Curiously, the movie predicts Germany declaring war on Russia. At this point in history just before the US entered WWII, the attitude in the US was was starting to turn against Nazi Germany and we still tended to laugh at the stupidity and backwardness of the Soviets. The Nazi is a caricature, as are the Soviets, who are shown ordering assassinations a¿of anyone they dislike. title details and video sharing options. Two buddies who rise from fly-by-night wildcatters to oil tycoons over a twenty year period both love the same woman. I did not expect this picture to end with a chase scene that's like Blues Brothers with tanks. If you're a fan of cartoon like sequences done as live action then this film, or at least the final sequences thereof, are for you. This FAQ is empty. "There must be a revolution soon in America.". BFI Books. “What if we remade Ninotchka, but worse?” — Someone at MGM, NeverTooEarlyMP 4,925 films 7,186 435 Edit. The Russian government does not trust the three men sent, so they send a fiercer ideologue (Greta Garbo in the title role) who starts straightening out the mission, until she falls for Douglas's charm. Made by fans in Auckland, New Zealand. An American reporter smuggling news out of Soviet Moscow is blackmailed into helping a beautiful Communist leave the country. Explore film & TV. People use mymovierack for rating, reviewing and keeping track of watchlist. Lots of anti-Soviet jokes. Animation has become quite popular in the recent years in the film and entertainment industry, and one question that rings in the back of viewers mind is whose voice is that? Danny, a poor northern Californian Mexican-American, inherits two houses from his grandfather and is quickly taken advantage of by his vagabond friends. (1940). So what you have is a swarm of "real" tanks chasing Gable's tank. Reviews, interviews and features from the international film magazine. YES. Compare this to Ninotchka, though, and Gable's patriotic speech at the end will feel less moving than an ad for McDonald's. A terrific snappy script, fast paced direction, well choreographed physical comedy and a cast at the height of their powers makes this an enjoyable hour and a forty-five minutes. All contents are provided by non-affiliated third parties. An American reporter smuggling news out of Soviet Moscow is blackmailed into helping a beautiful Communist leave the country. It gets close to being truly biting with pitch-black humor hurled at the execution-happy corrupt Soviet police but never goes full To Be or Not to Be (casually apropos of that, Felix Bressart is annoying in this movie whereas he's the soul of Lubitsch's anti-Nazi picture). Agree, it is very tempted to be seduced by this beautiful stranger who made him the Court. Find information about "comrade x" watch "comrade x" on AllMovie. Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr star in "Comrade X," a 1940 comedy from MGM also starring Eve Arden, Felix Bressart and Oscar Homolka. Congratulations. Discovery by Flo Ziegfeld changes a girl's life but not necessarily for the better, as three beautiful women find out when they join the spectacle on Broadway: Susan, the singer who must ... See full summary ». If it were done today it wouldn't be all that impressive. […] More. Hedy Lamarr Browse BFI Southbank seasons. Certainly there are similarities between the comedies. 70th berlin international film festival / line-up, Every Full-length Film Ever Nominated For An Academy Award In Any Category. In this section. Hedy kicks Gable, bites him, spits on him, drives a streetcar AND a tank? FAQ 1940 Marathon - Featuring over 100 Movies watched in 2 months time. Hedy Lamarr's intelligence and talent was squandered and Eve Arden wasn't on screen nearly enough. Their chemistry is not quite as magical as that in "It Happened One Night," with Claudette Colbert (who had the softer edge and mysterious sex appeal that truly complemented Gable's), or even his pairings with the brassy blonde with the Brooklyn accent, but there are a number of scenes in this farce that I have not seen equalled elsewhere: namely the escape scene in the Soviet tank. Vanya fears for the safety of his daughter Golubka ("Theodore") and blackmails Mac into helping her leave the country. Synopsis This Year's Laugh Riot! "Mac" Thompson, American reporter in Moscow, smuggles out uncensored news under the alias "Comrade X," but hotel valet Vanya discovers his secret. Clark Gable Hedy Lamarr Oskar Homolka Felix Bressart Eve Arden Sig Ruman Natasha Lytess Vladimir Sokoloff Edgar Barrier Georges Renavent Leon Belasco Michael Mark Alex Melesh Sven Hugo Borg John Bleifer Shimen Ruskin Alexander Asro Mikhail Rasumny Ilia Khmara Lici Balla Matthew Boulton Keye Luke John Picorri Sam Harris Manuel París William Bailey Larry Steers, 90 mins   The film is a perfectly competent comedy. On command they all stop, spin about and race in the opposite direction. MGM follow up Ninotchka with this amusing Soviet Union spoof with perfect cast Gable and Lamarr. I thought the lines were real clever and that ending...wow...all those tanks. Adventure, Certificate: Passed Find out about international touring programmes, Find out more about the BFI National Archive, Discover how BFI NETWORK is supporting new and emerging filmmakers, Get help as a new filmmaker and find out about NETWORK, Find out about booking film programmes internationally, Courses, training and conferences for teachers. So the following year while the Hitler-Stalin pact was still active, MGM came up with Comrade X. […] More, I had to sell out my own girl -- so would you! For other episodes, we provide direct Book a film for my cinema. The film fascinates because it was made in 1940, just when WWII was getting started. I first thought. Every Film Ever Nominated For An Academy Award In Any Category, berlinale 2020. King Vidor got the direction job and he adds a good deal of sensuality to material that first feel far from it. Crime, Certificate: Passed Looking for some great streaming picks? ... Comrade X (1940) Tweet. Mildly enjoyable screwball comedy with wise-cracking Clark Gable and a drop-dead gorgeous Hedy Lamarr. An American reporter smuggling news out of Soviet Moscow is blackmailed into helping a beautiful Communist leave the country. Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. A man who lived his life as he was was told he should, not as he would have chosen to, is brought out of his shell by a beautiful young woman. At the end of WW2, aboard a repatriation ship, an Army doctor reminisces about his war years while being interviewed by a reporter. It is another very lively, hilarious spoof of Soviet Russia. A doctor (Spencer Tracy) marries a suicidal woman (Hedy Lamarr) but begins to doubt her fidelity. Okay, there is […] More, A restless young woman waits out the night in a twilight state, where dreams, memories, revisited and reenacted events intermingle. Sight & Sound magazine. Alerts for your web-series's next episode. Cast; Crew; Details ; Genres; Cast. Use the HTML below. Clark Gable is stiff and goofy as ever, though still strangely charming as ever. The Soviet government was made up of stupid, ruthless evil men in this film (instead of the smart and ruthless evil men like real life). It's a pity that she was rarely --if ever again-- given another opportunity to play this sort of anything-goes screwball comedy. You'd be like "Hmmm, nice computer work!" Your email address will not be published. The supporting cast is great - Homolka is a government official who says his predecessor "met with an unfortunate accident" - as many of them do throughout the film.I have to agree with one of the posters here - the scene with the tanks is absolutely priceless, particularly when you realize that films didn't have the mechanisms for "special effects" as they do today.Lots of fun at the expense of good old Mother Russia. But in 1940 it had to be done with actual existing props. and therefore I have decided to give you a... You can betray your country but not your heart. The story takes place at a British plantation in Africa where Tondelayo entices all the Brits, especially Harry Witzel. Every film that has ever been nominated for an Academy Award in any category. Everything balances." Which in fact happened shortly after the film came out. Hedy Lamarr = ultra communist dream comrade ☭Felix Bressart = an absolute treasure. I enjoyed this movie more than the Ninotchka. Solid movie... Did not like this movie at all. She makes a charming foil to beefy Clark Gable, who plays his usual role as the macho-male with a wink in his eye covering a heart of gold. Well, whether it's traffic accidents, or a tank chase, or a secretary spy who succumbs to too much vodka, or a long walk from the trolley line back to Moscow – "Comrade X" is one very funny movie. "Mac" Thompson, American reporter in Moscow, smuggles out uncensored news under the alias "Comrade X," but hotel valet Vanya discovers his secret. External Reviews Hedy, her pops and Clark end up at a baseball game. Browse BFI Southbank seasons. It is directed by King Vidor. Competitions. McKinley B. Just a real fun time watchin this one. I miss baseball. Your email address will not be published. Things are kept moving and amusing all the way through and the final tank chase is one for the ages. Part of me thinks it would be even better if Walter Reisch countered Hedy's uniform with Clark in a dress; what a tank escape that would have been! © Letterboxd Limited. Upon viewing this one, I think MGM originally had this film slotted as an A Feature, but then needed a B Feature with a lot of names to support another A Feature and decided to rush this one to the theaters. She really came off as a very good commedienne. ”How quickly fortune changes when we help it a little”. Metacritic Reviews. Well, we've known from the beginning who Comrade X is - who else - and he reluctantly agrees to his assignment - reluctantly until he gets a look at the daughter (Lamarr), who is driving a streetcar using the name Theodore. The anti-communist humor becomes alternately grim and farcical. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! IMDb Gable and Lamarr are each charming but there's little chemistry between them. However, as much as it seems to be a copycat, it's really nothing like Greta Garbo's comedy. I thought the chemistry between Hedy and Clark were great. An ongoing list of films awaiting a Blu-ray release. There are a few genuinely and intentionally hilarious moments. This really isn't meant as an insult, as I really liked this Clark Gable film once I stopped worrying about how ridiculous the plot was and just watched it for the pure sake of enjoyment. BONUS POINTS for Felix Bressart. This is a movie that gets better with each viewing; good screenplay, direction, acting, and production. as Golubka / Theodore Yahupitz / Lizvanetchka 'Lizzie', trailer ft ahsaas channa revathi pillai rashmi agdekar. Overall, a very cute and fun movie. Moscow, 1959: Katya (Rebecca Ferguson, Mission Impossible- Rogue Nation, The Girl […] More, Okay, Marie is a little tired of the insouciance of her husband Sam, framework sup unemployed for 2 years. It's set in Moscow, and WWII is under way. I lived to see Hedy Lamarr drive a Soviet tank and Clark Gable instruct her, see her fail and propose warm-heartedly: 'Hey, let me have a bang at this tractor.'