The Producers: Mel Brooks’ First, Last, and Best Movie

You don’t need to be a fan of Mel Brook’s first movie, “The Producers,” ¹ which debuted in 1968 to love the newly-released version of the film. Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) conspire to carry off the perfect crime-to produce the worst play ever.

After Leo Bloom, an introverted accountant, realizes while auditing Max’s records that a $2,000 “profit” had been made on the production of a play that flopped (opened and closed in the same night), he mulls to himself-within earshot of Max-that if a producer was dishonest, he could become a millionaire-by producing a flop.

His theory? Swindle contributors out of millions by selling them a percentage of ownership of the production.

The catch? If the show flops, the producer keeps whatever money is left over because, as he says, “After all, the IRS isn’t interested in a show that flops.” But, if it’s a success, the producer would go to prison, because he would never earn enough to pay off all the contributors-who would own in excess of 100% of the play.

The 1968 movie was very risky for the time. While all fans remember the song, Springtime for Hitler, World War II-let alone, Hitler, was just not the subject of comedy. In addition, the cast of the play was dated-the lead was played by Dick Shawn, an LSD-taking flower child who decided Hitler should be “groovy, baby.”

The movie wasn’t considered a musical, even though it ended with the performance of two songs-one of which is Springtime for Hitler. People who hadn’t even seen the movie were familiar, at least in reference, to the song.

When the Broadway production was produced with Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, fans of the movie were skeptical, to say the least. With all the remakes of old movies and revivals of old plays, how was this going to match against the wit and humor of Wilder and Mostel?

Would Brooks’s insane humor be lost? Everyone knows Mel Brooks is not a friend to political correctness, and is the first to make fun of politics, religion, and anything else that will cause not only a laugh, but a response of every and any kind.

When The Producers² was released to theaters in 2006, fans of the old production, of Mel Brooks, of Nathan Lane, of Matthew Broderick and, surprisingly enough, of Will Ferrell flocked to the theaters. I, for instance, saw the movie five times at the theater and bought a copy to have at home.

Instead of giving the movie a rehashed look, Mel Brooks managed to completely update the movie without losing any of the original gumption to the show. Most of the movie is sung or danced, unlike the original.

The whole movie is full of witty lyrics, and Broderick performs the role of Bloom not only as Wilder had done originally, but also with his own charm, including wide-eyed facial expressions and body language that will not only keep you rolling in the aisles, but is terribly believable.

Performed as though onstage, all references and sets on the movie lead the viewer to feel they are sitting front row at a Broadway musical. There were no bad performances in the movie. From the corny Swedish nymphet played by Uma Thurman to the CPA played by Jon Lovitz, the cast of characters were perfect.

Not being a fan of Will Ferrell, I had to admit he redeemed himself in this movie. Sure, his performance on the roof is corny, but his rendition of the Haben Sie Gehurst das Deutsche Band? was unbelievable.

Of course, the “meeting of the minds” at the Directors’ home was unbelievably funny, especially when you can relate to every single person. “May I take your hats, your coats, and your swastikas?” Priceless. The gay theme was new to this movie, but worked far better than drugs would have. It was made current, in a bizarre sort of way. Fans of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy recognized Jai Rodriguez in the conga line.

Lines such as “Hitler was a marvelous painter-he could paint an entire room in an afternoon-two coats,” and “âÂ?¦he came from a long line of ‘Kveenth’ (Queens),” both uttered by Farrell, are still quoted at our house. Not to mention that the stand-in for Hitler (in the movie) was played by a (pardon the innuendo) raging queen.

“I for one, never knew the Third Reich meant Germany,” is one of the sillier lines in the movie, but it’s just a sample of Brooks’s humor. “Roger, you have my permission to make this play as gay as you like,” is a line one expects to hear from Nathan Lane, but he’s not expected to play a straight producer.

To give away more information would ruin the plot of the movie, for those few who haven’t yet seen it.

The major dance scene, where the dancers are reflected in the mirror, was straight out of A Chorus Line, with the same showmanship and splendor. The scene in the jail cell, where Lane laments about being betrayed, is unforgettable.

Nathan Lane being straight was a stretch but, true to form, he pulled it off. The scene with the elderly ladies is wonderful, especially when you read the credits and realize that a lot of them were men. There are out takes on the DVD that show several of the ladies relieving themselves in the men’s room.

Mel Brooks even showed up for the cameo appearances he made in the original movie-that was just the icing on the cake. It is my assumption that this will be Brooks’s last movie (he’s turning 80 in June)³, and it was a delight to see that he wrote and directed the new music and dialog for the remake of his movie.

This is a movie that anyone over the age of 15 can enjoy. Fans of Brooks’s other movies will recognize some of the lines from the movie in “To Be or Not to Be.”