Achtung, Baby! - The Producers (1968)

I am the author. You are the audience. I outrank you! In my many years of working in the theatre, be it behind the scenes or on the front lines, it is not the first time I have heard someone say that, in fact I may have said it once or twice myself! Anyway, from what I have learned from the theatre is that any poorly written piece of work can be made into a spectacle made for many, even Broadway and no other person got it right for film than the undisputed champion of modern comedy, Mel Brooks with his first directed masterpiece, The Producers.

Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) is a failed, aging Broadway producer who ekes out a living romancing rich old women (Hey, when your down on your luck who wouldn't...just me then...) in exchange for money for his *wink wink* next play *wink wink.* Timid, mousy accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) visits him to try and sort out his accounts for him. Leo discovers that you could make more money from a flop than a successful production and the duo go to work looking for the the next worse thing.

After an extensive search the duo find an unproduced play worthy of their efforts: Springtime For Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden written by Franz Liebkind (Kenneth Mars). After achieving the rights of the play, Max launches into little old lady land to collect his chequeies, he hires his new "toy" Ulla (Lee Meredith), a Swedish blonde (Enough said), a eccentric gay theatre director Roger De Bris (Christoper Hewett) to direct his flop, and the part of Hilter goes to psychedelic hippie Lorenzo St. Dubois (Dick Shawn) also known as LSD.

The play goes to Broadway, and unfortunately for Max and Leo its a hit! Opening, upbeat song Springtime For Hitler doesn't do to well however LSD's hilarious performance of Hitler wins the audience over. In desperation, Max, Leo and the outraged Franz decided to blow up the theatre, however the plan backfires and the trio are caught and found "incredibly guilty." They are sent to prison, were they continue to produce Prisoners Of Love, and do the exact same scam as before.

The film is a pure comedy delight, Mel Brooks' writing style is fantastic, its witty and silly. The jokes come from both the comic writing and fantastic performances by all the cast, they all ham it up perfectly. The musical number is well choreographed and the soundtrack is great.

The Producers is now a huge Broadway hit (Really), it ran on Broadway from 2001 to 2005 and won twelve Tony Awards. The Broadway production was a musical number which Mel Brooks is trying to do with all his films now. In 2005 a remake of the theatre production was created for cinema starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick and Uma Thurman.

In season four of Larry David's Curb Your Enthusiasm, Mel Brooks asks Larry to star as Max Bailystock alongside David Schwimmer as Leo Bloom, originally meant to be Ben Stiller but you know what Larry is like! Some of the production is also shown in the final episode.

If your not a fan of the theatre, do not be put off, its nothing like watching a flop on stage. Its outright broad comedy and silliness that Mel Brooks is a master of, and everybody should enjoy.

"Hollywood Never Faced A Zanier Zero Hour!"

For the trailer - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb9-6oQz9vI