Was popular as a foreign star in the Soviet Union. He had a large presence in the Soviet market, as movies made by independent American producers like him could be more easily--and cheaply--imported. His films played only in marginal theaters in the US
(due to the tight control of major theater chains by the large studios), and they enjoyed disproportionate success in the Soviet
Union, especially since they were also quite shallow standard fare guaranteed to have no political message. As a result, some films that were barely noticed in their home country became hits in the USSR, their success often at odds with their cinematic value.
