12 stulyev (1971)

User Rating:

8.9/10   

Director:

Leonid Gaidai

Writers:

Ilya Ilf (novel) and
Yevgeni Petrov (novel) ...

Release Date:

2 November 1972 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

A former aristocrat Ippolit Vorobyaninov leads a miserable life in Soviet Russia. His mother-in-law reveals a secret to him...

Plot Keywords:

Russia | Con Artist | Hidden Treasure | 1920s | Hidden Fortune

Cast

Archil Gomiashvili	...	Ostap Bender
Sergei Filippov	...	Kisa Vorobyaninov
Mikhail Pugovkin	...	Father Fyodor
Natalya Krachkovskaya	...	M-me Gritsatsuyeva
Natalya Vorobyova	...	Ellochka Schukina
Glikeriya Bogdanova-Chesnokova	...	Yelena Stanislavovna Bowr
Nina Grebeshkova	...	Musik / Tsaritza Tamara
Yuri Nikulin	...	Dvornik Tikhon
Natalya Varley	...	Liza
Klara Rumyanova	...	Katerina Alexandrovna, Father Fyodor's wife
Leonid Gaidai	...	Varfolomey Korobeynikov
Igor Yasulovich	...	Engineer Schukin
Georgiy Vitsin	...	Stage worker Mechnikov
Saveli Kramarov	...	Chess club chairman
Viktor Pavlov	...	Kolya

Also Known As:

12 стульев (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Dvenadtsat stulev (Soviet Union: Russian title) (alternative spelling)
Twelve Chairs

Runtime:

161 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color (Sovcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl

Company:

Mosfilm

Trivia:

Georgi Daneliya was originally set to direct, but he yielded the job to Leonid Gaidai who wanted to direct the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: On the beach, as chair remains are washed into the sea, a line running to the left bottom of the screen is obvious against white foam.

Movie Connections:

References Zolotoy telyonok (1968)

Soundtrack:

Gde sredi pampasov begayut bizony...

A nice treasure hunt

Gaidai's adaption of Ilf and Petrov's book is better than the 1977 version. Mironov is a good actor, but Archil Gomashvilli is better, though it is not his voice in the movie. Gaidai disliked his voice and asked another actor to do Gomashvilli's lines. That was met with great protest from Gomashvilli and they fought with Gaidai, thus starting a many year mute dispute. Pugovkin (father Fyodor) is also interesting in this role as the "compition" as Ostap calls him. This film is a must-see as here Gaidai once again shows off his talent for light comedy. And by the way, did you know that Karapeinikov (the person from whom Ostap bought the orders for the chairs) is actually Gaidai himself! Almost all Soviet viewers did not know and many still are not aware of this, that it is Gaidai himself there. A great movie!