The Producers Movie Review 2005

The wildly funny Mel Brooks 1968 film showed up in 2001 as a hit Broadway musical--this is the film version of that, cast with most of the originals from Broadway. Shifty producer Max (Lane) and his accountant Leo (Broderick) hatch a scheme to get rich by producing a flop and pocketing the leftover investor money after the show surely closes. Hideous Nazi musical "Springtime for Hitler" not only doesn't flop, it's a major success, which means trouble. Yes, it's all rehashed, and old-schoolers will go back to the original film with a renewed fondness. Fun cast and hilarious musical numbers help to somewhat mask the weaknesses.

Distribution

Universal Studios Home Video, 100 Universal City Plz., Universal City, CA 91608-9955, Phone: (818)777-1000, Fax: (818)866-1483, URL: http://www.universalstudios.com, Remarks: Does not handle retail queries from consumers; contact your local video distributor.

Available on DVD
Running time 129 minutes.
Originally from United States.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Musical Comedy, Adapted from a Play, Adapted from a Musical, Showbiz Comedies, New York, New York, Black Comedy, Period Piece: 1950s, Scams, Stings & Cons, Stagestruck

Screenplay

Mel Brooks, Thomas Meehan

Cast

Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, Will Ferrell, Roger Bart, Eileen Essell, David Huddleston, Michael McKean, Debra Monk, Andrea Martin, Jon Lovitz, Mel Brooks, Gary Beach

Cinematography

John Bailey, Charles Minsky

Director

Susan Stroman

Music

Mel Brooks

Other

Tod A. Maitland, Steven Weisberg, Peter Rogness, William Ivey Long, Mark Friedberg

Producer

Mel Brooks, Jonathan Sanger, Brooksfilms, Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures