Woody Allen wrote Don’t Drink the Water as a play in 1966. It was extremely successful on Broadway, running for just shy of 600 performances, and was made into a movie in 1969 with Jackie Gleason in the starring role.
When Woody finally saw that film in the 1990s, he was unimpressed and decided to make his own film version (albeit as a made-for-TV movie) and play the lead role himself.
New Jersey caterer Walter Hollander (Allen), his wife Marion (Julie Kavner, famously the voice of Marge Simpson) and their grown-up daughter Susan (Blossom star Mayim Bialik) set off on a holiday to Europe, against Walter’s better judgement.
Finding themselves behind the Iron Curtain, Walter photographs a sunset and is accused of spying.
To avoid arrest, the Hollanders seek refuge in the American Embassy, which is temporarily being run by the absent Ambassador’s diplomatically incompetent son, Axel (Back to the Future and Family Ties star Michael J. Fox). Romance develops between Axel and Susan.
Dom DeLuise appears as Father Drobney, a lunatic priest who has been hiding in the embassy for six years and is trying to learn to be an amateur magician.
All the action is confined to the Embassy, giving the film a stage-bound feel.
Narrator
Ed Herlihy Walter Hollander
Woody Allen Marion Hollander
Julie Kavner Susan Hollander
Mayim Bialik Axel Magee
Michael J. Fox Krojack
Vit Horejs Ambassador Magee
Josef Sommer Father Drobney
Dom DeLuise Mr Burns
Robert Stanton Mr Kilroy
Edward Herrmann Miss Pritchard
Rosemary Murphy Krojack’s Colleague
Sándor Técsy Chef Oscar
Austin Pendleton Herbert Gruber
Victor Steinbach Anna Gruber
Emir John Doumanian Emir’s Aide Erick Avari
Taina Elg Yannis Kasnar
Frederick Rolf Countess Bordoni
Elizabeth De Charay
Director
Woody Allen
Video
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When Woody finally saw that film in the 1990s, he was unimpressed and decided to make his own film version (albeit as a made-for-TV movie) and play the lead role himself.
To avoid arrest, the Hollanders seek refuge in the American Embassy, which is temporarily being run by the absent Ambassador’s diplomatically incompetent son, Axel (Back to the Future and Family Ties star Michael J. Fox). Romance develops between Axel and Susan.
