When Mel Brooks accidentally insulted a Yugoslavian film crew by throwing a chair
In short: While filming his 1970 comedy The Twelve Chairs in Yugoslavia, director Mel Brooks grew frustrated and tossed his director's chair into the Adriatic Sea. He soon learned that in a communist country, everything belonged to the people—including his seat—nearly triggering a strike among his confused and offended crew.
The Twelve Chairs, a 1970 adaptation of the 1928 Soviet novel by Ilf and Petrov, follows an impoverished aristocrat and a con-artist searching for family jewels hidden inside one of twelve dining chairs. Mel Brooks, who directed and wrote the film, was introduced to the source material by Julius Green, a member of a gourmet society Brooks frequented in Manhattan. Although Brooks initially doubted the book’s cinematic potential, he eventually committed to the project, even writing the opening song himself after encouragement from his wife, Anne Bancroft.
Casting proved complex, as Brooks’s initial choices—including Alastair Sim, Albert Finney, and Peter Sellers—were unavailable. Gene Wilder declined the role of the aristocrat, Vorobyaninov, suggesting the part required someone who looked like they had 'seen life.' Frank Langella, cast as the con-artist Bender, eventually helped identify Ron Moody for the lead role after seeing him in the musical Oliver!. Dom DeLuise was cast as the greedy Father Fyodor following a four-and-a-half-hour meeting with Brooks.
Production took place in Yugoslavia from August to November 1969. The shoot was marked by both logistical hurdles and creative intensity. Brooks, who did not speak the local language, faced friction with his crew until he apologized for his outburst regarding the 'people's chair.' Despite such tensions, the production was a bonding experience for the director, who felt a deep connection to his Russian Jewish roots while working in the region.
The film received mixed but generally positive reviews, with critics like Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel praising Brooks’s control over comedic techniques. While the original novel ends with the protagonist murdering his partner, Brooks intentionally altered the conclusion to emphasize a human bond between the two leads. Brooks remains proud of the work, ranking it alongside his most significant films, even if it remains less widely seen than his other classics.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Twelve Chairs (1970 film)
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