The Producers is a Mel Brooks film about a theatre producer fallen from former grace, Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and an extremely nervous accountant, Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) coming up with a plan to make a huge profit - by producing the ultimate Broadway flop.  They recruit the worst director, Roger De Bris (Christopher Hewett) and worst cast including lead actor Lorenzo St. DuBois (Dick Shawn), then put them to work on the worst script they can find.  This script is "Springtime for Hitler" by a German who thinks the Fuhrer was a wonderful, joy-bringing chap.  The author's name is Franz Leibkind (Kenneth Mars), and when they tell him they're making the play, he rushes to tell his pigeons the good news.  When they meat Roger De Bris for the first time, he's dressed as a Countess for a fancy ball.  LSD's audition is a hippy song that's hilarious to watch (and listen to) - and he's auditioning for the wrong play.  I think that gives you some indication of just how crazy this is!

There are a few other important elements to the film that I should mention - Max raises money for his productions by giving rich old ladies one last fling (the title sequence is one such example and freezes the frame at certain points - Zero Mostel's facial expressions are priceless).  The other important character is Ulla (Lee Meredith), a very sexy Swedish woman who is employed to be the Bealystock & Bloom's receptionist - of course she can hardly speak a word of English.  Somehow that doesn't seem to matter...

The whole film revolves around their efforts to make the worst play the world has ever seen.  I won't tell you what happens but I'll be surprised if you don't guess anyway.  The plot is predictable more often than not, but since it's all played for laughs that scarcely matter.  The film hinges on Mostel and Wilder, and both give fantastic performances here.  Zero Mostel is one of those actors who can crack you up just by the expression on his face, and his energetic physical comedy and turn of phrase are superbly funny too.  Gene Wilder is hyper-stressed and very nervous, also completely out of his depth.  His wildly expressive panic attacks are hilarious, contrasting well with his almost childlike innocence the rest of the time.  Probably my favourite sequence in the film is when he starts to have a panic attack and Max is trying to get him to snap out of it.  He asks what's happening and being told that Leo is hysterical, he tries throwing some water in his face.  Leo stops for a moment, slowly says "I'm wet... I'm hysterical and I'm wet!".  Max slaps him and again Leo stops.   This time he exclaims "I'm in pain! ... I'm in pain and I'm wet and I'm still hysterical!"  The way it's done is very, very funny, as is Max's earlier meeting with Leo and the Landlord (Shimen Ruskin).

Unfortunately I didn't find the rest of the film as funny as the first 20 minutes or so, though there were still some very funny bits throughout.  I think this is largely because two of the fairly important characters - Ulla and Fritz - were usually more annoying or bland than funny.  Fritz does have his moments but I found him surprisingly boring; Ulla was only funny once or twice and was quite irritating.  In his audition sequence I found "LSD" hilarious, but in the bits of the actual play that you saw I didn't find him nearly as funny.  The audience being in hysterics over these sections seemed a little odd somehow.  It's all so silly that the deliberately controversial subject matter didn't come across as offensive at all.  The song and dance numbers were fun, though some seemed a little drawn out.


Overall, The Producers is a very funny film and I think anyone who likes Mel Brooks' films in general will not only like this, but also appreciate the extra originality and change of pace compared to his many spoofs.  I can't compare this to the 2005 version as I've not seen it, but I would find it very difficult to think that anyone could be as good as Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in the lead roles (much as I like Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick).  If you've seen the modern version but not the 1969 film, do yourself a favour and correct that.  You won't regret it.





Quotes
 
Roger De Bris: Ah, Bialystock and Bloom, I presume! Heh heh, forgive the pun!
Leo Bloom: What pun?
Max Bialystock: Shut up, he thinks he's witty.

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Franz Liebkind: I am the author. You are the audience. I outrank you!


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Leo Bloom: Actors are not animals! They're human beings!
Max Bialystock: They are? Have you ever eaten with one?

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Franz Liebkind: Der Führer does not say, "Achtung, baby."

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Doc Goebbels: Danke schön, mein Führer.
Lorenzo St. DuBois: Hey, you're a German.
Doc Goebbels: We're all Germans.
Lorenzo St. DuBois: That's right.
[gasps]
Lorenzo St. DuBois: That means we CANNOT invade Germany.

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Leo Bloom: I'm a nothing. I spend my life counting other people's money. People I'm smarter than. Better than! I want... I want...   I want everything I've ever seen in the movies!

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The landlord: He who signs a lease must pay rent. That's the law.
Max Bialystock: You miserable wretch! How dare you take the last penny out of a poor man's pocket?
The landlord: I have to. I'm a landlord.
Max Bialystock (eyes turned towards heaven): Oh, Lord, hear my plea; destroy him! He maketh a blight on the land!
The landlord (also with eyes heavenward): Don't listen to him; he's crazy.

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Max Bialystock: Have I ever steered you wrong?
Franz Liebkind: Always.
Max Bialystock: Never mind.

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Max Bialystock: You have exactly ten seconds to change that look of disgusting pity into one of enormous respect!


Other Information

Runtime: 85 minutes

Mel Brooks won the Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay - Written Directly for the Screen, while Gene Wilder was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.  Brooks was also nominated for the Golden Globe for his screenplay, while Zero Mostel had a Best Actor nomination for a globe.


Other Mel Brooks Films:

Young Frankenstein
Robin Hood: Men In Tights
Spaceballs

See also: My Top Ten Spoof Movies

Recommended: Yes