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The Inspector General

The Inspector General

  • Status: Released
  • 31-12-1949
  • Runtime: 101 min
  • Score: 6.472
  • Vote count: 53

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.

Danny Kaye

Georgi

Walter Slezak

Yakov

Barbara Bates

Leza

Elsa Lanchester

Maria

Gene Lockhart

The Mayor

Alan Hale

Kovatch

Walter Catlett

Colonel Castine

Rhys Williams

Inspector General

Benny Baker

Telecki (uncredited)

Leonard Bremen

Lieutenant (uncredited)

Robert Cherry

Peasant (uncredited)

Frank Conlan

OId Villager (uncredited)

Jimmy Conlin

Turnkey (uncredited)

Helena Dare

Townwoman (uncredited)

Bryn Davis

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

George Davis

Ladislaus (uncredited)

Abe Dinovitch

Peasant (uncredited)

Art Dupuis

Sentry (uncredited)

Robert Filmer

Sentry (uncredited)

Byron Foulger

Burbis (uncredited)

Karen Hale

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Lew Hearn

Izzick (uncredited)

Sam Hearn

Gizzick (uncredited)

Herbert Heywood

Goatherd (uncredited)

Si Jenks

Deaf Villager (uncredited)

Fred Kelsey

Villager (uncredited)

Joleen King

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Marc Krah

Gypsy (uncredited)

Gracille LaVinder

Townwoman (uncredited)

Norman Leavitt

Lazlo (uncredited)

Ida Moore

Old Villager (uncredited)

Jack Mower

Villager (uncredited)

Alix Nagy

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Paul Newlan

Viertel - the Woodchopper (uncredited)

Nestor Paiva

Gregor (uncredited)

Barbara Pepper

Buxom Villager (uncredited)

Joe Ploski

Bela (uncredited)

Maudie Prickett

Townwoman (uncredited)

Harry Raven

Sentry (uncredited)

Buddy Roosevelt

Sentry (uncredited)

Lester Sharpe

Sentry (uncredited)

Pepi Sinoff

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Arthur Tovey

Townsman (uncredited)

Joan Vohs

Peasant Girl (uncredited)

Audrey Winn

Councilman's Wife (uncredited)

Jeff York

Guard (uncredited)

John Chard

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