Movie Cosmos - The Inspector General

Description:

An illiterate stooge in a traveling medicine show wanders into a strange town and is picked up on a vagrancy charge. The town's corrupt officials mistake him for the inspector general whom they think is traveling in disguise. Fearing he will discover they've been pocketing tax money, they make several bungled attempts to kill him.

Top Cast >

Danny Kaye

As Georgi

Walter Slezak

As Yakov

Barbara Bates

As Leza

Elsa Lanchester

As Maria

Gene Lockhart

As The Mayor

Alan Hale

As Kovatch

Walter Catlett

As Colonel Castine

Rhys Williams

As Inspector General

Benny Baker

As Telecki (uncredited)

Leonard Bremen

As Lieutenant (uncredited)

Robert Cherry

As Peasant (uncredited)

Frank Conlan

As OId Villager (uncredited)

Jimmy Conlin

As Turnkey (uncredited)

Helena Dare

As Townwoman (uncredited)

Bryn Davis

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

George Davis

As Ladislaus (uncredited)

Abe Dinovitch

As Peasant (uncredited)

Art Dupuis

As Sentry (uncredited)

Robert Filmer

As Sentry (uncredited)

Byron Foulger

As Burbis (uncredited)

Karen Hale

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Lew Hearn

As Izzick (uncredited)

Sam Hearn

As Gizzick (uncredited)

Herbert Heywood

As Goatherd (uncredited)

Si Jenks

As Deaf Villager (uncredited)

Fred Kelsey

As Villager (uncredited)

Joleen King

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Marc Krah

As Gypsy (uncredited)

Gracille LaVinder

As Townwoman (uncredited)

Norman Leavitt

As Lazlo (uncredited)

Ida Moore

As Old Villager (uncredited)

Jack Mower

As Villager (uncredited)

Alix Nagy

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Paul Newlan

As Viertel - the Woodchopper (uncredited)

Nestor Paiva

As Gregor (uncredited)

Barbara Pepper

As Buxom Villager (uncredited)

Joe Ploski

As Bela (uncredited)

Maudie Prickett

As Townwoman (uncredited)

Harry Raven

As Sentry (uncredited)

Buddy Roosevelt

As Sentry (uncredited)

Lester Sharpe

As Sentry (uncredited)

Pepi Sinoff

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Arthur Tovey

As Townsman (uncredited)

Joan Vohs

As Peasant Girl (uncredited)

Audrey Winn

As Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Jeff York

As Guard (uncredited)

Top Crew >

Henry Koster

Director

Harry Kurnitz

Screenplay

Philip Rapp

Screenplay

Elwood Bredell

Director of Photography

Mitchell Kovaleski

Color Assistant

Natalie Kalmus

Color Designer

Ben Hecht

Additional Writing

Robert M. Haas

Art Direction

Jerry Wald

Producer

Johnny Green

Original Music Composer, Music Director

Rudi Fehr

Editor

Fred M. MacLean

Set Decoration

Travilla

Costume Design

Sylvia Fine

Associate Producer

Saul Butner

Gaffer

Arthur Lueker

Assistant Director

Nikolai Gogol

Theatre Play

Al Alleborn

Production Manager

Edwin B. DuPar

Special Effects

Eugene Richee

Still Photographer

George Gordon Nogle

Camera Operator

Perc Westmore

Makeup Artist

C.A. Riggs

Sound

Eugene Loring

Choreographer

Bert LeBaron

Stunts

Stanley Young

Grip

Reviews:

John Chard (7/10)

Oh, I have no wife. None of my family had wives. My father didn't like wives. I mean, my mother didn't like my father's wives.

Danny Kaye was a wonderful performer, he would sing, dance, tell jokes, turn his face into rubber and just generally come off as a quality humanitarian. The Inspector General showcases all of those talents.

Directed by Henry Koster, The Inspector General is loosely adapted from Nikolai Gogol's classic Russian story, and it finds Kaye as a stooge of Walter Slezak's iffy tonic peddler who is mistaken by iffy officials of a small Russian town for the much feared and respected Inspector General. Cue mistaken identity mayhem as the music numbers, gags, visual contortions and all round slapstick ensues. Also along for the ride are Elsa Lanchester, Alan Hale, Barbara Bates and Gene Lockhart.

It's more a safe and solid Kaye movie for the family to enjoy, rather than a high end classic like The Court Jester, but sometimes the high energy jinks of Kaye is all you need to lift the blues away. 7/10

2020-03-25