The Producers (1968)

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writer:

Mel Brooks (written by)

Release Date:

10 November 1968 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

Hollywood Never Faced a Zanier Zero Hour!

Plot:

Producers Max Bialystock (Mostel) and Leo Bloom (Wilder) make money by producing a sure-fire flop.

Plot Keywords:

Hitler | Theatrical Producer | Accountant | Empire State Building New York City | Hot Dog Stand

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Zero Mostel	...	Max Bialystock (as Zero)
Gene Wilder	...	Leo Bloom
Dick Shawn	...	'L.S.D.' - Lorenzo St. DuBois
Kenneth Mars	...	Franz Liebkind
Lee Meredith	...	Ulla
Christopher Hewett	...	Roger De Bris
Andréas Voutsinas	...	Carmen Ghia (as Andreas Voutsinas)
Estelle Winwood	...	'Hold Me Touch Me'
Renée Taylor	...	Eva Braun (as Renee Taylor)
David Patch	...	Goebbels
William Hickey	...	The Drunk (as Bill Hickey)
Barney Martin	...	Göring
Shimen Ruskin	...	The Landlord
Frank Campanella	...	The Bartender
Josip Elic	...	Violinist

Also Known As:

Springtime for Hitler (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Colour:

Colour (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Finland:K-12 | South Korea:15 | West Germany:12 (nf) | Brazil:16 | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Australia:G (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Canada:14A | France:U | Ireland:G | New Zealand:PG | Norway:12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Broadway Theatre - 1681 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Crossbow Productions

Trivia:

The name "Bialystock" is taken from a Polish city "Bialystok" from which Mel Brooks's ancestors come. The city was major Jewish center in Eastern Europe until the Holocaust.

Goofs:

Continuity: After Max throws water into Leo's face, his shirt is wet. Then it becomes dry, wet and dry again.

Quotes:

Franz Liebkind: Not many people know it, but the Fuhrer was a terrific dancer.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 50 Greatest Comedy Films (2006) (TV)

Soundtrack:

WE'RE PRISONERS OF LOVE

"Hitler could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon, two coats!"

Peter Sellers considered The Producers to be the ultimate film, and he may very well have a point. Mel Brooks's dazzling debut is a classic piece of spiralling insanity that just gets funnier and funnier every time you watch it - there's just so much to enjoy! Much of the non-verbal humour revolves around Zero Mostel - watch in amazement as this great comic genius effortlessly twists his features into configurations you never even knew existed! Gene Wilder is a perfect match for Mostel's booming delivery, turning in a beautifully underplayed study of meek neurosis that makes his occasional lapses into hysteria all the more funny and surprising, in particular his "blue blanket" tantrum. If Mostel is larger than life, then Kenneth Mars as the Hitler-fixated author of "the worst play ever written" is uglier still, a breathtaking depiction of eye-rolling Nazi lunacy complete with tin helmet and the craziest accent this side of FAWLTY TOWERS! Then, just when you think it can't get any more outrageous, that underused and underrated actor Dick Shawn turns up as a spaced-out flower child called (wait for it) LSD and practically steals the film. If you've never seen THE PRODUCERS, do yourself one huge favour and buy a copy today. Then prepare to watch it again and again, laughing louder and louder every time. Altogether now - "Don't be stupid, be a smartie, come and join the Nazi party"!