by Eleanor Mannikka
synopsis
This standard documentary follows a 1956 tour by singer-actor Yves Montand through various cities in the USSR as he performs in theaters, sports stadiums, and other venues. Aside from clips of him on stage, there is Soviet newsreel footage of the French star's receptions and public appearances. Montand's wife Simone Signoret is also on-camera as she helps him out and has a few things to say herself. Their trip was a part of a mid-'50s Franco-Soviet cultural exchange. Editor (Leonide Azar) pieced together the various film clips into a cogent, 70-minute overview of the tour.
