Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- breezy
- classic movie night
- family viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate Danny Kaye's singing, dancing, verbal wit, and elastic physical comedy in this lively adaptation of Gogol's satirical premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The corrupt town officials interpret Georgi's arrival and behavior as evidence that he is the inspector general in disguise.
Danny Kaye's performance foregrounds songs, dance, verbal jokes, and elastic physical comedy within the medicine-show setting.
The mayor and other officials panic because they have been pocketing tax money, turning civic corruption into escalating comic chaos.
Illiterate stooge Georgi is elevated by mistaken identity while the town's supposedly respectable authorities become fearful and incompetent.
Films like The Inspector General, and why
The Court Jester
shared screwball mistaken identity, musical comedy, and corruption satire
Wonder Man
shared classic Hollywood musical comedy, broad physical humor, and an innocent protagonist in danger
The Lady Eve
shared mistaken identity, theatrical performance, and fast-paced comic entanglements
Movie Details
- Director
- Henry Koster
- Release Date
- 1949-12-31
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (59)
Cast
- Danny Kaye
- Walter Slezak
- Barbara Bates
- Elsa Lanchester
- Gene Lockhart
- Alan Hale
- Walter Catlett
- Rhys Williams
- Benny Baker
- Leonard Bremen
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus, OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel, FlixFling, IndieFlix, FILMBOX+ Stream, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Inspector General about?
- A guileless medicine-show stooge becomes the accidental nightmare of a town whose corrupt leaders mistake him for a feared government inspector.
- What is The Inspector General like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Inspector General as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Inspector General violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Inspector General as mild.
- What did critics think of The Inspector General?
- Critics broadly celebrate Danny Kaye's singing, dancing, verbal wit, and elastic physical comedy in this lively adaptation of Gogol's satirical premise.
- Which films are like The Inspector General?
- Films with a similar feel include The Court Jester, Wonder Man, and The Lady Eve.
- How long is The Inspector General?
- The Inspector General runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Inspector General?
- In United States, The Inspector General streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus, OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel, FlixFling, IndieFlix, FILMBOX+ Stream, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Great American Pure Flix Amazon Channel, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
