Skip to main content
Crime Cult Classic

Stalin gets a new face—while spies and sisters play a deadly game across Cold War Europe.

THE GIRL IN THE KREMLIN

The story behind the world's greatest conspiracy!

1957 · 1h 21m · NR · Crime / Drama / Film-Noir / Mystery · IMDB TMDB

In Moscow 1953, four terrified women prisoners are brought before Joseph Stalin, who chooses the beautiful Dasha. He punishes her by shaving off her long hair. Moments later, a plastic surgeon leads Stalin into the operating room and transforms his face so that he is unrecognizable. He vanishes, but OSS agent Steve Anderson searches for him in Europe.

Quick Answer

What is The Girl In The Kremlin about?

The Girl In The Kremlin is a 1957 American crime, drama, film-noir, and mystery film directed by Russell Birdwell about a private investigator searching for a woman's twin sister in post-war Moscow as a surgically altered Joseph Stalin is hidden away.

Programmer's Pick

Where else will you find Stalin, nuns in combat boots, and twin intrigue all in one Cold War noir? The Girl In The Kremlin delivers face swaps, double-crosses, and a double Zsa Zsa Gabor for your psychotronic pleasure.

— SassyFlix Programmer

Overview

Set against the tense backdrop of Cold War Moscow, The Girl In The Kremlin opens with a bizarre twist of history: a plastic surgeon is tasked with altering Joseph Stalin’s face so thoroughly that even his closest associates would not recognize him. As Stalin is spirited away to an undisclosed location under the guise of his death, Lithuanian Lili Grisenko desperately searches for her twin sister, Greta, who was taken to Moscow by invading Russian troops. Lili enlists the help of American private investigator Steve Anderson, whose anti-Communist leanings make him a natural ally. Their search leads them to the lair of one-armed spy Mischa Rimilkin and reveals Greta's mysterious connection to Stalin’s plastic surgeon. Intrigue, identity swaps, and secrets drive this shadowy noir through Soviet corridors and occupied Europe.

Details & Specs

Director
Russell Birdwell
Writers
Harry Ruskin, DeWitt Bodeen, Gene L. Coon, Robert Hill
Release
1957
Runtime
1h 21m
Country
United States of America
Language
English

Why This Matters

This film noir mystery is notable for featuring Zsa Zsa Gabor alongside Lex Barker and was released as part of a double bill with Universal's The Deadly Mantis in 1957, reflecting mid-century American genre programming and star-driven casting.
— SassyFlix Curator

Cast & Crew

View all →
Director: Russell Birdwell Writers: Harry Ruskin +3 more

Why Cult

Plastic Surgery Plot

Watch as a plastic surgeon gives Joseph Stalin a new face to thwart enemies and allies alike.

Twin Sisters Mystery

Zsa Zsa Gabor plays twins separated by war, threading a personal stake through the international intrigue.

Cold War Noir

The film’s shadowy Moscow setting and sly espionage capture the paranoia and style of postwar noir.

Unconventional Spies

From one-armed agents to Americans in Berlin, the cast of operatives is as offbeat as their disguises.

Scene Gallery

Threat File

Trigger

Stalin's fake death and facial transformation

Threat

Hidden, surgically altered Stalin

Effect

International intrigue and targeted killings

Countermeasure

Investigation by Steve Anderson and allies

Setting

Moscow and postwar Europe

Questions from the Vault

When was The Girl In The Kremlin released? +

The Girl In The Kremlin was released in 1957.

Who directed The Girl In The Kremlin? +

The Girl In The Kremlin was directed by Russell Birdwell.

How long is The Girl In The Kremlin? +

The Girl In The Kremlin has a runtime of 81 minutes.

What genre is The Girl In The Kremlin? +

The Girl In The Kremlin is a crime, drama, film-noir, and mystery film.

Where can I watch The Girl In The Kremlin? +

You can watch The Girl In The Kremlin on SassyFlix.

Trailers & Clips

The Girl In The Kremlin trailer
Official Trailer
Sign in to play