Yes, the second comedy is already upon us! I was seriously considering doing A Death at a Funeral instead, but after looking at the original being a British comedy in 2007 and the American remake only released three years later, I decided against it. Instead, I chose yet another one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die films in Mel Brooks' widely popular original comedy.
And if you were wondering, unlike my previous post on The Longest Yard, this one is clearly a comedy in all its glory!
SYNOPSIS: Producers Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom make money by producing a sure-fire flop. Source: IMDb.com
DIRECTOR: Mel Brooks vs. Susan Stroman
I don't believe it. This battle really isn't fair at all. Not because Stroman is a woman; but because 2005 The Producers is the only film she's ever directed! She's done much of her work on the stage as both actress and choreographer, and is actually responsible for the record-making 12 Tony Awards for her theatrical stage version of this movie.
Mel Brooks, by contrast, is one of many beloved Hollywood directors with most of his movies considered as cult classics in today's terms. Even though he would only direct a dozen films himself, 1967 The Producers was the first. Other movies of his include Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs.
WINNER: Original, Mel Brooks
SCREENPLAY: Mel Brooks vs. himself and Thomas Meehan
Clear winner on this one too. Not much can be said when you're solely responsible for both screenplays. While the remake got actress Uma Thurman more involved as a developing character than the original did, not much changed otherwise.
WINNER: Original, Mel Brooks
CAST/ACTING: Zero Mostel, Gene Wilder, & Lee Meredith vs. Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, & Uma Thurman
While Mostel starred in a dozen movies already by the time the original Producers was released, Wilder cast as Leo Bloom was only his second starring big screen role. Which he did exceptionally well, according to the Oscar nomination he received for his portrayal of the wildly eccentric accountant.
Broderick would win a Hollywood Film Award for his version of Leo Bloom. While clearly not as prestigious an award as an Oscar, I preferred Broderick's character more than Wilder's. Wilder's voice was just too shrill whenever his character would get too overwhelmed by the implications of what he had gotten in to with Bialystock. Wilder portrayed him as shy yet loud and obnoxious during his fits of anxiety, whereas Broderick portrayed him as a much calmer--but not any less peculiar.
Brooks' original film had a great supporting cast of characters as well, from the director of 'Springtime for Hitler,' the sure-fire flop that was certain to fail, the German-born Franz Liebkind who is found to be the playwright of 'Springtime...,' and the flamboyant stage actor cast as the lead in the fictional play, Adolf Hitler.
The remake's supporting cast included big names like Will Ferrell as Franz Liebkind and Jon Lovitz.
Like so many other films that we've already discussed, it appears the winners go the same route as the ones before:
CAST WINNER: Remake; ACTING WINNER: Original
SCORE/MUSIC: John Morris vs. Glen Kelly
Since most of the music comes from the musical within the fictional play 'Springtime for Hitler,' I would have to give the nod to the original in this category as well. The remake might have had a bigger production; but as far as the creativity and its use to tell the story, the remake just had to duplicate the original.
WINNER: Original, John Morris
The Producers (1967):
- Rotten Tomatoes: 90% or 8.0/10 average rating
- IMDb.com: 7.7/10 from 37,608 users
- Metacritic: 97/100
- Rotten Tomatoes: 51% or 5.8/10 average rating
- IMDb.com: 6.4/10 from 34,002 users
- Metacritic: 52/100
I'll be honest....I did not see this one coming. I watched the remake years ago and remember it being very funny, creative, and entertaining. It wasn't until a couple years ago when I came across Schneider's book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 2011, that included the original did I realize I aught to check it out too.
Wilder's shrill and obnoxious portrayal of Bloom, and the disgust of having to look upon Mostel's character's comb-over, was enough to turn me off. I much prefer the familiarity of Lane, Broderick, Thurman, and Ferrell in the remake.
But give credit to where credit is due: Mel Brooks. It was his hand in this picture, his FIRST picture, that set himself up for career success.
And it all started with a satire play about a gay Adolf Hitler. Genius. Pure genius!
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