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History of the World: Part I

Play trailer Poster for History of the World: Part I R 1981 1h 33m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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62% Tomatometer 37 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Human history is traced through a series of vignettes, beginning with cavemen awestruck by their own magnificence. Then Moses (Mel Brooks) receives the tablets containing the "15" commandments, and Emperor Nero (Dom DeLuise) presides over a madcap Rome with his wife, Nympho (Madeline Kahn). Jumping ahead, the Spanish Inquisition softens repression with song and dance, and a few centuries later Madame Defarge (Cloris Leachman) is fomenting revolution in France.
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History of the World: Part I

History of the World: Part I

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Critics Consensus

History of the World: Part I may not have enough comedic inspiration to merit a Part II, but the sporadic cleverness of these anachronistic skits are still a testament to Mel Brooks' gift for farce.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker 09/12/2023
It’s Brooks’s audacity -- his treating cruelty and pain as a crazy joke, and doing it in a low-comedy context -- that gives History the kick that was missing from his last few films. Go to Full Review Matthew Rozsa Salon.com 06/14/2021
4/4
"History of the World, Part 1" is one of the all-time great spoof comedies. Its genius can be seen right there in its title. Go to Full Review David Denby New York Magazine/Vulture 12/31/2019
What [Brooks] takes to be the glorious folk humor that modern people have repressed looks to many of us like the tired jokes that were yawned off the burlesque stage 50 years ago. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Mar 19
3/5
1981 ‘…there’s enough smart and occasionally profound moments to make this worth a revival…’ Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 07/20/2024
5/10
As with many of the writer/director/producer’s works, not every gag lands (a couple actually fall quite flat), with a few portions meandering a touch, but several definitely stand out, sure to endure. Go to Full Review JoAnn Rhetts Charlotte Observer 05/03/2023
History of the World: Part I is Mel Brooks at his most appealing since The Producers and Young Frankenstein... This is just the sort of harmless, frequently hilarious summer movie that will appeal to adolescents of all ages. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cem Okan Y @cmyldz23 Apr 29 Funny and iconic but sometimes trying too hard. See more Jacob B @JB3.0 Apr 6 One of Mel Brooks' more hit-or-miss films, History of the World: Part I's jokes don't always stick the landing and the short runtime is sadly felt here (when they reached the end, I thought, "wait, already?") but when the comedy cooks, it really cooks. There are still quite a bit of stuff worthy of the adjective "memorable": the gags, the scenes (look out for a musical number that has Brooks grant Americans their own Spanish Inquisition meme. Take that, Monty Python!), the quotes and the characters, with an uncredited Bea Arthur standing out with regards to those last two. It might be a bit unfocused but this is still, as is the case with most Mel Brooks flicks, worth a watch at the end of the day, even I it doesn't reach the same heights as Blazing Saddles or even his later film, and probably the closest to that "Jews in Space" faux-preview being given a feature-length expansion, Spaceballs. See more Renaissance M @RenaissanceMan Mar 10 This one is a worthy, wild romp through history. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 8 Funny in 1 hour and 31 minutes. See more A Z @KPYRggeMqz Mar 7 The humor hasn't aged well. It's like one hammed up gag to the next. See more Trav N @I_hate_corporations Mar 6 I am not a bot. This is not a review bomb. History of the world I is genuinely funny. Its got a ton of great actors and great writing. I don't love singing and dancing but they kept that to a minimum. The Rome story is better than the Paris story but both are good. I wish it had more love from the critics. I guess they were expecting another Frankenstein and just couldn't enjoy this on its own merits. I will agree Brooks starting going downhill after this. See more Read all reviews
History of the World: Part I

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Cast & Crew

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Mel Brooks

Director

Mel Brooks

Moses

Dom DeLuise

Emperor Nero

Madeline Kahn

Empress Nympho

Harvey Korman

Count de Monet

Cloris Leachman

Madame Defarge

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History of the World: Part I

History of the World: Part I (1981) History of the World: Part I (1981) History of the World: Part I (1981) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Human history is traced through a series of vignettes, beginning with cavemen awestruck by their own magnificence. Then Moses (Mel Brooks) receives the tablets containing the "15" commandments, and Emperor Nero (Dom DeLuise) presides over a madcap Rome with his wife, Nympho (Madeline Kahn). Jumping ahead, the Spanish Inquisition softens repression with song and dance, and a few centuries later Madame Defarge (Cloris Leachman) is fomenting revolution in France.
Director
Mel Brooks
Producer
Mel Brooks
Screenwriter
Mel Brooks
Production Co
Brooksfilms
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 12, 1981, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 24, 2020
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Digital 2.39:1