The Inspector General

Released Dec 31, 1949

1 hr. 42 min.

Musical

Comedy

List

91%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In this farcical Technicolor musical, snake oil salesman Georgi (Danny Kaye) is too honest for his own good. After his partner (Walter Slezak) fires him, the simple-minded Georgi wanders into a corrupt town where he is mistaken for a diplomat. As Georgi unknowingly enjoys his false identity, the townspeople make several botched attempts to assassinate him, believing he is a powerful politician. Matters get even more tangled, and amusing, when the real inspector general shows up.

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Lieutenant B

Whomever told me this was one of Danny Kaye's better movies has some serious taste issues, as this was one of his worst. This was like an amatuer theatrical comedy done on the cheap. Who was the target. audience? It has the bad try-hard comedy of something aimed at children under 10. Danny's is over-hamming it to the point I want to call it bad acting. I cringed my way through this.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/13/23

Full Review

jack s

So-so Kaye vehicle, helped immeasurably by a strong supporting cast. But, let's face it, much of Danny's schtick doesn't age well and this time it frankly becomes a bit irritating. There are a couple of amusing comic scenes however, although the soundtrack and musical numbers are sadly forgettable. Rather check out "The Court Jester" or "Wonder Man" for examples of Kaye's best work.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Matthew R

Let me just make it clear that this is a pretty bad film. But, if you get together your group of friends and watch it, it will be a fun enough time because of Danny Kaye's absurd performance and the dated comedy.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/04/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Great to see a young Danny Kaye. What a gifted comic actor. Strange to see the faux Mexican sets standing in for Russia. The colorization was definitely overdone. Still looking for a copy of the Gogol play.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The movie is loosely based on a Nikolai Gogol play about two traveling medicine men who wind up in a small Russian town run by a corrupt government, with one arrested for vagrancy, but then they get the idea that he was actually the dreaded Inspector General in disguise, and he acts upon the misunderstanding to get himself fed. Basically the whole movie is a farce, with Danny Kaye doing a lot of singing and dancing that no real Inspector General would do. This is entertainment and not realistic historical drama, but still enjoyable if you can suspend disbelief enough.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Kid Blobbo much enjoy Kaye.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

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Henry Koster

Director

Danny Kaye

Georgi

Walter Slezak

Yakov

Barbara Bates

Leza

Elsa Lanchester

Maria

Gene Lockhart

The Mayor

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Bob Thomas

Associated Press

Sharper cutting could have made it a delight; it's still passable entertainment.

Jul 25, 2019

Full Review

John Stanley

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 4/4

Oct 19, 2011

Full Review

Ian Kane

Epoch Times

In the end, “The Inspector General” is highly entertaining with some hilarious, often satirical dialogue that is elevated further by Danny Kaye’s infectious brand of physical humor.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 25, 2022

Full Review

Steve Crum

Video-Reviewmaster.com

Danny Kaye has some hilarious moments.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 18, 2008

Full Review

Eric Lurio

Greenwich Village Gazette

Rated: 4/5

Sep 5, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 2/5

Jul 2, 2005

Full Review

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Synopsis

In this farcical Technicolor musical, snake oil salesman Georgi (Danny Kaye) is too honest for his own good. After his partner (Walter Slezak) fires him, the simple-minded Georgi wanders into a corrupt town where he is mistaken for a diplomat. As Georgi unknowingly enjoys his false identity, the townspeople make several botched attempts to assassinate him, believing he is a powerful politician. Matters get even more tangled, and amusing, when the real inspector general shows up.

Director: Henry Koster
Screenwriter: Philip Rapp, Harry Kurnitz
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Genre: Musical, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 1949, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 11, 2016

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