The Thirteen Chairs
Encyclopedia
The Thirteen Chairs is a comedy film
released in 1969. It was based on The Twelve Chairs
, a 1928 satirical
novel
by the Soviet
authors Ilf and Petrov
. It was directed by Nicolas Gessner
and Luciano Lucignani, and starred Sharon Tate
(her last film before her murder), Vittorio Gassman
, Orson Welles
, Vittorio De Sica
and Tim Brooke-Taylor
. Most of it was filmed in Italy
.
Mario rushes to England, and learns that his inheritance consists of thirteen antique chairs. He sells them in order to cover his transportation costs, but soon learns from his aunt's last message, that inside one of the chairs is a fortune in jewels.
He tries to buy back the chairs but is unsuccessful in doing so. With the help of a lovely antique dealer living in London named Pat (Sharon Tate), the two then set out on a bizarre quest to track down the chairs that takes them from London to Rome. Along the way, they meet a bunch of equally bizarre characters such as a driver of a furniture moving van named Albert (Terry-Thomas
), a prostitute named Judy (Mylène Demongeot
), the leader of a traveling theater company that stages a poor version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Orson Welles
), the Italian entrepreneur Carlo Di Seta (Vittorio De Sica
), and his vivacious daughter Stefanella (Ottavia Piccolo
).
The bizarre chase ends in Rome, where the chair containing the money finds its way into a truck, and is collected by nuns who auction it off to charity. With nothing much left to do as a result of the failure in his quest, Mario travels back to New York City by ship, as Pat sees him off and waves goodbye to him.
The film ends with Mario returning to New York City, and to his Barber Shop. His friends over at the other (and more lavish) shop join him, as do two construction workers, and his last customer Randomhouse (Lionel Jeffries
). It is there that Mario makes a strange discovery: Shortly before his departure for Europe, he invented a way to make hair regrow miraculously. He then laughs evilly over his discovery.
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
released in 1969. It was based on The Twelve Chairs
The Twelve Chairs
The Twelve Chairs is a classic satirical novel by the Soviet authors Ilf and Petrov, released in 1928. Its main character Ostap Bender reappears in the book's sequel The Little Golden Calf.-Plot:...
, a 1928 satirical
Satire
Satire is primarily a literary genre or form, although in practice it can also be found in the graphic and performing arts. In satire, vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming individuals, and society itself, into improvement...
novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by the Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
authors Ilf and Petrov
Ilf and Petrov
Ilya Ilf Ilya Ilf Ilya Ilf (Ilya Arnoldovich Faynzilberg and Evgeny or Yevgeni Petrov (Yevgeniy Petrovich Kataev or Katayev were two Soviet prose authors of the 1920s and 1930s...
. It was directed by Nicolas Gessner
Nicolas Gessner
Nicolas Gessner is a Hungarian-born film maker who mostly worked in France.His movies are often characterized by strange, quirky atmospheres and unusual cast mixing French and international actors...
and Luciano Lucignani, and starred Sharon Tate
Sharon Tate
Sharon Marie Tate was an American actress. During the 1960s she played small television roles before appearing in several films. After receiving positive reviews for her comedic performances, she was hailed as one of Hollywood's promising newcomers and was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for...
(her last film before her murder), Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman
Vittorio Gassman Knight Grand Cross OMRI , popularly known as Il Mattatore, was an Italian theatre and film actor and director...
, Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
, Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
and Tim Brooke-Taylor
Tim Brooke-Taylor
Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE is an English comic actor. He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at Cambridge University, and became President of the Footlights club, touring internationally with the Footlights revue in 1964...
. Most of it was filmed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
Synopsis
Mario Beretti (Vittorio Gassman) is an Italian-American and a young philanderer, who has migrated to New York City. He is also a Barber. He runs a Barber Shop by a construction site that boasts few customers. His life reaches a turning point when he is notified of the death of his aunt living in England, who named him her sole heir.Mario rushes to England, and learns that his inheritance consists of thirteen antique chairs. He sells them in order to cover his transportation costs, but soon learns from his aunt's last message, that inside one of the chairs is a fortune in jewels.
