12 stulyev (1971)

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: During the boat chase, a white triangle, presumably a sail, is seen as Ostap circles the overturned boat; would not be visible during the true night scene.

Movie Connections:

References Zolotoy telyonok (1968)

Soundtrack:

Gde sredi pampasov begayut bizony...

Best Version of Ilf & Petrov's "12 Stulyev"

In comparison to the later version released in 1977 as a mini TV series this Gaidai's Film is a pure masterpiece. Actually, it is a masterpiece on its own, and can not be compared to other versions of Ilf and Petrov's great book because all the others are pathetic compared to this. Though the 1977 film is almost twice as long as this one, Gaidai's Film manages to be much more interesting as a story and (what is really surprising) is closer to the book than the longer film! In the 1977 film the unnecessary scenes are stretched, while the good ones are cut.

And how can one compare Archil's Bender to Mironov's Bender!?!?!? Gomiashvilli is the real Ostap Bender, just from the book. Though he is not the best Bender (that honour goes to Yourski) he is definitely the best one to play in the different versions of 12 Stulyev (Yourski was in Zolotoi Telenok, btw, which I strongly recommend).

Though I find Gaidai's comedies not really great, but good, this film is unique.

I especially like the very end when were are shown the "modern-day" Moskow (I assume it was Moskow), it is really original and simply great.