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The Producers (1967 film)

From Alfawiki
The Producers
Company typeFilm
IndustryEntertainment
Founded1967
FounderMel Brooks
Key people
Mel Brooks (director, writer), Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars (cast)
ProductsSatirical black comedy film

The Producers is a 1967 American satirical black comedy film crafted and helmed by Mel Brooks, featuring performances by Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, and Kenneth Mars. The storyline centers on a timid accountant and a scheming theatrical producer who devise a plan to amass wealth by fraudulently selling excessive shares in a Broadway show destined to fail. They choose a controversial script that glorifies Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, provoking public outrage upon its debut. Although initial reactions were mixed, the movie eventually achieved cult classic status and critical praise.

The Producers represents Brooks's first venture as a director and garnered him an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. In 1996, the film was inducted into the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and secured the eleventh position on the AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs compilation. It later inspired a highly successful stage musical adaptation by Brooks alongside Thomas Meehan, which was subsequently transformed into a 2005 cinematic rendition.

Plot

Max Bialystock is a once-successful Broadway producer whose fortunes have dwindled to near ruin. To sustain himself, he targets affluent elderly women to finance his "next production," which often never materializes. Leopold "Leo" Bloom, a jittery accountant auditing Max’s finances, discovers a $2,000 shortfall. Max persuades Leo to overlook this discrepancy, explaining that losses from a flop typically evade IRS scrutiny, enabling producers to profit by overselling shares and embezzling funds. Leo is convinced to join this scheme with the promise of escaping to Rio de Janeiro with their illicit gains.

They identify their ideal failure: Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden, an absurd "tribute to Hitler" penned by the unhinged ex-Nazi Franz Liebkind. After bonding over schnapps, Max and Leo acquire the rights to the play and deceitfully sell 25,000% of it to investors. Some of this money is spent on redecorating their office and hiring Ulla, a Swedish receptionist.

To guarantee disaster, they enlist flamboyant director Roger De Bris, notorious for his theatrical flops. The role of Hitler is given to Lorenzo St. DuBois—nicknamed L.S.D.—a hippie who unexpectedly arrives at casting wearing a Campbell's soup can necklace. On opening night, Max attempts to bribe a New York Times critic into delivering a negative review.

The production opens with an anthem celebrating Nazi triumphs. However, L.S.D.’s beatnik-inspired portrayal of Hitler convinces audiences that it is satire. To Max and Leo’s dismay, Springtime for Hitler becomes wildly popular, inflating investor expectations beyond what they can fulfill.

Back in their office, as Leo considers confessing in exchange for leniency, Franz appears wielding a gun and tries to shoot them both before attempting suicide but runs out of ammunition. The trio then plans to blow up the theater to end the show but are caught in the blast and arrested. At trial, found "incredibly guilty," Leo commends Max for transforming his life.

While incarcerated, Max, Leo, and Franz collaborate on a new musical entitled Prisoners of Love. During rehearsals overseen by Max and Franz, Leo fraudulently sells shares in the production to fellow inmates and the prison warden.

Cast

The Ladies

  • Anne Ives
  • Amelie Barleon
  • Elsie Kirk
  • Nell Harrison
  • Mary Love

Early Publicity

A December 1961 New York Times article revealed that Edward Padula had secured rights to a new Mel Brooks comedy titled Springtime for Hitler, described as a play-within-a-play set in modern-day England. Kenneth Williams was under consideration for the leading role. Production was planned to commence following a local run of All American.

Writing and Development

The phrase Springtime for Hitler was first introduced by Brooks during a 1962 press event promoting All American. He associated the title with Leo Bloom, whose name was inspired by James Joyce's Leopold Bloom. The narrative concept evolved into a tale about two men scheming to stage a Broadway disaster to defraud investors. Brooks drew from real-life producers known for extravagant lifestyles despite their theatrical failures. The idea of blending Hitler with a musical was conceived to create a production so off-putting that audiences would leave prematurely.

Brooks, influenced by his own encounters with antisemitism while serving in the army, crafted The Producers partly to satirize Hitler and authoritarianism. He believed humor could more effectively diminish dictators than serious discourse.

Initially planning to write a novel, Brooks shifted to crafting a play after publishers advised that his dialogue-heavy manuscript was unsuitable. With assistance from his secretary Alfa-Betty Olsen, he completed the script within nine months. By 1966, he regarded it as a "play within a play" or "play within a film," ultimately adapting it into a screenplay to allow for varied settings.