He tries to buy back the chairs but is unsuccessful in doing so. With the help of a lovely antique dealer living in London named Pat (Sharon Tate), the two then set out on a bizarre quest to track down the chairs that takes them from London to Rome. Along the way, they meet a bunch of equally bizarre characters such as a driver of a furniture moving van named Albert (Terry-Thomas
Terry-Thomas
Thomas Terry Hoar Stevens was a distinctive English comic actor, known as Terry-Thomas. He was famous for his portrayal of disreputable members of the upper classes, especially cads and toffs, with the trademark gap in his front teeth, cigarette holder, smoking jacket, and catch-phrases such as...
), a prostitute named Judy (Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot
Mylène Demongeot is a French actress, who has appeared in 72 films since 1953. She was born Marie-Hélène Demongeot in Nice, Southern France....
), the leader of a traveling theater company that stages a poor version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Orson Welles
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles , best known as Orson Welles, was an American film director, actor, theatre director, screenwriter, and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television and radio...
), the Italian entrepreneur Carlo Di Seta (Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
), and his vivacious daughter Stefanella (Ottavia Piccolo
Ottavia Piccolo
Ottavia Piccolo is an Italian theatre and film actress. She has appeared in 45 films since 1962. She won the award for Best Actress at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival for the film Metello.-Selected filmography:* The Leopard...
).
The bizarre chase ends in Rome, where the chair containing the money finds its way into a truck, and is collected by nuns who auction it off to charity. With nothing much left to do as a result of the failure in his quest, Mario travels back to New York City by ship, as Pat sees him off and waves goodbye to him.
The film ends with Mario returning to New York City, and to his Barber Shop. His friends over at the other (and more lavish) shop join him, as do two construction workers, and his last customer Randomhouse (Lionel Jeffries
Lionel Jeffries
Lionel Charles Jeffries was an English actor, screenwriter and film director.-Early life and career:Jeffries attended the Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wimborne Minster, Dorset. In 1945, he received a commission in the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry...
). It is there that Mario makes a strange discovery: Shortly before his departure for Europe, he invented a way to make hair regrow miraculously. He then laughs evilly over his discovery.
Production and release
- Filmed from February–April 1969. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065361/business
- Because the script for Sharon Tate's scenes called for several semi-nude scenes, the director arranged to film those scenes first. As filming (and her pregnancy) progressed, the director obscured Tate's stomach with large purses and scarves. This is most apparent in the scene following her ride in the furniture mover's van.
- In response to her recent murder, Sharon Tate received top billing for this film (this film was released posthumously). In addition, several of her other films (including Valley of the DollsValley of the DollsValley of the Dolls is a novel by American writer Jacqueline Susann, published in 1966. The "dolls" within the title is a slang term for downers, barbiturates used as sleep aids....
) were reissued to give her top billing on the theater marquees. - This film is extremely hard to find on VHS. It was released through rental only by Force Video in 1986 under the Thirteen Chairs name, and again a year later by Continental Video, under the original 12 + 1 name. On March 12, 2008, the film was released on DVD in Italy by 01 Distribution. This version is in Italian, lacks English subtitles, and doesn't include an English audio track.
Cast
- Sharon Tate as Pat
- Vittorio Gassman as Mario Beretti
- Orson Welles as Maurice Markau
- Vittorio De Sica as Carlo Di Seta - The Commendatore
- Terry-Thomas as Albert
- Mylène Demongeot as Judy
- Grégoire Aslan as Psychiatrist
- Tim Brooke-Taylor as Jackie
- John Steiner as Stanley Duncan
- William Rushton as Lionel Bennett
- Michele Borelli as Rosy
- Lionel Jeffries as Randomhouse
- Ottavia Piccolo as Stefanella Di Seta
- Catana Cayetano as Véronique
- Claude Berthy as François
- Marzio Margine as Pasqualino
- Alfred Thomas as Mbama
- Antonio Altoviti as Mr. Greenwood
Uncredited
- Marc Fiorini as Maurizio Fiorini
- Edda Albertini
- Luigi Bonos
- Alfredo Colzi
- Sandro Dori
- Tom Felleghy
- Piero Gerlini
- Fiona Lewis as 'Angel Antiques' Salesperson
- Joe Martinelli
- Corrado Olmi
- Mirella Pamphili
- Mimmo Poli