"Seinfeld"
The Robbery (1990)

Director:

Tom Cherones

Writers:

Larry David (creator) &
Jerry Seinfeld (creator) ...
(more)

TV Series:

"Seinfeld" (1990)

Original Air Date:

7 June 1990 (Season 1, Episode 3)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

After Jerry's apartment is robbed, Jerry starts to look for other apartments. But Jerry and George both want the same apartment, and Elaine wants the apartment of whomever loses out. |

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Neurotic | Actor Shares Last Name With Character | Neighbor | Stand Up Comedian

Cast

Jerry Seinfeld	...	Jerry Seinfeld
Julia Louis-Dreyfus	...	Elaine Benes
Michael Richards	...	Cosmo Kramer
Jason Alexander	...	George Costanza
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
David Blackwood	...	Man #1
James F. Dean	...	Larry
Bradford English	...	Cop
Kimberley Kates	...	Diane
Scott Shaw	...	Shop Lifter
George C. Simms	...	Man

Directed by
Tom Cherones

Writing credits
Larry David		(creator) &
Jerry Seinfeld		(creator)
Matt Goldman		writer

Produced by
Fred Barron	....	executive producer
Tom Cherones	....	producer
Larry David	....	producer
Tim Kaiser	....	associate producer
George Shapiro	....	executive producer
Howard West	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jonathan Wolff

Cinematography by
Robert Berry

Film Editing by
Robert Souders

Casting by
Meg Liberman

Production Design by
David Sackeroff

Set Decoration by
Tom Talbert

Costume Design by
Jane Ruhm

Makeup Department
Frankie Bergman	....	hair stylist
Lona Jeffers	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Jeffrey Stott	....	executive in charge of production

Art Department
Stan Ascough	....	property master

Sound Department
Ross Davis	....	post-production sound
Rick Himot	....	post-production sound
Steve Kibbons	....	production sound mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas L. Adam Jr.	....	assistant camera
Terry Harkin	....	camera operator
Ron Miller	....	gaffer
John Oteri	....	camera operator
Harold Rabuse	....	key grip
D. Owen Trainor	....	camera operator

Editorial Department
Tom Sartori	....	colorist

Other crew
Larry Charles	....	executive story editor
Dan Fendel	....	technical coordinator
Matt Goldman	....	program consultant
Suzy Mamann-Greenberg	....	production auditor
Marijane Miller	....	production coordinator
Jerry Seinfeld	....	story supervisor
Peter Tolle	....	assistant auditor
Coby Turner	....	script supervisor

Directed by
Tom Cherones		(episode 4.24 "Pilot, Part 2, The")

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Larry David		creator
Jerry Seinfeld		creator

Produced by
Sam Henry Kass	....	producer (1994-1996)
Jeffrey Stott	....	executive producer in charge of production

Film Editing by
Eric Lea
Peter Chakos		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Laura Richarz

Makeup Department
Dulcie Smith	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Howard Bolter	....	production supervisor
Randy Carter	....	unit production manager (1996-1998)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bruce Chevillat	....	first assistant director
Ron Dempsey	....	second second assistant director
Thomas A. Keith	....	second second assistant director
Stephen Messer	....	second assistant director
David Spitzer	....	assistant director

Art Department
George Capetanos	....	prop assistant
Glenn Forbes	....	set dresser
Drew Williams	....	leadman

Sound Department
Ken Kobett	....	sound re-recording mixer
George Nemzer	....	sound editor
Otis Van Osten	....	sound editor
James D. Young	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Ken Speed	....	special effects

Stunts
Brian Joseph Moore	....	stunt double: Jason Alexander
Michael J. Sarna	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Dana Baker	....	dolly grip
Kent Baker	....	grip
James F. Cornick	....	best boy
Michael Fastoso	....	grip
George La Fountaine Jr.	....	first assistant camera (1992-1995)
Wren Maloney	....	still photographer
Michael R. Marquette	....	first assistant camera
Michael Yarish	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Marc Hirschfeld	....	casting executive
Meg Liberman	....	casting executive
Lisa Ystrom	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Marie H. Burk	....	costume supervisor
Linda S. Cormany	....	key costumer
Elaine Down	....	set costume
Stephanie Kennedy	....	key costumer (1993-1998)
Gilda Texter	....	costumer (first 13 episodes)

Transportation Department
Robert J. Young	....	driver (1990)

Other crew
Vicki Beck	....	production coordinator
Andy Cowan	....	program consultant
Jeff Crandell	....	location manager
Ray DeVally Jr.	....	technical coordinator
George Doty IV	....	script coordinator (1996-1998)
Kim Giancaterino	....	electronic graphic artist (as Kimberley Gunn)
Kim Giancaterino	....	title designer: end credits (as Kimberley Gunn)
Jane E. Graves	....	assistant location manager
Marjorie Gross	....	creative consultant
Sam Henry Kass	....	executive consultant (as Sam Kass)
Judy Kerr	....	dialogue coach
Towanna King	....	stand-in
David Lanphier Jr.	....	location scout: New York
Matt Liston	....	on-set assistant
Scott Mislan	....	production assistant
Lesley Robins	....	production assistant (1997-1998)
Shane Stanley	....	production assistant
Fred Stoller	....	program consultant

Country:

USA

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:PG

Quotes:

Elaine: Jerry, come on, you're doing okay now. You should at least take a look at this place. You shouldn't have to live like this.
Jerry: Like this? You just said you wanted to live here!
Elaine: Well, for me it's a step up. It's like moving from Iceland to Finland.

Movie Connections:

References "The Bold and the Beautiful" (1987)

Brilliant, just brilliant!

Not that many people would think of making a stand-up routine about giving someone the finger, right? Well, Jerry Seinfeld does so in this episode's opening sequence, explaining how said gesture is ultimately pointless (giving the toe would be much bolder, in his opinion) and thus inducing the first of several laughs that will come over the course of 23 minutes.

This is the one where Kramer's idiocy fully manifests itself: having been asked to watch Jerry's apartment, he accidentally leaves the door open, allowing thieves to get in and steal the TV. The reactions to the event are among the best ever conceived for a comedy show: Jerry entering the apartment and turning on the television only to realize it's gone is funny; Kramer explaining what happened (he was distracted by The Bold and the Beautiful) is funnier; Jerry describing his hyper-safe lock and its only defect ("The door... must be CLOSED!") is genius; the final assertion about everyone's favorite goof-ball ("I'm human" "In your way") is a masterclass in sardonic humor.

But it's not just about Kramer: as usual, George and Elaine get their moment in the spotlight, especially in the second half of the episode, where the former competes with Jerry over getting a new apartment (cue a discussion about coin-flipping) and the latter decides to take the one of whomever loses (the scene where she refers to Jerry's place as "moving from Iceland to Finland" is the best Elaine moment of Season 1). This section also shows the first real glimpse of the series' ground-breaking "no hugging, no learning" mantra: no matter what happens, the characters always end each episode as shamelessly selfish and shallow as they were at the start, even when they come close to disrupting their friendship. This is confirmed by the perfectly timed, instantly memorable closing line, the delivery of which only constitutes further proof of how audacious Seinfeld was and still is.