It is not the greatest satire of its time (that would be DR. STRANGELOVE), but Peter Ustinov's ROMANOFF AND JULIET is a worthy film on its own right. It is based on a successful West End comedy by Ustinov. He plays the President of Concordia, a country in Europe like "the Grand Duchy of Fenwick" in the contemporary novel and movie THE MOUSE THAT ROARED. At the start of the film there is an important vote in the United Nations' General Assembly that may decide which of the two Cold War blocs (the West lead by the U.S. or the Communist bloc led by the Soviet Union) will ultimately prevail in the world. You hear country by country called saying "Yes" or "No" in their own languages (all the voices are Peter Ustinov's, using his great mimicking abilities). The vote is equally split and they reach Concordia. The President (who is also their U.N. ambassador - he is like W. S. Gilbert's "Pooh Bah" holding many positions) abstains from voting, the tying the vote and leaving the U.N. in an uproar. He does not care - he is not going to be forced into joining either side.
That is the plot of the play: Ustinov is making Concordia personify the attempt by India, Yugoslavia, Egypt, and several other countries to create the so-called "Third World" movement that was supposed to avoid the two big camps. Historically the movement failed: there were too many holes in it tying countries closer to one side or another than they hoped (India, for example, could have been the basis of such a movement succeeding, except it was poor at the time and it had serious problems with Pakistan and China - the Chinese were able to fool the Indian foreign minister for awhile and invade India, requiring American and British aid to get the Chinese out again). But Ustinov approved of the spirit of the attempt. The smaller countries had to be heard to save their own local powers, and possibly to teach the blocs to respect the better aspects of civilization.
The President of Concordia has his work cut out for himself: he returns home to find that the American Ambassador Hooper Moulsworth (British actor John Philips) is ready to offer all kinds of financial and military aid to the President in return for his support. The same comes from Russian Ambassador Vadim Romanoff (Akim Tamiroff). He has found the post in Concordia (as has Moulsworth) a diplomatic dead end until now, and both are pushing to make the most of their opportunity for a major diplomatic coup if they can get Concordia's support. Pushing Romanoff as well is the local KGB man who suspects the Ambassador's support for the Revolution (Romanoff is able to turn on him by showing that he found the KGB man has a taste for magazines like PLAYBOY).
Complicating all this is that Romanoff's son, Igor (John Gavin) and Moulsworth's daughter Juliet (Sandra Dee) have met and fallen in love. The President of Concordia learns of this, and makes the most of pushing this romance. He knows that if the children marry the activities of the fathers and their respective governments are seriously compromised.
Ustinov's delicate humor has always been amusing. The national salute that he has to use when passing any Concordian official is like pulling down a toilet's lever. At one point he is planning an appearance before one of the ambassadors, and the capital's main clock chimes an hour. It happens to be four or five hours later than it should be. Shrugging his shoulders as he looks out of the window at the clock, Ustinov says it is the tragedy of Concordia that it has been conquered by every country in Europe except Switzerland!
Possibly the best sequence is when Ustinov is invited from one embassy to the other for cocktails, and is forced to imbibe American "Branch and Bourbon" followed by Russian Vodka. Becoming increasingly unsteady on his feet (and somewhat silly in his smile) he is still able to make both of the ambassadors nervous that he is already receiving military aid from the other side and that their opposite number knows all their plans and moves.
A showdown is the conclusion of the film, as Ustinov manages to convince both America and its allies, and Russian and its allies, that the Concordians are prepared to confront both. While the thought of a military confrontation flummoxes Moulsworth and Romanoff the love affair of their children adds to their pressures. How will it all turn out?
Ustinov would serve in several international and U.N. groups in his career (like many actors). He would be outspoken about his views on fair play and right and wrong. While decrying anti-Semitism, he was not afraid in his memoirs DEAR ME to chide the Israelis about the treatment of Palestinians. He was a believer that much in civilization deserved to be respected and spread on the nations - and his views never got clearer expression than in this, his play turned film.
That is the plot of the play: Ustinov is making Concordia personify the attempt by India, Yugoslavia, Egypt, and several other countries to create the so-called "Third World" movement that was supposed to avoid the two big camps. Historically the movement failed: there were too many holes in it tying countries closer to one side or another than they hoped (India, for example, could have been the basis of such a movement succeeding, except it was poor at the time and it had serious problems with Pakistan and China - the Chinese were able to fool the Indian foreign minister for awhile and invade India, requiring American and British aid to get the Chinese out again). But Ustinov approved of the spirit of the attempt. The smaller countries had to be heard to save their own local powers, and possibly to teach the blocs to respect the better aspects of civilization.
The President of Concordia has his work cut out for himself: he returns home to find that the American Ambassador Hooper Moulsworth (British actor John Philips) is ready to offer all kinds of financial and military aid to the President in return for his support. The same comes from Russian Ambassador Vadim Romanoff (Akim Tamiroff). He has found the post in Concordia (as has Moulsworth) a diplomatic dead end until now, and both are pushing to make the most of their opportunity for a major diplomatic coup if they can get Concordia's support. Pushing Romanoff as well is the local KGB man who suspects the Ambassador's support for the Revolution (Romanoff is able to turn on him by showing that he found the KGB man has a taste for magazines like PLAYBOY).
Complicating all this is that Romanoff's son, Igor (John Gavin) and Moulsworth's daughter Juliet (Sandra Dee) have met and fallen in love. The President of Concordia learns of this, and makes the most of pushing this romance. He knows that if the children marry the activities of the fathers and their respective governments are seriously compromised.
Ustinov's delicate humor has always been amusing. The national salute that he has to use when passing any Concordian official is like pulling down a toilet's lever. At one point he is planning an appearance before one of the ambassadors, and the capital's main clock chimes an hour. It happens to be four or five hours later than it should be. Shrugging his shoulders as he looks out of the window at the clock, Ustinov says it is the tragedy of Concordia that it has been conquered by every country in Europe except Switzerland!
Possibly the best sequence is when Ustinov is invited from one embassy to the other for cocktails, and is forced to imbibe American "Branch and Bourbon" followed by Russian Vodka. Becoming increasingly unsteady on his feet (and somewhat silly in his smile) he is still able to make both of the ambassadors nervous that he is already receiving military aid from the other side and that their opposite number knows all their plans and moves.
A showdown is the conclusion of the film, as Ustinov manages to convince both America and its allies, and Russian and its allies, that the Concordians are prepared to confront both. While the thought of a military confrontation flummoxes Moulsworth and Romanoff the love affair of their children adds to their pressures. How will it all turn out?
Ustinov would serve in several international and U.N. groups in his career (like many actors). He would be outspoken about his views on fair play and right and wrong. While decrying anti-Semitism, he was not afraid in his memoirs DEAR ME to chide the Israelis about the treatment of Palestinians. He was a believer that much in civilization deserved to be respected and spread on the nations - and his views never got clearer expression than in this, his play turned film.