Silent Movie (1976)

A film director and his strange friends struggle to produce the first major silent feature film in forty years.

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

Mel Brooks (screenplay), Ron Clark (screenplay),

Stars:

Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, Dom DeLuise

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mel Brooks	...	Mel Funn
Marty Feldman	...	Marty Eggs
Dom DeLuise	...	Dom Bell
Sid Caesar	...	Studio Chief
Harold Gould	...	Engulf
Ron Carey	...	Devour
Bernadette Peters	...	Vilma Kaplan
Carol Arthur	...	Pregnant Lady
Liam Dunn	...	Newsvendor
Fritz Feld	...	Maitre d'
Chuck McCann	...	Studio Gate Guard
Valerie Curtin	...	Intensive Care Nurse
Yvonne Wilder	...	Studio Chief's Secretary
Harry Ritz	...	Man in Tailor Shop
Charlie Callas	...	Blindman

Storyline

Aspiring filmmakers Mel Funn, Marty Eggs and Dom Bell go to a financially troubled studio with an idea for a silent movie. In an effort to make the movie more marketable, they attempt to recruit a number of big name stars to appear, while the studio's creditors attempt to thwart them. The film contains only one word of dialogue, spoken by an unlikely source.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | projectionist | crowded shower | chrysler building manhattan new york city | film within a film | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Release Date:

16 June 1976 (USA)

Also Known As:

La última locura de Mel Brooks

Filming Locations:

Stage 15, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$4,400,000 (estimated)

Gross:

SEK 7,052,046 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Crossbow Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

87 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Mel Brooks claimed that he was able to get all of the big star cameos (Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Liza Minnelli, Paul Newman, etc.) for under $300 a day, far below there normal salaries. Though, of course, they didn't have to learn any lines.

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Goofs

As the car carrying Funn, Eggs and Bell approaches the gatehouse at Big Picture Studios, the windscreen of their car is flat on the hood of the car. But in the following shot from the rear of the car, the windscreen is obviously up when they crash into the lowered barrier, and the windscreen is again down as the car rolls under the barrier.

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Quotes

Mel Funn: [mouths, very clearly] You son of a bitch!
[an insert title appears, which reads: "You bad boy."]

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Crazy Credits

At the end of the movie, the letter O of the ending word ''GOOD BYE'' is zooming out, just like at the beginning with the word ''HELLO''.

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Connections

Referenced in Spaceballs (1987)

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Soundtracks

"Brazil"
Music by Ary Barroso
Dance performed by Bernadette Peters
refrain briefly played by orchestra when Vilma is holding the audience at the sneak preview

User Reviews

The producers

Mel Brooks' comedies are made for the pure pleasure of having a good time and to enjoy what the master has decided give us in the way of sheer comic relief. His movies are a riot of visual and witty gags; they are completely insane. Granted, his humor is not for everybody, but those of us that appreciate this great man's talent, truly have a ball watching this picture about the lunacy in the movie industry, again and again.

Mr. Brooks and his sidekicks, Dom DeLouise and Marty Feldman do amazing things. Basically it's all visual, since there's no sound for the viewer to react to what one sees on the screen.

The guest cast is incredible as well. Anne Bancroft, Bernadette Peters, Paul Newman, James Caan, Burt Reynolds, Sid Caesar, and the rest appear to be having the time of their lives as Mr. Brooks pull the strings so we can have a great time.

This is a great film to watch with friends; the more, the merrier!