IMDb RATING
6.4/10
7.2K
YOUR RATING
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.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.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.
- Awards
- 1 win & 1 nomination
Andréas Voutsinas
- Nikolai Sestrin
- (as Andreas Voutsinas)
Mladen 'Mladja' Veselinovic
- Peasant
- (as Mladja Veselinovic)
Petar Banicevic
- Sergeant
- (uncredited)
Dejan Cavic
- Orator
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaMel Brooks had problems with Yugoslavian extras who didn't speak English. In one scene, extras playing museum guards were supposed to walk through a museum, ringing hand bells and shouting, "Closing time! Closing time!" Instead, the extras misunderstood and shouted, "Cloakie Bye! Cloakie Bye!" Brooks decided "Cloakie Bye" was funnier, so he left it in the movie.
- GoofsIn the bureau of housing Ostap Bender, disguised as a soviet official, is writing with his left hand. However in the Soviet union, especially in the time the movie is set, left hand writing was not tolerated by the state and would be hardly accepted in public, as Bender is writing not only hidden behind the shelfs but was also about to write in front of Father Fyodor. Left hand writing was accepted in USSR only in 1985-1986.
- Quotes
Ostap Bender: [after yet another failure] Remember the famous Russian proverb: "The hungrier you get, the tastier the meal." On the other hand, the French have a proverb: merde!
- Crazy creditsIn the opening credits the title of the movie is showed in Russian first (even with a typographic error 'Dvenadzat' stchlyev'), then it changes into the english title. The same happened at the end of the credits with the words "The end" (Konez), first cames the Russian word, than the english translation.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sneak Previews: Take 2: Who's Funnier: Mel Brooks or Woody Allen? (1980)
- SoundtracksHope for the Best, Expect the Worst
Music by Johannes Brahms ("Hungarian Dance No. 4 in F# minor") and lyrics by Mel Brooks
Featured review
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!
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!
helpful•185
- Mister-6
- Sep 13, 1999
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Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $1,806,258
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