I saw this film on a double Universal-International bill with "The Deadly Mantis" in May, 1957 which was the reason my friend, Bobby Shortle and I went. I was thoroughly confused at age ten as to what I was watching. I was shocked at seeing the girl have her blonde hair shaved. I have seen it since on YouTube in a nice print for free and also notice it has been released on Blue Ray DVD. It is an odd film, not a bad one, but has to be viewed in the context of the Cold War era. But the only reason for me to write this review is because of the ending. As a Catholic lad in 1957 I was shocked when Lex barker uttered the words: "The devil has gone back to hell!" This was said after the car driven by William Schallert who was shot by Maurice Manson (Stalin) , careened over a cliff and burst into flames. Needless to say Bobby and I were enthralled more by the antics of the Deadly Mantis much more than "The Girl In The Kremlin." And Lex did not have the problems that Clark Gable had in 1939 when he uttered a similar "bad word." The Legion Of Decency gave this film a B rating (Morally objectionable in parts for all).

"The Girl in the Kremlin" has a ridiculous premise...not quite as ridiculous as "They Saved Hitler's Brain"...but close! It seems that although it was announced to the world that Stalin died of a stroke in 1953, he did, according to this silly story, actually live on by substituting one of his doubles and then having plastic surgery! He did this, apparently, because he knew a purge was coming...and this time it was coming for him!

Despite the notion of Stalin surviving and, perhaps, one day trying to return to power being ridiculous, the film tries very hard to play it straight....and making it seem only 99% ridiculous instead of 100% ridiculous. The only trouble I had with this kitschy film was the ending...as the death scene didn't make any sense at all. See it...see what I mean.

I learn from history books that in 1956 the URSS' Communist Party amply criticized the doings of its former First Secretary, Joseph Stalin, died in 1953. With a perfect timing comes out in 1957 "The Girl in the Kremlin".

Back to the film: well, Stalin is not really dead. He is still alive, and plots to regain his dictatorial powers in a now (1957) slightly changed Soviet Union. This an admissible kern idea for a story for the movies: we were comfortable, to say one, with King Kong's destroying Tokyo... But I won't write about the plot: you can find an outline of it in this same site, or elsewhere. I'd like to focus on some other aspects. Here we go.

Thousands and thousands of films have been made with an underlying propaganda undercurrent, and some are very good. But when the thing is so blatant, with all the Soviets represented ab initio as pure idiots, then we are not there. It's like taking Americans (and the rest of the world of movie-goers) for just as many idiots (there undoubtedly have been many of them, and presumably there are still now), if you expect them to believe this nonsense. Paradoxically, those films, always with underlying propaganda, but serious, which treat the characters - whatever their political position - as human beings, just as a normal member of an audience considers her/himself, have the greatest effect. Assuming that something like a "normal" audience ever existed or will exist.