📽 THE PRODUCERS [Mel Brooks, 1967] - Movie review by Mandibil

This crazy movie is a rather unique thing in its class, not least because of its near surrealist humor that comes close to something the Monty Python group could have done coupled with musical. The plot is so simple yet so inherently funny, that you almost start laughing just by realizing it and seeing the actors, who are going to execute it. Pre-knowledge of how things will very likely go in a movie is not always a plus, but other times makes everything work, as is the case here.

A broadway producer, Max Bialystock [Zero Mostel], who tricks old ladies into financing his dubious plays, for some awkward love relations in return. But his rather extravagant lifestyle, keeps him near to bankruptcy. One day the maniodepressiv IRS accountant Leo Bloom [Gene Wilder] turns up to do his books and finds out that the budget is not really hanging together.

Leo is convinced into make some creative accounting to smooth things out, but then has a great idea. He figures that it could potentially be much more profitable for Max to have a fiasco play than a mediocre success. Then a crazy idea forms in their heads and together they set out to realize it.

The ingenious idea is to find a play that is so bad that it is to be considered a certain flop. Hire the most incompetent actors and director, bribe decent critics into putting on a good review but then hopefully receive at really bad one etc. Everything financed by dozens of little old ladies each receiving up to 100% of the presumed non-existing surplus and then run away with all the money afterwards.

Reenergized, the both of them set out to realize the perfect crime. After reading through stacks of hopeless screenplays, they finally hit the nail with "Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp with Adolf and Eva at Berchtesgaden", musical love-letter from the creator, on how the old Fuhrer was a misunderstood genius.

Very satisfied they find the completely mad and nazified play-write, Franz Liebkind [Kenneth Mars], on his roof feeding his German named birds and gets him to sign the deal. They hire the most notoriously bad director, the gay Roger De Bris [Christopher Hewett] and his even more gay assistant. Finally the top billing for the Hitler roll is chosen among a host of hopeful Hitler enthusiasts, and given to the unintended funny and talent-less Lorenzo St. DuBois [Dick Shawm], also known among friends as LSD. How could this not turn out to be anything other than a total disaster.

As the show starts at the premiere, the audience sit with open mouths staring in disbelief at the show ..."Springtime for Hitler and Germany.. Winter for Poland and France...!". Max and Leo return backstage confident this is a certain flop. But just as the audience are all about to leave the show, LSD starts his unknowingly funny rendition of Hitler with his Eva and the audience suddenly rushes back in to the theater and have the greatest time watching this unlikely show.

Fearing the audience will attack them in the backstage bar in the break, Leo and Max try and cover their faces to remain unseen, but then realizes that the flop they thought they had on their hands has now turned into one of the biggest successes in Broadway history. And the mad writer is going crazy because the Hitler actor is constantly putting in the word "baby" in every line, and he is convinced that the Fuhrer never said "baby" !!

Liebkind accuses them of breaking the Siegfried oath but then tries to kill himself. max tries to convince Liebkind to kill the actors, but is stopped by Leo who is getting kind of cold feet with the whole deal. Desperate the three of them try to blow up the whole theater but they mess it up and end in jail for their deed. Here we see them all preparing a new musical, enrolling the inmates as actors and selling them parts in the surplus many times over.

Nearing an age of 50 years, this movie is still as crazy and fresh as it was in 1967. The actors chosen are perfect for their roles and particular respect has to be due to Mars for his Liebkind and Shawn for his Hitler. They are absolutely fantastic and clearly loves doing their roles. You can easily see a suppressed grin on Mars a few times as he delivers his lines under the nazi helmet. It is very well balanced and the gags are generally funny and some of them are hilariously funny. I am particularly fond of all the Hitlers rehearsing for the role and doing all the notorious antics of the famed dictator.

It is a movie I can get back to with a few years between and still laugh of the hilarious performances. It never grows old. And I also realize that Brooks must actually have a German language fetish of some sort .-)
Very recommendable.

Rating: 8/10