Rating: 
Summary: The Schtick don't stick
Review: After watching this film, it seems quite obvious this was Mel Brooks's first film. The playing out of the gags, the directing, the progression of the film, it all just didn't feel quite on the mark for Brooks. Sure, it's without a doubt his style, but a whole lot of it isn't funny. Springtime for Hitler is hilarious, sure. Their solution to their dilemma, funny. A Hitler-obsessed writer. It's all there. It simply lacked execution. It's as if the soul was taken out of the flamboiant gags and left us with a shell of what might have been. A good movie that could have been better, at least the first sixty minutes.
Rating: 
Summary: Springtime for Hitler
Review: I got this movie because my mother kept telling me about this funny movie called "The Producers" that she and my Aunt had gone to see while they were in college. Apparently, she and my Aunt were the only two people in the theatre laughing. I had to watch it twice in order to fully appreciate it (the first time I fell asleep-the beginning is REALLY slow) But the second time I watched it, I realized how deeply satirical it truly is. And the musical within the movie is enough to endure the lagging beginning, which upon closer inspection really is just setting up the musical. The man who plays Hitler had me laughing so hard I could barely breathe with his "totally existential" audition. The playwrite is another funny character, the man who loved his Fuhrer so much, he couldn't stand to see him laughed at. Then of course, a very nervouse Gene Wilder and a Scheming Zero Mostel, plus a directing transvestite, it really is pure Brooks. You really can see a prelude to every other movie ever made by Brooks in this movie. I understand that Mr. Brooks has made a Broadway adaptation of this movie, and I hope to see it very very soon. And if you look really closely the next time you watch "Blazing Saddles", you will see that "Springtime For Hitler" is playing at the saloon along with Madeline Kahn.
Rating: 
Summary: So politically incorrect, it's absolutely hilarious!
Review: This is the original movie upon which the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is based. (How odd -- movie first, THEN the play? Usually it's the other way around. But then again, everything about this film is backwards -- including the plot.) The premise is very simple: two producer/con men plan to bilk some wealthy patrons of the arts by raising funds to produce the worst play of all time, "Springtime for Hitler." According to their plan, the play will bomb and close after one night, the show will then declare bankruptcy, and the bogus producers will take off with all the money. Problem is, "Springtime for Hitler" becomes a smash hit. The producers, now unable to pay off their investors because all the promised percentages add up to way over 100%, end up in Sing Sing prison -- where they promptly begin planning their next play. Like all Mel Brooks films, this one pushes a lot of things to the limit of limits. It was controversial when it came out in 1968, and remains so today. Is it really appropriate to use Adolf Hitler as the subject of a comedy? Can we legitimately laugh at the man who is responsible for the murder of millions, or has Brooks gone too far with this one? In my opinion, the film is satire, and should be viewed as such. After all, there's a long tradition of making fun of Hitler, going all the way back to Charlie Chaplin in "The Great Dictator," not to mention all those Jewish Purim skits, where Hitler is cast in the role of Wicked Haman. Then there were the German comedians of the time. One of the first things Hitler did when he came to power was to shut down the cabaret acts that were poking fun at him on stage. (Spoil sport!) In later years, Jewish actor Werner Klemperer, himself a concentration camp survivor, parodied the Nazis when he played the overly-pompous but incredibly stupid Colonel Klink in "Hogan's Heroes." Mel Brooks, too, is Jewish, and carries on a long Jewish tradition of deflating enemies by laughing at them. So, if Brooks is to be condemned for using Hitler as the subject of a farce, he'll have to get in line behind a long line of predecessors. As for me, I loved the movie. My favorite laugh is the opening scene of the play-within-the-play, where uniformed Nazis and dirndl-clad showgirls (balancing giant beer steins on their heads yet!) dance to the theme song, "Springtime for Hitler." In full Broadway extravaganza style, the choreographed dancers prance across the stage, eventually forming a giant rotating swastika. As one shocked matron of the arts blusters in the audience, "Talk about bad taste!" Yes, it is bad taste -- but that's the point, isn't it? To produce a real bomb? The scene is a great parody of Broadway stage shows, and I roared with laughter at the very absurdity of it. So nu, relax and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Truly bizarre, but lovable
Review: The first time I watched this movie, I thought to myself "Wow, that was sure different then what I was expecting". But I absolutely loved it! It is definitly one of those movies that seems to get funnier each time you watch it. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder rock!! And of course Mel Brooks is a genius! I recommend this movie to anyone in the mood for a geat comedy!
Rating:
Summary: So funny, my roommate liked it!
Review: Hmm. Perhaps that needs some explanation.
