The Producers (1968)
90%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 5 nominations total
A hilarious satire of the business side of Hollywood, The Producers is one of Mel Brooks’ finest, as well as funniest films, featuring standout performances by Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel.
The Producers is a comedic masterpiece that has stood the test of time. Mel Brooks’ hilarious idea of a musical about Hitler is brought to life by the incredible performances of Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. It’s amazing to think that a film about the worst musical in history has become one of the most beloved musicals of all time. The jokes are irreverent and the slapstick humor is top-notch. If you’re looking for a good laugh, The Producers is the perfect film to watch. Just make sure you’re not drinking anything while watching, or you might end up spitting it out from laughing too hard!
Production Company(ies)
AOI Promotion Fuji Television, Network GAGA.
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Broadway Theatre – 1681 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1968
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 1968 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 2, 2003
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars, Estelle Winwood, Christopher Hewett, directed by Mel Brooks, written by Mel Brooks, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Peter Bradshaw, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Andrew Collins, Marjorie Baumgarten, Nell Minow, Matt Brunson, Sarah Boslaugh, Mike Massie, Tom Beasley, Danielle Solzman, Rob Aldam, MPAA rating, Sidney Glazier, producer, “Springtime for Hitler”, worst play, hippie-freak star, old ladies, accountant, investors, flop, legal, worst musical, central Manhattan, New York, insane people, human heart, vulgar, obscene, original, defining movie, smart comic relief, cinema fans, comedy bits, refreshing, hilarious script, tasteful, effective, unique, entertaining, fun, ridiculous
Worldwide gross: $375,524
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,617,149
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,269
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 394,455
US/Canada gross: $328,673
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,165,868
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,929
US/Canada opening weekend: $6,091
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $58,670
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,140
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $941,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $9,063,968
Production budget ranking: 1,712
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,880,947
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$10,327,765
ROI to date (est.): -74%
ROI ranking: 1,836
Gene Wilder – Leo Bloom
Dick Shawn – Lorenzo St. DuBois
Kenneth Mars – Franz Liebkind
Estelle Winwood – “Hold Me, Touch Me” Old Lady
Christopher Hewett – Roger De Bris
Director(s)
Mel Brooks
Writer(s)
Mel Brooks
Producer(s)
Sidney Glazier
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Won 1 Oscar
3 wins & 5 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (72) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (65) | Rotten (7)
Each time I’ve watched it – and I’ve watched it many times – Mel Brooks’ The Producers has felt horribly pertinent to the present moment.
August 1, 2018 | Rating: 5/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Mel Brooks has turned a funny idea into a slapstick film, thanks to the performers, particularly Zero Mostel.
August 12, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Everything that can go wrong in an amateur film does go wrong, from the timing to the structure to the pitch of the performances.
August 12, 2008
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It’s the ultimate punchline, the killer gag, that a proto-novel that turned into a proto-play that ended up as a movie about the worst musical in history, is now the most popular musical in town.
October 6, 2004 | Rating: 5/5
Andrew Collins
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Hilarious and irreverent, Brooks’ first film has the good fortune to be graced with the comic genius of Mostel, Wilder, and Shawn.
October 1, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Sublime.
June 19, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
The inspired lunacy extends to all corners of this madcap comedy which Brooks once insisted “rises below vulgarity.”
April 16, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
…a very New York film, from the little tour of central Manhattan Max uses to seduce Leo to the dueling conversations Max and his landlord …have with the Almighty.
April 13, 2021 | Rating: 8/10
Sarah Boslaugh
TheArtsStl
An absolutely perfect combination of cartoonish nuttiness and naturally-flowing comical interactions.
December 7, 2020 | Rating: 10/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
A film that, like its fellow late 60s classic Bonnie and Clyde, still feels boundary-pushing and bold five decades after it was made.
August 14, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Tom Beasley
Flickering Myth
Mel Brooks’ feature directorial debut starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder, The Producers, is one of the best comedies of all-time.
October 18, 2019 | Rating: 5/5
Danielle Solzman
Solzy at the Movies
The Producers is a rip-roaring comedy which takes no prisoners and doesn’t distinguish reich from wrong.
October 30, 2018
Rob Aldam
Backseat Mafia…
Plot
Down-on-his-luck theatrical producer Max Bialystock is forced to romance rich old ladies to finance his efforts. When timid accountant Leo Bloom reviews Max’s accounting books, the two hit upon a way to make a fortune by producing a sure-fire flop. The play which is to be their gold mine? “Springtime for Hitler.”
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel deliver standout performances in The Producers, according to Fresh Kernels.
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