What happens when you switch the Montagues and Capulets to Russian and the U.S. in a cold war comedy? You get this delightful little film stuffed with laughs but devoid of tragedy. Peter Ustinov's character runs his tiny republic with simple ambitons and common sense in contrast to the absurdity of the U.S. and Russians vying for the miniscule country's vote in the U.N. These star-crossed lovers are destined to get together. "A plague on both your houses!"
*NOTE: Video and audio quality of this movie is excellent. There is a small semi-transparent logo in the bottom right-hand corner. It comes with plain packaging.
viewer's comments"
- brilliant
Romanoff and Juliet is one of the best movies I've seen, and had me laughing out loud most of the time. It is both a lighthearted comedy and an excellent satire of both the US and the Soviet Union. A very intelligent and deep satire, at that, which gets just about everything right. Peter Ustinov is very likeable and extremely funny in his role, but so are all the other actors. A true gem. 10/10
- Small, delightful movie
I first saw this movie in a theater when I was 7. Since then I have watched all or part of the movie more than 20 times. Peter Ustinov is marvelous in this very amusing little film about life and love in a micro-nation in central Europe. Along with the tiny nation of Grand Fenwick (see The Mouse That Roared), Concordia stands as a testimate that bigger nations with more money and higher educations are not necessarily happier or more grounded in reality. Nor that they can wirld their power any more wisely.
This is, of course, a takeoff on Romeo and Juliet (by some English writer or so I hear). This time the Romeo (Romanoff) is son of the Soviet Ambassador to Concordia while Juliet is daughter of his American counterpart. Ustinov is the leader of Concordia with more than a touch of mischief and Cupid in his soul. His character is an observer of people and he knows what makes us "tick."
The scenes where he is going back and forth between the two Ambassodors, playing each against the other, is beautiful and very funny.
Notable in this is the appearance of a young Peter Jones, later to be famous as the voice of the book in Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy, and of John Gavin, then an actor and later an Americal Ambassador himself.
If you are looking for a grandious movie with almost-too-clever-for-its-own-good dialog and huge sets and even extras that don't look at the camera, then you will not like this one. But, if you too have a soft spot for romance, like Peter Ustinov movies (he wrote and directed as well as starred in this) and don't mind having a somewhat haunting musical melody running through you head after seeing this, then get this or tape it on one of the movie channels.
cast: Peter Ustinov .... The General of Concordia
Sandra Dee .... Juliet Moulsworth
John Gavin .... Igor Romanoff
Akim Tamiroff .... Vadim Romanoff
Alix Talton .... Beulah
Rik Van Nutter .... Freddie (as Rik Von Nutter)
John Phillips .... Hooper Moulsworth
Peter Jones .... Otto
Tamara Shayne .... Evdokia Romanoff
Suzanne Cloutier .... Marfa
Edward Atienza .... Patriarch
John Alderson .... Randle Wix
Thomas Chalmers .... Chief Executive
Carl Don .... The spy
Tonio Selwart .... U.N. President (as Tony Selwart).
Runtime: 103 min
Country: USA
Language: English
Colour (Technicolor)
Also Known As:
Dig That Juliet (1961)
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