| History of the World, Part I | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by John Alvin | |
| Directed by | Mel Brooks |
| Written by | Mel Brooks |
| Produced by | Mel Brooks |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Orson Welles |
| Cinematography | Woody Omens |
| Edited by | John C. Howard |
| Music by | John Morris |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | 20th Century-Fox |
Release date |
|
Running time | 92 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $10 million[2] |
| Box office | $31.7 million[3] |
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.[4] 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.[5][6] However, four decades later, Hulu announced the miniseries History of the World, Part II, which premiered on March 6, 2023.
- ^ "History of the World Part 1 (AA)". British Board of Film Classification. July 22, 1981. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
- ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. Scarecrow Press. p. 259. ISBN 9780810842441.
- ^ "History of the World, Part 1". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
- ^ Berkowitz, Joe (January 3, 2013). "How I Got My EGOT: 12 Lessons Mel Brooks Learned Making TV, Albums, Movies, and Theater". Fast Company. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ Motamayor, Rafael (January 18, 2023). "One Of History Of The World, Part I's Most Memorable Jokes Was A Last-Minute Addition From Mel Brooks". /Film. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
- ^ "The History of the World by Sir Walter Raleigh". University of Washington.