My roommate is a very modern guy. For the most part, he doesn't like anything that came before the 80's. But he agreed to watch this 1960's movie, primarily because it was by Mel Brooks. I assured him he'd love it. By the time the "Springtime for Hitler" number (one of the greatest songs in modern cinema) was over, he was laughing harder than I'd ever seen him laugh before. Once it was over, he immediately rewound it to watch it again, another first for him. So what makes this such a hilarious movie? You have Zero Mostel; although I've never seen another of his movies, they must be hilarious as well. You have Gene Wilder; his hilarity I already know of. You have Dick Shawn and Kenneth Mars, nearly stealing the show. You have the great songs, such as the aforementioned "Springtime for Hitler" and "Prisoners of Love." And finally, you have Mel Brooks. One of the great cinematic masters of comedy, his debut film is one of his funniest. Highest possible recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: Just keeps getting better with age
Review: I first saw The Producers at a midnight screening, in Austin, Texas. I couldn't stop laughing while my date(a young republican)became more and more uptight. The more he reacted, the more I laughed. Mel Brooks' manic script of two hapless, would-be producers who set out to open (and close) a Broadway Show. Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder(does anyone fall to pieces better than Gene Wilder?) are the two producers and how could they know that a show featuring "Springtime For Hitler in Germany" would be a runaway hit? This is a witty and over the top comedy with many, many inside jokes...ranging from Kafka to Busby Berkley. This is a face paced, laugh out loud video that keeps you on your toes and has a new jokes with every viewing. It is no wonder that the new broadway show penned by Mel Brooks is such a hit.
Rating:
Summary: Funny
Review: Listen very closely to this movie, like all Brooks' films, there are great one-liners
Rating:
Summary: Come In Mr. Tact!
Review: The first 20 minutes of The Producers when Leo Bloom meets Max Bialystock are hands-down the funniest 20 minutes ever put on film. I don't know how many times I've seen it but it never fails to make me laugh out loud. From "I'm sorry I caught you with the little old lady" to "I'm wet, I'm in pain, and I'm still hysterical" the jokes fly furiously fast. Zero Mostel was a wonderful comic and is ably matched by a young Gene Wilder. No one does excess like Mostel and no one ever did hysteria like Wilder. I love the asides and non-sequiters ("Ooo, I fell on my keys"} as well. And that is just the beginning. There is so much more to go and so much of it is very, very funny. My personal favorite is Kenneth Mar's unrepentant, crazily loyal, off-center, pigeon- decorated-helmet wearing Hans. Ken Mars is a brilliant comic actor and his demented Nazi playwright with the nearly indecipherable accent (which he and Brooks made fun of in Young Frankenstein) and his loser's raveoffs about Churchill etc. is a piece of work. Many people liked Dick Shawn's work as LSD, but I found it wanting originally and it has not improved with time. But, there is lots of other stuff to like in the movie. But for me, it is Zero, Gene and Ken. When those 3 guys are on this is as funny as it gets. A Classic American comedy. DVD sometime soon please.
Rating:
Summary: One of my FAVORITE movies ever!!! :)
Review: "The Producers" and "The Wizard of Oz" are the two films that I have seen the most amount of times in my life---> 15 times each!! :) I totally agree with Leonard Maltin that it is "one of those rare films that gets funnier with each viewing." It really does, and I always find something new in it that makes me laugh. Not only is "The Producers" Mel Brooks's first film, and one of his best, but it is quite simply STILL one of the greatest comedies ever made. Why? It's not just the plot, which itself is funny-- no, it is the performances of the late great Zero Mostel as Max Bialystock (what a name!), Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom (whose name was derived from James Joyce's "Ulysses" whose stage version starred Zero Mostel), Kenneth Mars as "Springtime For Hitler" author Franz Liebkin, Christopher Hewitt (Mr. Belvedere himself!) as flamboyantly gay, and cross-dressing, Roger DeBris (another great name!), the late great Dick Shawn as "L.S.D.", and so on...and the interaction between all of them is just hilarious! Even all of the smaller roles get filled with with memorable characters. (Like the "CONCI-OIGE!") For the most part, they just don't make comedies like this anymore. Now, they've just re-made "The Producers" for Broadway (as Franz Liebkin would say, "Broadvay...oh, joy of joys! Oh, dream of dreams!! I MUST TELL THE BIRDS!!!") I sure can't wait to see this version, even if it takes me a couple of years to do it. I've heard that it's been sold out for the next 2 years. It's just a testament to this film's timelessness...and the fact that it's REALLY funny!! If anyone reading this STILL hasn't seen it, well then what are you waiting for? Buy it, see it with your friends or family, and have a good time laughing. :)
Rating:
Summary: One of the funniest films I've seen.
Review: I saw this movie for the first time about 1 month before seeing the stage version in Chicago (pre-Broadway). To say I was entertained would be an understatement. I have always enjoyed Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel and they do a great job in the movie. I especially enjoy Gene's hysterical moments with his blue blanket and when he realizes there's "no way out." Zero's facial expressions are priceless, especially with his ladies. Of course, driving it all is Brooks' script and music with all its' political incorrectness and outrageous situations. However, of Brooks' movies, I prefer "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles" more as the story line in both are more cohesive than in "The Producers." Now, as to how the movie compares to the stage musical-Brooks has outdone himself. The stage version is the goofiest, funniest, wittiest, and, yes, vulgarest Brooks creation to date. If possible, it is more politically incorrect than the movie. The songs are great but Brooks is no Richard Rodgers, Frederick Lowe, or Cole Porter. The lyrics, on the other hand, are amazing. Most songs are funny, in some way, but others are more serious and give a look at the soul of the character singing. Brooks' songs and script drive the musical just as surely as they drove the movie. If you can see the play, do it. If you can't, buy the CD and enjoy the music.
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