A stylish, frantic fable and one of director Mel Brooks's earliest films, THE TWELVE CHAIRS is a madcap mystery set in revolutionary Russia. An aging ex-nobleman of the czarist regime, Count I.M. Vorobyaninov (Ron Moody), has finally adjusted to life under the commissars in Russia. But when both he and the local priest, Father Fyodor (Dom DeLuise), find out that a fortune in the count's family jewels is hidden in a chair's upholstery--the chair being one of a set of 12--they each separately return to Moscow to find the hidden fortune. Along the way, the count enlists the aid of a thief (Frank Langella) in the hilarious treasure hunt. Closer in style to THE PRODUCERS than many of Brooks' other spoofs, THE TWELVE CHAIRS is an overlooked comedy gem. DeLuise gives an uproarious performance in which he employs slapstick and physical humor liberally. There is a human side to this film, too, just as there was with Zero Mostel's character, Max Bialystock, in THE PRODUCERS, in the form of Moody's Vorobyaninov. Based on a Russian novel, THE TWELVE CHAIRS marries neurotic humor and cultural dilemmas in the same vein as
classic Woody Allen films in later years.

A once-wealthy man discovers that his late mother-in-law stashed all her family jewels inside one of the 12 chairs from her dining room set. Resentful of having to work as a clerk after being impoverished by the Russian Revolution, Vorobyaninov sets out to reclaim his family fortune and his social standing. Unfortunately, he's not the only one on the lookout for the precious gems: Both the priest who hears the mother-in-law's confession and an opportunistic adventurer want their share of the booty. What follows is a hilarious search for the dining room set, which has been sold piecemeal and scattered all over the country.

Theatrical release: October 28, 1970

The production was filmed in Dubrovnik and features panoramas of the Dalmatian coast.

Ron Moody won acclaim for his performance as Fagin in both the stage and screen versions of OLIVER!

DVD Features:

Keep Case
Widescreen
Audio:
(unspecified) - English

Mel Brooks: American Director/Writer/Producer/Comedian
Frank Langella: American Actor
Ron Moody: British Actor/Singer
Dom DeLuise: American TV/Film Actor
Robert Bernal: 
David Lander: Actor, THE TWELVE CHAIRS (1970)\'50s-'70s
Andreas Voutsinas: Greek Actor
Vlada Petric: Yuogoslav Actor\12 Chairs
Diana Coupland: Actress/"12 Chairs"

Mel Brooks: American Director/Writer/Producer/Comedian

Michael Hertzberg: Producer/Executive

John Morris: Composer
Jonathan Tunick: 

Alan Heim: American Editor