The Inspector General

1949
Approved
1h 42m

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.6K

YOUR RATING

Danny Kaye and Barbara Bates in The Inspector General (1949)

Play trailer0:53

1 Video

11 Photos

Screwball Comedy Comedy Musical Romance

A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.A town's corrupt officials think a fool is actually an investigator in disguise.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.7/10

3.6K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win

Villager
(uncredited)

Benny Baker

Telecki
(uncredited)

Oscar Blank

Villager
(uncredited)

George Boyce

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Chet Brandenburg

Sentry
(uncredited)

Leonard Bremen

Lieutenant
(uncredited)

Harriett Brest

Villager
(uncredited)

Albert Cavens

Party Guest
(uncredited)

Dick Cherney

Sentry
(uncredited)

Robert Cherry

Peasant
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Nikolay Gogol's play, "The Inspector General" opened in St. Petersburg, Russia. in April 1836.

Goofs
When Yakov first reads the note from Leza we can see it says "They are trying to kill you. Don't go near the barn." Later, when the woodchopper reads it he says "Don't go near the barn. They are trying to kill you."

Quotes
Yakov: May I become a wandering gypsy if I'm not telling the truth.
Georgi: But you ARE a wandering gypsy.
Yakov: That proves I'm telling the truth.

Connections
Edited into Your Afternoon Movie: Inspector General (2022)

Soundtracks
The Medicine Show
(1949) (uncredited)
(aka "Yakov's Elixir")
Music and Lyrics by Sylvia Fine
Played by Musicians at the Medicine Show
Sung by Danny Kaye
Variations played in the score

User reviews44

Review

Featured review

7/10

Danny Kaye Is Wonderful

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.

Unfortunately, this film is in the public domain and that means that Alpha Video seems to be the primary supplier. Maybe another version exists, but I saw the Alpha one. While it's not as bad as many public domain films, it has clearly aged and a new transfer would benefit the film greatly.

This film stands out as being a wonderful showcase for Danny Kaye. His best-known films (like "White Christmas") seem to have him more often as the sidekick. This film proves he can be a leading man in his own right, with plenty of humorous acting and some incredible singing. Kaye should be recognized as a bigger star than Bing Crosby.