History of the World, Part I facts for kids
Quick facts for kids History of the World, Part I |
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Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
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| Directed by | Mel Brooks |
| Produced by | Mel Brooks |
| Written by | Mel Brooks |
| Narrated by | Orson Welles |
| Starring |
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| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | Woody Omens |
| Editing by | John C. Howard |
| Studio | Brooksfilms |
| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox |
| Release date(s) | June 12, 1981 |
| Running time | 92 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million |
| Money made | $31.7 million |
History of the World, Part I is a 1981 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Mel Brooks. Brooks also stars in the film, playing five roles: Moses, Comicus the stand-up philosopher, Tomás de Torquemada, King Louis XVI, and Jacques, le garçon de pisse. The large ensemble cast also features Sid Caesar, Shecky Greene, Gregory Hines (in his film debut), Charlie Callas; and Brooks regulars Ron Carey, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Andreas Voutsinas, and Spike Milligan.
The film also has cameo appearances by Royce D. Applegate, Bea Arthur, Nigel Hawthorne, Hugh Hefner, John Hurt, Phil Leeds, Barry Levinson, Jackie Mason, Paul Mazursky, Andrew Sachs and Henny Youngman, among others. Orson Welles narrates each story.
Despite carrying the numeration Part I, there were originally no plans for a sequel. The title is a play on The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh, which was intended to be published in several volumes but only the first was completed. However, four decades later, Hulu announced the limited series History of the World, Part II, which premiered on March 6, 2023.
Contents
Cast
- Mel Brooks – Moses, Comicus, Torquemada, Jacques and King Louis XVI
- Dom DeLuise – Emperor Nero
- Madeline Kahn – Empress Nympho
- Harvey Korman – Count de Monet
- Cloris Leachman – Madame Defarge
- Ron Carey – Swiftus
- Gregory Hines – Josephus
- Pamela Stephenson – Mademoiselle Rimbaud
- Shecky Greene – Marcus Vindictus
- Sid Caesar – Chief Caveman
- Sammy Shore – Prehistoric Man
- Mary-Margaret Humes – Miriam
- Orson Welles – Narrator
- Carl Reiner – God (uncredited)
Ancient Rome cameos
- Howard Morris – Court Spokesman
- Charlie Callas – Soothsayer
- Paul Mazursky – Roman officer
- Henny Youngman – Chemist
- Hugh Hefner – Entrepreneur
- Barry Levinson – Column Salesman
- John Myhers – Leader of Senate
- Dena Dietrich – Competence
- Fritz Feld - Maitre d'
- John Hurt – Jesus
- Art Metrano – Leonardo da Vinci
- Bea Arthur – "Vnemployment Insvrance" Clerk (uncredited)
- Ronny Graham – Oedipus
- Pat McCormick – Plumbing Salesman
French Revolution cameos
- Andreas Voutsinas – Béarnaise
- Spike Milligan – Monsieur Rimbaud
- Sydney Lassick – Applecore Vendor
- Jack Carter – Rat Vendor
- Jan Murray – Nothing Vendor
- John Hillerman – Rich Man
- Andrew Sachs – Gerard
- Fiona Richmond – Queen
- Nigel Hawthorne – Citizen Official
- Bella Emberg – Baguette
Release
Box office
The film opened in 484 theatres the same weekend as Raiders of the Lost Ark and Clash of the Titans and finished fourth for the weekend with a gross of $4.8 million, behind Raiders, Clash and Cheech and Chong's Nice Dreams. With a per-screen average of $10,000, it was Brooks's highest opening on a per-screen basis. Despite the strong start, poor word of mouth impacted its box office. Although it grossed $31.7 million, it was considered a commercial disappointment because the film had been "tracking" well and Brooks's previous films had been so successful.
Sequel series
On October 18, 2021, Hulu and Searchlight Television (the TV division of 20th Century's sister studio, Searchlight Pictures) announced that a sequel variety series, called History of the World, Part II was in the works, with production beginning in spring 2022. Mel Brooks produced and wrote the series along with Wanda Sykes, Ike Barinholtz, and Nick Kroll, who also star. It premiered on March 6, 2023.
See also
- List of films featuring fictional films