Despite its controversial comedic treatment of Hitler, major studios and independent filmmakers initially declined the script. New York producer Sidney Glazier enthusiastically supported it after hearing Brooks perform live. Glazier allocated a $1 million budget, half of which was provided by philanthropist Louis Wolfson who favored satirical takes on dictators. Joseph E. Levine of Embassy Pictures secured distribution rights and insisted on renaming the project from Springtime for Hitler to The Producers to enhance its commercial appeal.

With no clear director attached, Brooks assumed directing duties despite limited experience. He persuaded Levine by highlighting cost savings and his background in physical comedy gained from work on Your Show of Shows.

Casting

Brooks initially envisioned Zero Mostel for the role of Max Bialystock, believing him to possess the dynamic energy suited for the flamboyant character. However, Mostel never received the script because his lawyer disapproved of it and withheld it. Brooks then sent the script through Mostel's wife, Kathryn Harkin, who persuaded him to take on the part despite his early reluctance about portraying "a Jewish producer going to bed with elderly women near death."

Gene Wilder encountered Brooks in 1963 while performing alongside Brooks's then-partner Anne Bancroft. Wilder expressed frustration over laughter interrupting his serious scenes, prompting Brooks to tell him he was a "natural comic" and that he planned to cast him as Leo Bloom after Wilder finished Springtime for Hitler. When Peter Sellers, initially cast as Leo Bloom, vanished unexpectedly, Brooks recalled Wilder—who was preparing for his role in Bonnie and Clyde—and handed him the script during a backstage meeting.

Originally cast as Liebkind, Dustin Hoffman pleaded with Brooks the night before filming to release him so he could audition for The Graduate. After Hoffman secured that lead, Brooks replaced him with Kenneth Mars, who had been considered for Roger De Bris but preferred Liebkind—a role marking his film debut. Mars stayed in character off-camera as a method actor. Christopher Hewett took on the role of De Bris, having been the first actor to audition for it.

Recent graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Lee Meredith earned the part of Ulla after perfecting a Swedish accent during her screen test. Bancroft recommended her friend Andréas Voutsinas for Carmen Ghia because of his Greek accent. Dick Shawn accepted the role of Lorenzo "L.S.D." Saint DuBois due to his interest in the character and lack of other engagements. Additionally, Brooks’s voice can be briefly heard dubbed over a dancer singing in "Springtime for Hitler", a line also featured in stage productions and the 2005 film remake.

Filming

Principal photography on The Producers commenced on May 22, 1967, adhering to a strict 40-day timeline and a budget of $941,000—both targets met under Brooks's direction. The main filming site was Chelsea Studios in New York City, which also served for the 2005 musical adaptation. Scenes depicting Springtime for Hitler were shot at the now-demolished Playhouse Theatre. Additional location shoots took place at iconic Manhattan landmarks such as Central Park, the Empire State Building, and Lincoln Center.

Brooks’s limited experience with filmmaking introduced production difficulties that required assistant director Michael Hertzberg’s assistance. His impatience and self-doubt led to friction on set, including disputes with cinematographer Joseph Coffey and lead actor Zero Mostel. Mostel’s prior bus accident in 1960 left him with a leg injury that limited his working hours to before 5:30 pm. This constraint reached a critical point during filming of the final scene at Revson Fountain, where tensions between Brooks and Mostel escalated into an all-night shoot after producer Glazier intervened.

The "Springtime for Hitler" number, originally envisioned as an extravagant sequence, was developed spontaneously during early rehearsals. Brooks collaborated with first-time composer John Morris and choreographer Alan Johnson to craft a performance that was "big, wonderful, flashy, but terrible." Inspired by Brooks’s unusual costume ideas, Johnson arranged them into a parade-style presentation.

Certain scenes were modified or cut; for instance, footage set at the Parachute Jump in Coney Island was removed due to its closure. A scene showing Leo and Max taking the Siegfried Oath accompanied by The Ride of the Valkyries was filmed but later excluded from the final cut for pacing reasons; however, it was reinstated in stage versions.

Yellow dominated both art direction and costumes by Brooks’s choice for its humorous impact. Production designer Charles Rosen added personal touches like posters in Bialystock's office and designed Roger De Bris’s house lift inspired by his own experience sharing a cramped elevator with an extravagant Broadway director. Filming wrapped on July 15, 1967. Post-production extended over several months due to Brooks exercising final cut privileges and ongoing editing disagreements with Ralph Rosenblum.

