History of the World, Part I (1981)

My Review

“History of the World, Part I” is an anthology comedy film spoofing human history through a series of irreverent vignettes, covering the Stone Age, the Bible, Ancient Rome, the Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution. The fingerprints of director-screenwriter Mel Brooks (“Young Frankenstein” 1974) are definitely all over this project, which does provide lots of laughs. It also contains a generous amount of biting and bitter sarcasm that undermines the legitimate humor.

The massive cast includes Mel Brooks, Dom DeLuise, Madelyn Kahn, Harvey Korman, Cloris Leachman, Ron Carey, Gregory Hines, Pamela Stephenson, Shecky Greene, Sid Caesar, Henny Youngman, Hugh Hefner, Fritz Feld, John Hurt, Bea Arthur, Jackie Mason, Jack Carter, Jan Murray, John Hillerman, Carl Reiner, Ronny Graham, Charlie Callas, Paul Mazursky, Pat McCormick, Nigel Hawthorne, and Orson Welles as the Narrator.

The watchable “History of the World, Part I” was modestly successful at the box office for producer Mel Brooks, Brooksfilms, and 20th Century Fox. A limited television sequel called “History of the World, Part II” premiered on Disney’s Hulu streaming service in March, 2023. It contains eight episodes, and the decision has not been made if a “Part III” will be produced. The production companies involved are Brooksfilms Limited, Good At Bizness Inc., 20th Television, Searchlight Television, and The Walt Disney Company.