The Comedians (1967)

Director:

Peter Glenville

Writers:

Graham Greene (novel)
Graham Greene (screenplay)

Release Date:

31 October 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

They lie, they cheat, they destroy...they even try to love.

Plot:

Set in the Haiti of "Papa Doc" Duvalier, The Comedians tells the story of a sardonic white hotel owner...

Plot Keywords:

Affair | Rebellion | Voodoo | Dictatorship | Fake Identity

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Brown
Elizabeth Taylor	...	Martha Pineda
Alec Guinness	...	Major H. O. Jones
Peter Ustinov	...	Ambassador Manuel Pineda
Paul Ford	...	Smith
Lillian Gish	...	Mrs. Smith
Georg Stanford Brown	...	Henri Philipot
Roscoe Lee Browne	...	Petit Pierre
Gloria Foster	...	Mrs. Philipot
James Earl Jones	...	Dr. Magiot
Zakes Mokae	...	Michel
Douta Seck	...	Joseph
Raymond St. Jacques	...	Captain Concasseur
Cicely Tyson	...	Marie Therese
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robin Langford	...	Angelito Pineda (uncredited)
Dennis Alaba Peters	...	César (uncredited)

Directed by
Peter Glenville

Writing credits
Graham Greene		(novel "The Comedians")
Graham Greene		(screenplay)

Produced by
Peter Glenville	....	producer

Original Music by
Laurence Rosenthal

Cinematography by
Henri Decaë		(director of photography) (as Henri Decae)

Film Editing by
Françoise Javet

Art Direction by
François de Lamothe

Production Management
Lucien Lippens	....	unit manager
Louis Wipf	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jean-Michel Lacor	....	assistant director

Art Department
Robert Christidès	....	set dresser (as Robert Christides)

Sound Department
Jonathan Bates	....	sound editor
Jacques Carrère	....	dubbing mixer
Cyril Swern	....	sound recordist
Van Allen James	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ernest Day	....	camera operator
Bob Penn	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Music Department
Laurence Rosenthal	....	conductor

Other crew
Judith Coxhead	....	assistant to producer
Alice Ziller	....	continuity
Phillip Kenny	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Maximillian Productions
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
• Trianon Films

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• CBS Television (1971) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1967) (West Germany) (theatrical)

Other Companies

• Alexandre  miss Taylor's hair style (as Alexandre of Paris)
• Tiziani of Rome  miss Taylor's gowns

Also Known As:

Comédiens, Les (France)

Runtime:

UK:150 min | USA:152 min (TCM print)

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track

Certification:

West Germany:16 (f) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Benin

Company:

Maximillian Productions

Trivia:

To get Elizabeth Taylor to do the film at a "bargain" salary, producer/director Peter Glenville told her that he had offered it to Sophia Loren. She promptly cut her customary $1 million salary in half and signed on.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the last few shots in the movie, as the Character is leaving the airport, there is initially a departing Vickers VC10 airliner flying overhead from right to left, this changes to a close up, followed by a shot of the same airliner now flying into the distance -- unfortunately this is different 4 engine Jetliner, probably a Boeing 707.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Masked and Anonymous (2003)

INTERESTING

Peter Glenville's "The Comedians" is a very difficult film for the average viewer. Based on a Graham Greene novel, it's about the political atmosphere in Haiti while under French rule. It was a box office flop in 1967 and is pretty much forgotten today.

That's sad, because this is an important film. Since the departure of Duvalier, the film has the added historical value it didn't have in 1967. It is another entry in the canon of Taylor-Burton collaborations. It also may be the only film in which Alec Guinness, Peter Ustinov, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton all appear in together. Plus, how can you trash a film that flaunts its' Haiti exteriors so joyfully?

The vast Panavision photography will be lost on TV screens, especially in the horrific pan and scan format. The best way to see this film is on a big screen and even that may be impossible these days. The title will confuse many (most will think it's about comedians in a comedy club), but it does have a hidden subtext: these people are "comedians" in a sense. They kid each other endlessly to avoid reality. In that context, "The Comedians" succeeds. It could benefit from some trimming, but that's a small complaint. I can't think of anyone else who would even attempt to make such a challenging film in such a chaotic climate.

***1/2 out of 4 stars