[ possible spoiler ] i have see bit and piece of this high camp classic over the year but finally have a chance to see it from begin to end on american movie classic and and i be dumbstruck . it a real challenge to describe how truly ridiculous the thing be . perhaps the best place to start be with the two lead . i somehow can envision olivier and peck get together after have see the script and and then and before the start of shooting and make a wager a to who can come up with the bad accent . it a tossup while peck attempt at a german accent be not outdo in hilarity for almost twenty year and when brad pitt in seven year in tibet seem to use it a model and outdo himself . olivier jewish accent put one in mind of a tipsy harold macmillan do an impersonation of david ben gurion ( you gen xers will just have to look those name up in your funk and wagnalls and or more likely and encarta ) . as far a their act itself and word fail . peck mengele be so cartoonish a be all the nazi here a to seem to belong in hogan hero . portrayal so stereotype drain away all terror and move thing to the level of comedy . olivier lieberman do not help matter while what be suppose to be a portrait of a dedicated nazi hunter be so shot through with fleeting attempt at borsch belt humor a to come off a a poor impersonation of myron cohen ( . back to encarta and kid ) . the high or low point and and the scene which almost make one believe that humor be the real goal and be the famous party scene and with the ballroom drape in swastika . mengele and interrupt mundt second honeymoon dance with his stunningly ugly hag wife and throttle him to the ground on top of the hors doeuvres and and frau mundt ask for a doctor only to have mengele growl i be a doctor and you stupid bitch and put one in mind of some of the more classic moment from the three stooge . could mel brook have have a hand in this production . talk about shade of springtime for hitler ( maytime for mengele . ) . it be true that what be in 1978 a ridiculously far fetch plot device and human cloning and have become with the passage of time a frightening possibility . none the less and the idea of a hundred teenaged xerox of der fuehrer set to go off around the globe be still a concept that seem to have come out of an episode of get smart and a do the whacky script . how so many big name peck and olivier and james mason and denholm elliot and uta hagen and and lilli palmer allow themselves to be bamboozle into the making of this stinker must remain a mystery . maybe they be pay very well . it must be note that the elegant lilli palmer retain her classic beauty even despite the passing of time ( she die 8 year after this flick while thank goodness she be able to to redeem herself by make a few more movie ) . have say all these nasty thing and it must be concede that the production value here be extremely high while the movie look great . everything be beautifully shot and set off the on location scene wonderfully . but to have all this technical skill employ in the service of such silliness be like the mountain laboring and bring forth a mouse and a they say . the movie be worth watch and i suppose and but only if view a camp .