The Producers: On-This-Day Thursday
Every Thursday, an older film released on this opening weekend years ago will be reviewed. They can be classics, or simply popular films that happened to be released to the world on the same date.
For November 22nd, we are going to have a look at The Producers.
If you really look at it, The Producers has had a bit of a strange legacy. It confused and/or repulsed audiences upon release, yet it was up for some Academy Awards (its Best Original Screenplay Oscar was the O in Mel Brooks’ eventual EGOT). It’s a cult classic now that has spawned a musical version (with a film adaptation as well), and yet it isn’t quite Young Frankenstein or Blazing Saddles (as great as it is). Looking at The Producers from afar, to me it seems like this was Brooks discovering what he could do with his cinematic debut. He didn’t push conventional or conversational boundaries quite like he eventually would, but he did enough to cause a stir, evidently. What is often brought up are these taboo moments: the Springtime for Hitler production, the caricatures, and the audacious one liners.
What I admire is the satirical side of things: two minds who go to make the worst production of all time to reap the benefits and get rich, only for their experiment to become a success and bite them in their rear ends. It’s so indicative of a fickle industry that takes pride in conning others, that if you try to con it, it will only work against you. That’s what I love about The Producers. The insensitive production, the stereotypes, and the dialogue all play into this element of the film. Brooks was fantastic at both satires and parodies, and he was born to make both when The Producers is his debut. As much of a riot as the film is, I do find the start to this insanity a bit tonally peculiar. It sure takes its time, but is also as batty as the rest of the film is, and it can be a bit of a pill to swallow when you first put The Producers on. It’s not like Young Frankenstein — which has some expository funniness — or Blazing Saddles — which just jumps right into its craziness. The Producers has Max Bialystock and what his life’s been reduced to going, and going, and going, and…
Max, Leo, and Franz, not on the same page at all.
Once the eager-and-naive Leo gets tossed into the mix, we have some good parallels: a jaded veteran who has been spat out by the machine, and a newbie wanting to seize the world with his gifts. The Producers is then full steam ahead, once the big scheme happens, especially because Max is all in and Leo feels duped. While The Producers doesn’t feel like it’s completely anarchistic, the absurd plan at the heart of the film does feel a little bit like a vehicle going out of control, and it’s when the film gets exciting. I can’t fault the big reveal for feeling tame in our twisted, deranged society today, nor can I blame pop culture for letting everyone know about the Springtime for Hitler production in the feature. Subjectively, this is still a huge payoff for a satire that clearly didn’t want to play it safe. Even a bitesized version of Mel Brooks operating at full capacity is great, and The Producers was a sign of great — yet tricky — things to come for the parody master.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.