Silent Movie (1976)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

Mel Brooks (screenplay) &
Ron Clark (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

16 June 1976 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Movie Theater | Life Support | Drunk Scene | Motorcycle Cop | Crowded Shower

Awards:

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 1 nomination

Cast

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
Henny Youngman	...	Fly-in-soup Man
Arnold Soboloff	...	Acupuncture Man
Patrick Campbell	...	Motel Bellhop
Eddie Ryder	...	British Officer
Al Hopson	...	Executive
Rudy De Luca	...	Executive (as Rudy DeLuca)
Barry Levinson	...	Executive
Howard Hesseman	...	Executive
Lee Delano	...	Executive
Jack Riley	...	Executive
Inga Neilsen	...	Beautiful Blonde #1
Erica Hagen	...	Beautiful Blonde #2
Robert Lussier	...	Projectionist
Burt Reynolds	...	Himself
James Caan	...	Himself
Liza Minnelli	...	Herself
Anne Bancroft	...	Herself
Marcel Marceau	...	Himself
Paul Newman	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sivi Aberg	...	Beautiful Blonde #3 (uncredited)
Dody Goodman	...	Tourist woman #1 (uncredited)
Phil Leeds	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Candice Rialson	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Ray Stewart	...	Movie House Manager (uncredited)
Jerry Trent	...	Dancer (uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits
Mel Brooks		(screenplay) &
Ron Clark		(screenplay) &
Rudy De Luca		(screenplay) (as Rudy DeLuca) &
Barry Levinson		(screenplay)
Ron Clark		(story)

Produced by
Michael Hertzberg	....	producer

Original Music by
John Morris

Cinematography by
Paul Lohmann		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Stanford C. Allen
John C. Howard

Casting by
Mary Goldberg

Production Design by
Albert Brenner		(as Al Brenner)

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by
Patricia Norris

Makeup Department
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
Charles H. Schram	....	makeup man (as Charles Schram)
William Tuttle	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Max Kleven	....	second unit director
Edward Teets	....	assistant director (as Ed Teets)
Richard A. Wells	....	second assistant director (as Richard Wells)

Art Department
Stephen Myles Berger	....	assistant art director (as Steve Berger)
Richard Evans	....	assistant property master
Tom Fairbanks	....	property master (as Tommi Fairbanks)
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator (as Hank Wynands)

Sound Department
Don Hall	....	sound editor
Don MacDougall	....	sound re-recording mixer
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Ira Anderson Jr.	....	special effects

Stunts
Max Kleven	....	stunt coordinator
Roydon Clark	....	stunts (uncredited)
Paula Dell	....	stunts (uncredited)
James M. Halty	....	stunts (uncredited)
Orwin C. Harvey	....	stunts (uncredited)
Bob Herron	....	stunts (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	....	stunts (uncredited)
Greg Walker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Dick Warlock	....	utility stunts (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Edmond L. Koons	....	camera operator (as Ed Koons)
J. Michael Marlett	....	gaffer (as Michael Marlett)
Tom Prophet Jr.	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jay Caplan	....	wardrobe: men
Wally Harton	....	wardrobe: men
Nancy Martinelli	....	wardrobe: ladies

Editorial Department
David Blangsted	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Billy Byers	....	orchestrator (as Bill Byers)
Kevin F. Cleary	....	music recordist (as Kevin Cleary)
John Morris	....	orchestrator
Lionel Newman	....	conductor
Jack Lesberg	....	musician: bass (uncredited)

Transportation Department
William Hogue	....	driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Ron Clark	....	production consultant
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer: Pacific Title
Robert Iscove	....	choreographer (as Rob Iscove)
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Crossbow Productions

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1976) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (video)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Pacific Title  titles

Runtime:

87 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-3 (cinema release) (1976) | Portugal:M/6 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (video rating) | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:Livre | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Iceland:L | Norway:7 | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

University of California, Irvine, California, USA

Company:

Crossbow Productions

Trivia:

According to Carl Reiner's book, "My Anecdotal Life", he taught Anne Bancroft how to cross her eyes one at a time. She does this in her scene with Marty Feldman and again during the credits.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Mel's car is lowered when the pregnant lady steps off, a small set of wheels can be seen below the car. These small wheels raise and low the front wheels of the car.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[last lines]
Marcel Marceau: [the only line heard] No!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs Pong (1972) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Let's Face the Music and Dance

Be quiet

I haven't watched very many silent films, so I really can't draw many comparisons. I watched this because of Brooks, and I was not disappointed with it. Making a "non-talky" this long after that died out was an impressive feat, whether or not you like that genre or the result. What's interesting here is what he did beyond simply doing such a piece decades after the time of their grandeur(he's hardly the only person who's ever thought of, or accomplished, something like that... the Coen brothers did, as well, though I'm not sure it was as many years), mainly in the high self-awareness evident throughout, and one specific bit that works on several levels, which I will not wreck by putting it here. The comedy is what you'd expect from Mel. A lot of silly material, some downright childish and/or sexual in nature. There are references and spoofs, as well. This may have more slapstick than the other movies helmed by the man, for obvious reasons. The physical gags and humor in general varies, and a little of it does fall flat, at times landing hard. It's the right people doing the stuff, though, Feldman(whom I don't believe I've seen before) and DeLuise, in addition to the lead himself, do great. The music fits perfectly, and sound is used extensively and to good to magnificent effect. The cameos are cool. There isn't a whole lot of plot, the focus is on getting laughs, and there are portions that could be cut without the overall feature losing much beyond jokes and running time. I can't promise this is necessarily one that stays with the viewer, and while that is a matter of taste, I would imagine that plenty of fans of the old pre-sound-recording releases remain fresh in their minds... and since there are still copies available for purchase, at least here and there, it would seem that they do still have an audience. I recommend this to fans of the director/star, and/or, to a lesser degree, the others involved in making it. Those who love the type of silver screen production that this is about I would say will be divided in opinion of it. 7/10