The Producers (1968)

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

This is the 1968 comedy, written by Mel Brooks and starring Zero Mostel and a very young Gene Wilder. The Broadway musical was based on the movie, and the new movie (open in New York and opening in wide release Christmas Day) is based on the musical. I have seen it countless times, and it is one of my all time favorite movies.

It's the story of a failed Broadway producer (Mostel) and a shy, nerdy accountant (Wilder) who embark upon a scheme to raise more money than is necessary to put on a show, with the goal of putting on a sure fire Broadway flop and then absconding with the money before anyone realizes the scam. The play they produce is Springtime for Hitler - the musical number must be seen for the costumes alone. In addition, the dialogue is incredibly funny, and the rapport between Mostel and Wilder was fabulous.

Rent this before seeing the musical. You won't be sorry.

[Guest mlbaseballtalk]

Easily a classic. I think it's Mel's debut as a Hollywood director/screenplay guy. Many, many, many more classics would be to come of course

Ironically it was intended to be a musical but Mel's friends all told him what he had on his hands was a major motion picture.

Also, Dustin Hoffman was orginally slated to play the author of "Springtime For Hitler" but won the role in The Graduate which starred Mel's wife Ann Bancroft

Steve

[RealityChuck]

Good movie, but not great, and not even Brooks's best. It also dates badly.

[Guest cooby]

Scarlett got me this for the holidays, so soon I'll be able to add my opinion.

[Willets Point]

RealityChuck wrote: Good movie, but not great, and not even Brooks's best. It also dates badly.

Also, bad for dates as your woman is bound to be offended by the ogling of Ulla.

[Vic Sage]

And she probably won't like you ugling Ola, either.

Whenever i make a list of my top 5 favorite movies, THE PRODUCERS invariably pops into my head. I know the script by heart. Does it "date badly"? Perhaps, but i see it as a time capsule. The laughs are still big, the performances are still towering, the blackness of the satire still cutting, and the heart still beats warmly.

Beyond the silliness, THE PRODUCERS is basically a love story about 2 damaged souls who find each other, who need each other, who launch into a doomed adventure together, and who ultimately heal each other.

This heart, of course, is what Brooks specifically excised for the Broadway musical, which i detested as a result, and i therefore have no interest in seeing the new movie adaptation.

But the original is far and away Brooks' best film, despite those who laud the also excellent YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. YF is a terrific genre spoof, but as such, it is by definition primarily about other movies. THE PRODUCERS, however, is about our flawed humanity. I also prefer THE TWELVE CHAIRS for the same reason. But those 3 films (and perhaps a 4th... the utterly absurd BLAZING SADDLES) are pretty much the extent of Brooks' greatness.

After that, it was a gradual descent into utter irrelevance. Oh sure, some people like HIGH ANXIETY, some SILENT MOVIE, some HISTORY OF THE WORLD, but these are, at best, pale imitations. I've even heard someone once say he liked SPACEBALLS... but mental illness is nothing to laugh at. After that... a freefall into cinematic oblivion.

(note: Brooks neither wrote nor directed TO BE OR NOT TO BE, and so should get little credit for its barely servicable quality)

Even so, if all he ever did was write and direct THE PRODUCERS, he'd still be credited with making one of the funniest movies ever. That he also wrote for Sid Caesar, created GET SMART and wrote and directed THE TWELVE CHAIRS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and BLAZING SADDLES, as well as being a pretty good comic actor, a fair satirical songwriter and a marvelous talkshow raconteur, puts him in the pantheon of American Comedy, along with Mark Twain, Buster Keaton, SJ Perelman, Groucho, Lenny Bruce and Richard Pryor (amongst others).

THE PRODUCERS dated? Not great?
I think not.

[MFS62]

Nice, Vic.

Do you feel the quality of Woody Allen's work has fallen over the years, too? If so, what do you consider to be his "peak"?

Later

[Guest sharpie]

Ranked (from what I've seen):

The Producers
Young Frankenstein
The 12 Chairs
Blazing Saddles
High Anxiety
Silent Movie
Robin Hood, Men in Tights (not very good but I watched it with my kids and they enjoyed it so I kind of enjoyed it vicariously)
Spaceballs
The History of the World

[Willets Point]

MFS62 wrote: Nice, Vic. Do you feel the quality of Woody Allen's work has fallen over the years, too? If so, what do you consider to be his "peak"? Later

That rustling sound is Vic Sage digging through his files to repost his Mel Brooks and Woody Allen career summaries from Metsonline.

[Guest sharpie]

This will be the third appearance of the Woody Allen thesis. I've enjoyed it wherever it is. The big question is will it be updated to encompass his most recent films?

[Guest Matt Murdock, Esq.]

i'm working on it, i'm working on it...

can't youse archivist guys just post a link?

[Willets Point]

Remember that the Film Review Forum was wiped out last spring. I wasn't archiving back in the MOFO days so you'll have to call on Bret/Sal/Doc for that.

[MFS62]

WP, you're the Squid?
I thought it was KC.

Well, did YOU get your running in today?

Later

[Willets Point]

I'm always surprised that people don't realize that Squid & I share the same IP address. It's kind of annoying the way Squid leaves the keyboard all briny.

[Guest Matt Murdock, Esq.]

i found a version of it in my own files, and i've updated it for the MATCH POINT thread.

[Guest cooby]

ScarletKnight41 wrote: The play they produce is Springtime for Hitler - the musical number must be seen for the costumes alone. .

Watching this right now, Scarlett's right, the beer and pretzel girls are cute!

Also like the little guy with the beard

[Guest ScarletKnight41]

Keep watching - the final number is also a fun one

[RealityChuck]

Ranking Brooks:

Young Frankenstein -- his one classic.

Then it drops off (all are OK, but all are flawed, except for "Silent Movie," which is just a gimmick, though a successful one):

Silent Movie
Blazing Saddles -- ending very weak
The Producers -- Zero Mostel is great, but not wild enough
The 12 Chairs -- Mildly amusing at best.
High Anxiety -- Just an excuse to show what Hitchcock movies Brooks has seen.

Then the stinkers:
Robin Hood, Men in Tights
Spaceballs

[Guest Rotblatt]

I fucking love this movie. Zero Mostrel is a genius. Gene Wilder is a genius. Mel Brooks is a genius.

My favorite moments are all Wilder ones, though--"I'm in pain! I'm in pain and I'm wet! And I'm still hysterical!" and "Who was hurt by this man? Not me. Not me." and "Fat! Fat fat fatty fat fat!"

Goddman but I love this movie. 10 stars.