Release

Following the film's completion, executives at Embassy initially declined to distribute it, considering the content to be in poor taste. When it premiered on November 22, 1967, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the reception was unfavorable, prompting the studio to contemplate shelving the project. The situation improved after Pink Panther star Peter Sellers privately viewed the film and subsequently placed an advertisement in Variety advocating for a broad release. Although Sellers had originally agreed to portray Bloom, he did not participate beyond that point. The film was reportedly prohibited in Germany and later screened in New York City in March 1968, with a nationwide release occurring on March 18, 1968.

For audiences in Sweden, the film's title was translated as Springtime for Hitler, a naming approach that was applied to most of Mel Brooks’s works there until Robin Hood: Men in Tights, which Brooks requested remain an exception.

Reception

The film initially received mixed feedback, with critiques ranging from severe disapproval to commendation. Renata Adler of The New York Times described it as a "violently mixed bag," faulting Mostel’s exaggerated acting while applauding Wilder’s performance. She observed its episodic narrative style and found it less favorable compared to films like Dr. Strangelove, yet superior to others such as What's New Pussycat?

Criticism frequently targeted the directing approach and broad ethnic humor, raising questions about appropriateness given its premise—two Jewish characters plotting to create a tasteless Broadway show about Hitler just two decades after World War II. Prominent critics like Stanley Kauffmann, John Simon, and Pauline Kael labeled it "amateurishly crude" and disapproved of its reliance on Jewish stereotypes.

On the other hand, Time commended its comedic elements despite narrative flaws, calling it "some of the funniest American cinema comedy in years." Variety praised sequences featuring Mostel and Wilder as unparalleled. Wanda Hale from the New York Daily News awarded it four stars, celebrating Brooks’s combination of madness and nuance. Joseph Gelmis of Newsday characterized it as "a high-class low comedy" with an exceptional comedic pair.

Over time, the film's standing has improved significantly. It maintains a robust approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics acknowledging it as one of Mel Brooks’s finest comedic achievements featuring memorable performances by Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel. On Metacritic, it garnered scores reflecting "universal acclaim." Roger Ebert later described it as "one of the funniest movies ever made," recalling Brooks’s witty retort to accusations of vulgarity.

From a commercial perspective, the movie became a sleeper hit at the U.S. box office; however, Embassy Pictures initially viewed its theatrical performance as disappointing due to marketing and distribution expenses that resulted in only marginal profits.

Accolades

Award Category Nominee(s) Result
Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Gene Wilder Template:Nom
Best Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen Mel Brooks Template:Won
Golden Globe Awards Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Zero Mostel Template:Nom
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture Mel Brooks Template:Nom
National Film Preservation Board National Film Registry Template:Won
Satellite Awards Best DVD Extras Template:Nom
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Written American Comedy Mel Brooks Template:Nom
Best Written American Original Screenplay Template:Won

In 1996, the United States Library of Congress designated the film as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," leading to its preservation within the National Film Registry.

The film has been acknowledged by the American Film Institute in several rankings:

Re-releases and adaptations

In 2002, The Producers experienced a limited theatrical re-release, screening in three venues through Rialto Pictures, where it generated $111,866 in box office revenue. By 2007, Rialto had maintained its role in distributing the film to repertory and art-house theaters.

Mel Brooks revisited the narrative on two further occasions: first transforming it into a hit 2001 Broadway stage musical (The Producers), and subsequently producing a 2005 movie adaptation derived from the musical. While Brooks served as producer for the latter film, he did not direct it; this version did not achieve the same commercial success as the original.

Home video formats for the film have included VHS, Laserdisc, CED, and VCD, with releases managed by companies such as Magnetic Video, Embassy Home Entertainment, and PolyGram Video. A notable 1997 letterbox Laserdisc edition by PolyGram served as the foundation for a scarce 1998 DVD release by the same company.

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which acquired video distribution rights to selected Embassy Pictures titles through Nelson Entertainment and PolyGram, issued The Producers on Region 1 DVD in 2002, followed by a re-release in 2005 timed with the remake’s debut. In 2013, MGM licensed the film to Shout! Factory, resulting in a DVD and Blu-ray combo pack featuring an HD transfer alongside newly added bonus content. StudioCanal, holding global rights to Embassy’s catalog, has released multiple Region 2 DVD editions with transfers that differ somewhat from their North American counterparts. In 2018, StudioCanal introduced the film’s first European Blu-ray release in markets including the UK, Germany, and Australia. This edition incorporated most of Shout! Factory’s supplemental features plus a fresh 4K restoration commemorating the 50th anniversary.

See also

External links

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