The Twelve Chairs (1970)

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

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

Release Date:

28 October 1970 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

A wild and hilarious chase for a fortune in jewels.

Plot:

In 1920s Soviet Russia, a fallen aristocrat, a priest and a con artist search for a treasure of jewels hidden inside one of twelve dining chairs, lost during the revolution.

Plot Keywords:

Russia | Hidden Fortune | Written And Directed By Cast Member | 1920s | Furniture

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Ron Moody	...	Ippolit Vorobyaninov
Frank Langella	...	Ostap Bender
Dom DeLuise	...	Father Fyodor
Andréas Voutsinas	...	Nikolai Sestrin
Diana Coupland	...	Madame Bruns
David Lander	...	Engineer Bruns
Vlada Petric	...	Sevitsky
Elaine Garreau	...	Claudia Ivanovna
Robert Bernal	...	Curator
Will Stampe	...	Night Watchman
Bridget Brice	...	Young Woman
Nicholas Smith	...	Actor in play
Rada Djuricin	...	Actress in play
Branka Veselinovic	...	Natasha
Mladen 'Mladja' Veselinovic	...	Peasant (as Mladja Veselinovic)
Mel Brooks	...	Tikon
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Radomir Popovic
Petar Banicevic	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Dejan Cavic	...	Orator (uncredited)
Ljubomir Cipranic	...	Extra (uncredited)
Radmilo Curcic	...	Fat Man (uncredited)
Rasa Djukin	...	Extra (uncredited)
Bogdan Jakus	...	Extra (uncredited)
Vojislav Micovic	...	Confused Man (uncredited)
Milivoje Popovic-Mavid	...	Makko (uncredited)
Aleksandar Stojkovic	...	Capt. Scriabin (uncredited)
Paul Wheeler	...	Kolya (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits
Ilya Ilf		(novel "Dvenadtsat stulyev") (as Ilf) and
Yevgeni Petrov		(novel "Dvenadtsat stulyev") (as Petrov)
Doris Mudie		(English translation)
Mel Brooks		(screenplay)

Produced by
Ronald H. Gilbert	....	producer (as Ron Gilbert)
Sidney Glazier	....	executive producer
Michael Hertzberg	....	producer

Original Music by
John Morris

Cinematography by
Djordje Nikolic

Film Editing by
Alan Heim

Production Design by
Miodrag Nikolic

Art Direction by
Milan Todorovic

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
Saveta Kovac	....	makeup artist
George Partleton	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Fred T. Gallo	....	production supervisor
Velimir Jakovljevic	....	unit manager (as Veua Jakovuevic)
Ante Milic	....	production manager
Moma Pesic	....	unit manager
Momcilo Pesic	....	unit manager (as Moma Pesic)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Anderson	....	second assistant director
Mhalo Cain	....	second assistant director
Bahrudin 'Bato' Cengic	....	first assistant director
Radavore Visoluvek	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Milan Coric	....	property master

Sound Department
Thomas Halpin	....	sound editor
Sanford Rackow	....	sound editor
Ken Reynolds	....	boom operator
Peter Sutton	....	production sound mixer
Dick Vorisek	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Han Fudak	....	key grip
Dragan Pavasovic	....	gaffer
Eric Van Haren Noman	....	camera operator
Eric Van Haren Noman	....	camera operator: second unit

Editorial Department
Richard S. Goldberg	....	assistant editor
Walter Rappeport	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Morris	....	musical director
Jonathan Tunick	....	musical director
Jonathan Tunick	....	orchestrator

Other crew
William A. Berns	....	production executive
Arthur Eckstein	....	title designer
Ann Edwards	....	continuity
Elizabeth Hill	....	translator: English

Production Companies

• Crossbow Productions
• The Twelve Chairs Company
• Twelve Chairs Company

Distributors

• Universal Marion Corporation (UMC) (1970) (USA) (theatrical)
• Brooksfilms (1983) (worldwide) (all media) (re-release)
• United Artists Classics (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Gaumont (1983) (France) (theatrical)
• Alianza Cinematográfica Española (1975) (Spain)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1986) (USA) (TV) (network premiere)

Other Companies

• Film Opticals  opticals

Also Known As:

Runtime:

94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:11 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:G | Finland:K-3 (cinema release) (1983) | Iceland:L | Singapore:PG | UK:U | Portugal:M/6 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Adriatic Sea

Company:

Crossbow Productions

Trivia:

Peter Sellers was originally cast as Father Fyodor but dropped out before filming began.

Goofs:

Continuity: Railway workers club (last chair location) opening ceremony takes place in apparent autumn. However, when Ostap and Ippolit break in at night, there is lot of snow around.

Quotes:

Ippolit Vorobyaninov:You're not worth spitting on!
Father Fyodor:Oh yeah? Well, you are!
[spits]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Spaceballs: The Documentary (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

L'Internationale

The Brooks no one remembers....

A long time ago, Mel Brooks had a subtle side.

Hard to believe, isn't it? The man responsible for such guffaw-fests as "Blazing Saddles", "Silent Movie", "High Anxiety" and such.... SUBTLE?

In "The Twelve Chairs", he does get laughs out of the story of a Russian nobleman searching for jewels sewn into one of twelve of his family's chairs that have been sold with the rest of his family's possessions. But not the way we're use to seeing Mel earn them.

This, time, he gets them through character study, human nature, individuals' reactions to certain embarrassing situations and, of course, good old-fashioned greed. And the laughs are there, to be sure.

I'm actually surprised that I liked this as much as I did. I'm used to Mel up there with the lampshade on his head, yucking it up with wild abandon. This film, subtle as it is, makes me laugh.

Of course, for purists, there's always good old DeLuise as another conniver searching for the same jewels. He makes with the wildness and insanity that makes a Mel Brooks film a Mel Brooks film, and he's a joy to see.

The others, Moody and Langella in particular, play regular human beings who see a situation, assess it and act as (nearly) anyone else would. More humorously, of course.

Seek out "The Twelve Chairs". Rare as it is, a rose by any other name....

And you know the rest.

Eight stars. Hey! Hey, hey, hey!