PIC of the Week – The Producers
Article series by Ray Schillaci
How? How could one of the greatest comedies ever made by one of the funniest men alive emerged on Blu without fanfare? Somehow I, along with many others, missed the Shout Factory collector’s edition of Mel Brooks’ 1968 classic, The Producers. In 2012, 20th Century FOX released what they touted to be “9 of Mel Brooks’ best films” in a Blu-ray box set. Yes, they had the staples including Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein and even included Brooks’ little known gem, The Twelve Chairs. But, due to whatever legal hassles, the exclusion of Brooks’ first and most original film that introduced us to some of the funniest characters to fill the silver screen was near heartbreaking to fans. We would have to wait a whole other year before it would be available, and even then many of us were unaware of its arrival.
This slight is very much like the theatrical opening of Brooks’ first film, that was met with near disaster. The film had a very limited engagement with no fanfare and with some critics and parts of the Jewish community not getting the humor of it all. Enter the enormously popular comic actor Peter Sellers (The Pink Panther franchise, Dr. Strangelove, Being There) who happened to catch it by accident in a private screening. He was so taken by the film he placed a full page ad in the Daily Variety claiming Brooks a comic genius and that The Producers was “the essence of all great comedy combined in a single motion picture.” That’s pretty much spot-on.
In fact, Brooks’ cult classic eventually became a musical Broadway smash. But, in my opinion, nothing matches the original flavor and comic ingenuity of Brooks, his players, and John Morris’ brilliant score. For those who may still be in the dark, The Producers was originally titled Springtime for Hitler, but the studio would not have anything to do with such a risky title at the time. Hell, even in today’s politically correct times there is no way that title would fly. In fact, much of what is in this 1968 classic may still offend some. But, there is no denying how funny it still is.
Just the idea alone is ripe for a divine comedy. A washed up Broadway producer latches onto an accountant with the idea that success and money does not necessarily have to come with a hit play. Theoretically, a flop could pay off much more if they fleece the backers, selling more shares than possible and have said play close in a matter of days. The only catch: find the worst, most offensive play possible, the worst director and awful actors.
Mel Brooks runs rampant with this comedy romp and his insane cast. The man best known as Broadway’s Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof, Zero Mostel, is perfection as the larger-than-life Broadway producer Max Bialystock and is perfectly matched with the timid and manic Gene Wilder as the accountant Leo Bloom. Together they wrangle the other unforgettably crazed players: Kenneth Mars (Young Frankenstein) as the crazy kraut author, Dick Shawn (It’s a Mad …Mad World) is L.S.D., an over-aged demented flower child who plays Hitler, Christopher Hewitt (Mr. Belvedere) with the perfect apropos name of a god awful director – Roger Des Bris, and the esteemed comical list goes on. Oh, and a special shout out to the group of senior ladies that Bialystock woos into backing his hopeful theatrical turd.
Shout Factory delivers a surprisingly sharp HD picture for its time. Brooks’ attention to details in colors really stands out with this disc. Brooks was a stickler for putting yellow in as much as possible because he thought it was a funny color. Damn, if it doesn’t work – especially on the sultry Lee Meredith as Ulla the Scandinavian secretary that speaks little English but has better attributes that make up for her lack of communication skills. If there is a slight downside or two, there are a few scenes that are not as sharp as one would like them to be. But, this may be a problem with the original print itself, especially the Lincoln Center scene with Mostel and Wilder. That’s disappointing since that is a very funny and emotional sequence.
Shout Factory notably gives us the original mono track via an uncompressed LPCM mono (2.0) mix for the purists out there. They also make available a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix. The mono track delivers a crisp sound with enhanced dialogue, ambient sound and musical score. The DTS-HD version provides more of a surround effect that may or may not feel a little forced. But, what makes this track so vital is the musical score which sounds better than ever before and makes this film all the more enjoyable.
Shout Factory has given us a 2 disc edition, one Blu and one DVD. Very little has been added to the bonuses from the original DVD except for a “Soundtrack Spot.” Although, the bonus entitled Mel and His Movies is presented in 1080p. For anybody that has not seen the supplemental material, I would highly suggest watching it. It’s almost as fun as the film itself and a wonderful nostalgic trip. The Making of The Producers is the icing on this wonderful cake of comedy.
– The Making of The Producers – in depth documentary feature that offers reminiscences by many of the then surviving cast and crew.
– Mel and His Movies: The Producers – more interviews with Brooks, who places the film in the context of where his career was at the time.
– Deleted Scene
– Peter Sellers’ Ad in Variety – an uncredited Paul Mazursky reading Sellers’ love letter to the film which he placed in Variety the day after he saw The Producers.
– Sketch Gallery – the film’s production design.
– Trailers includes The Producers, American Masters’ Mel Brooks: Make a Noise
This film belongs in the pantheon of comedy greats. I cannot recommend it enough. Even though Brooks’ own musical is better remembered in this day and age, the original film stands among the very funniest with a once in a lifetime cast that you will be hard pressed to forget once you’ve seen them. A big thanks to Shout Factory for rolling out such a fine Blu.
Lowest Price – $21.19 – Amazon
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