesWereHarmed: "Gloucester Island" is a pretty clear stand-in for Nantucket or Martha's Vineyard.
47	* OnlySaneMan: Walt Whittaker
48	** Rozanov is this for the Russian crew.
49	* RealityHasNoSubtitles: The original theatrical release had no subtitles for the Russian dialogue, leaving audiences to infer what's being said based on context. Most home video releases add them, but some versions (including the one on Amazon Prime) still leave them out.
50	* RedScare: And how.
51	* RunningGag:
52	** See above on "BrickJoke". The movie continuously cuts to Luther's struggles with the horse while the rest of the plot is happening.
53	** Pete's PatrioticFervor and him constantly insulting people because of it.
54	* ASimplePlan: Rozanov had one, but it hasn't gone right once!
55	* TitleDrop: See BrickJoke above.
56	* TookALevelInBadass: Again, Walt Whittaker.
57	* WorldGoneMad: It could have been worse. Much worse. Still, everyone on the island is crazy!
58	* YouNoTakeCandle: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=El03KPUeQc4 "Emergency, everybody to get from street!"]]

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