Vaudevillian

THE DEATH OF STALIN (B) - This broad farce is suitably silly and foul-mouthed, chronicling the jockeying for power in the aftermath of the unexpected death of the Soviet strongman. From the raunchy mind of Armando Iannucci (the political satirist behind "In the Loop" and HBO's "Veep") -- and a committee of four co-writers -- we get a familiar mix of political intrigue and salty slapstick, like Benny Hill doing "All the President's Men."

Steve Buscemi is the star of the show, stealing scene after scene as Nikita Khrushchev, who we all know will eventually outmaneuver rivals Beria and Molotov for control of the Communist Party and the nation. Khrushchev also begins to marginalize the bumbling heir to Stalin, Georgy Malenkov (a perfectly insecure and bewigged Jeffrey Tambor). Buscemi, padded and balding, channels his Cousin Tony character from "The Sopranos" for a sharp mix of threats and one-liners. And Andrea Riseborough offers a snide female voice as Stalin's daughter, Svetlana. The strong cast also offers small juicy roles to Michael Palin and Paddy Considine.

Iannucci, like he did in the U.S.-Britain farce "In the Loop" and with "Veep," thrives on chaos and vulgar putdowns between rivals. "Stalin" doesn't have the depth or savage zing of his previous efforts, but it's a rollicking good time.

WAIT FOR YOUR LAUGH (C+) - The long-time entertainer Rose Marie sits for an interview shortly before her death late last year and tells war stories from her time in the industry, dating back to the 1920s, when she was a 4-year-old belter, and winding through show business, bouncing from Al Capone to Dick Van Dyke. Some of her stories have the whiff of the apocryphal, but that's not really the point. This is nostalgia for the good ol' days. Ancient talking heads, including an old friend as well as former "Hollywood Squares" host Peter Marshall, indulge her, as does the director, Jason Wise. Hacky re-enactments drag this down to B-movie status. But points for color film clips from the "Dick Van Dyke" set, often featuring Rose Marie and Mary Tyler Moore in babushkas. Rose Marie is fun and saucy, and she led an interesting life. And this one slips in comfortably under 90 minutes.