The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming
A wonderfully funny Norman Jewison film.
I realize that this isn’t the typical film noir or classic film that I’ve been writing about, however, I think it’s time for something a bit more lighthearted. I am a lover of Norman Jewison films. This movie was introduced to me when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I saw it at a drive-in theatre with my parents and little did I know then that I would have a sort of small personal connection with this film 30-some years later.
Directed and produced by Norman Jewison and starring Carl Reiner, Eva Marie Saint, and introducing Alan Arkin, this 1966 comedy film begins after the accidental grounding of the Soviet submarine Спрут ("octopus") near a quiet little New England town during the Cold War.
Lieut. Rozanov (Alan Arkin) and his crewmen go ashore to find a motorboat to tow the submarine. They show up at the home of a vacationing writer (Carl Reiner) and his wife (Eva Marie Saint), but things quickly go wrong for the Soviets. Chaos ensues in the town and the local police chief (Brian Keith), and his idiotic assistant (Jonathan Winters) strive to restore order.
The townspeople and the Soviets discover an accident involving a local child. They put aside their rivalry to rescue the child and then work together to free the Soviet submarine.
This film is filled with hilarious incidents as the town drunk races after his horse, determined to spread the word of the impending invasion! This subplot adds a fun-loving element to the story.
The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming is a film adaptation of Nathaniel Benchley's novel, The Off-Islanders. This was Alan Arkin's first big screen movie and launched his cinematic career. It also earned him an Academy Award nomination. The music score was also commended for its creative melding of American and Russian themes.
My small connection to this movie turned up in the early 1990’s while I was working at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Director of Liturgical Arts at that time was the very talented music composer, Bonia Shur. I always enjoyed talking with him whenever we would find ourselves in the cafeteria taking a coffee break. He had a captivating life story. In addition to his vast liturgical repertoire, he has written for theater, television and film. In 1966 he collaborated with Johnny Mandel on the vocal score to the very motion picture in this post. Several years later I discovered that Bonia Shur’s son, Ital Shur, is also a musician. One of Ital Shur's most notable works is the song "Smooth", which he co-wrote with Matchbox 20's Rob Thomas for Santana's Grammy Award winning album Supernatural. "Smooth" won Shur and Thomas the 1999 Grammy Award for Song of the Year. Bonia Shur passed away in 2012 but every time I watch The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming my mind drifts back to that brief time when I knew him and found out so much about his life.
Now, back to the movie and what to enjoy munching on while watching....
Katleti, a popular Russian appetizer is the Flicks & Forks choice to go along with this movie. Katleti is a ground chicken and pork mixture made into balls. Serve with a classic vodka martini or a simple glass of red or white wine.
Katleti
Servings: 10
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground chicken
1 egg
1 Tbsp mayo
1 medium onion, grated or super-finely diced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp water, if your meat mix feels too dry
1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs for meat mix
1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs to coat meatballs
1/4 cup canola, grapeseed or sunflower oil
Instructions:
Mix together ground pork & chicken, egg, mayo, diced onion, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly. Add 1 tbsp water if meat seems too dry.
Form 1-inch balls with the Katleti mixture. They should be just a bit flattened and not a perfect ball. Roll meatballs in breadcrumbs.
In a large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup canola, grapeseed or sunflower oil over medium heat. It should be enough to just cover the bottom of the pan. Saute meatballs in batches, turning them over a couple times during the process. Add more oil as needed for subsequent batches. Katleti are done when they are golden brown and cooked through.
Vodka Martini
Ingredients:
Ice
2 1/2 oz. vodka
1/2 oz. dry vermouth
Green olive or strip lemon zest removed with a peeler, for garnish
Directions:
Freeze martini glass 15 minutes before making the drink.
For a shaken martini: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the vodka and
vermouth and shake until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with olive or lemon peel, and serve.For a stirred martini: Pour the vodka and vermouth into a mixing glass or cocktail shaker filled with ice. Stir vigorously, about 20 seconds, until well chilled. Strain into a martini glass, garnish with olive or lemon peel and serve.
Naslazhdat'sya! (that’s how you say “enjoy!” in Russian)
...Jill
Loved this movie as a kid
I just watched this movie!