# I just watched "The Producers" for the first time.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [June 12, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018 "2005-06-12T23:44:42Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/1 "2005-06-12T23:44:42Z")
Sue me. I’m way behind in my movie watching…🙂
His first movie as a director. Wilder and Mostel fit together perfectly. A great movie.
IMHO Mel Brooks best movie.
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [June 12, 2005, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/2 "2005-06-12T23:51:46Z")
:eek:
You’re kidding, right? This is just about the funniest movie ever made, and Zero Mostel’s greatest role, and you are just **now** watching it?
_tsk, tsk_
“What do you want, you fish-faced enemy of the people?”
😃
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### Author:  [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/3 "2005-06-13T00:02:16Z")
And also the film that introduced us to the late, great Dick Shawn.As you know, they are currently filming the movie version of the Broadway musical. Normally, seing something as classic as this being remade would give me the heebie-jeebies, but with Brooks at the helm, I’m not worried. Only one bit of casting I have issues with–Will Ferrell as Franz Liebkind. Anyone know who’s playing LSD? [ul]
[li]“I told you, baby, I lieb ya, I lieb ya, I lieb ya…now lieb me alone!”[/li][/ul]
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/4 "2005-06-13T00:17:31Z")
LSD is missing from the musical.
Liebkind is to play Hitler, then breaks his leg. Roger then goes on in his place.
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### Author:  [@YPOD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YPOD)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/5 "2005-06-13T01:05:17Z")
My wife’s employer when the movie came out used to be a Broadway producer in the late 30’s. He said that the Producers looked more like a documentary than a comedy to him. Mr. B (name witheld to protect the guilty) did on several occasions raise more than 100% backing - but it was very common for angels to promise but not deliver money. When he fell short of financing, ususally the actors didn’t get paid. If he did oversell, he simply went back and divided the proceeds correctly - assuming there was a profit. Just like in the movie though, if it failed, no one really cared that much. Mr. B also said the little old ladies were the most accurate part of the movie.
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/6 "2005-06-13T01:55:55Z")
This movie is such a gem.
There was a well done article in Vanity Fair last year ( I think) about the Behind The Scenes of it all.
What I remember about it:
[ul]
[li]Gene Wilder didn’t really want to play the part he did because he wanted to do drama.[/li][li]Mel Brooks financed the whole enchilada in a time when Indies were so very out.[/li][li]Zero Mostel, at the peak of his career, was a pain to work with.[/li][li]I think they shot it all for $30K, I could be wrong.[/li][/ul]
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### Author:  [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/7 "2005-06-13T02:12:33Z")
“Im in pain, I’m wet, and I’m still hysterical!” 😃
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### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/8 "2005-06-13T02:42:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> As you know, they are currently filming the movie version of the Broadway musical.
They filmed some exterior scenes where I work last month.
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### Author:  [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/9 "2005-06-13T02:54:12Z")
> [@Reeder](#):
>
> Sue me. I’m way behind in my movie watching…🙂
>
> His first movie as a director. Wilder and Mostel fit together perfectly. A great movie.
>
> IMHO Mel Brooks best movie.
Better late than never! I love this movie, and have a hard time chosing between it and Young Frankenstien as my second favorite Brooks film. For me the title has to go to Blazing Saddles, not only for sentimental reasons, but the fact that it was the first Mel Brooks movie I ever saw does give it an edge.
I am a little nervous about the musical version of the movie, I wish they would just leave well enough alone. But I am keeping my fingers crossed.
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### Author:  [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/10 "2005-06-13T02:57:21Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#):
>
> “Im in pain, I’m wet, and I’m still hysterical!” 😃
QUIET! I’m having a _rhetorical_ conversation!
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### Author:  [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/11 "2005-06-13T03:13:32Z")
> [@Mach Tuck](#):
>
> QUIET! I’m having a _rhetorical_ conversation!
“The fuhrer could paint an entire apartment in one afternoon. TWO COATS!!!”
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### Author:  [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/12 "2005-06-13T03:56:13Z")
“Oh, Lord, hear my plea. Destroy him, he maketh a blight on the land.”
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### Author:  [@Kaspar\_Hauser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaspar_Hauser)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/13 "2005-06-13T04:27:39Z")
I was so happy when I found this fiim. I grew up on Mel Brooks films (who else but my dad would take an eight-year-old to see {i]History of the World Part I\*?) but I never saw this one until I was in college. Gene Wilder is one of the unrecognized geniuses of the past thirty-five years.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/14 "2005-06-13T04:27:42Z")
Germany was having trouble
What a sad, sad story
Needed a new leader to restore
Its former glory
Where, oh, where was he?
[LYRICS DELETED BY MODERATOR]
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### Author:  [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/15 "2005-06-13T04:43:13Z")
“Bialystock and Blooo-oom, Bialystock and Blooo-oom!”
```
"Oooh---I fell on my keys."
```
I’ve seen this one many times.
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### Author:  [@sewalk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sewalk)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/16 "2005-06-13T05:38:59Z")
**ouryL** covered it but Mel Brooks’ saying 'Don’t be stupid; be a smarty. Come and join the Nazi party" in the middle of the song just kills me.
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### Author:  [@saramamalana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saramamalana)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/17 "2005-06-13T05:50:42Z")
Boids! He keeps boids!
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### Author:  [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 9:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/18 "2005-06-13T09:35:38Z")
> [@](#):
>
> We’re marching to a faster pace
> Look out, here comes the master race!
I just wanted to ask if everyone else got the quite subtle joke in these lines: “We’re march…” is deliberately pronounced to sound like “Wehrmacht”, the German word for the German army from 1935 to 1945.
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### Author:  [@Lochdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lochdale)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/19 "2005-06-13T10:32:26Z")
“The fuhrer does not say ‘baby’”
Great movie that blows away the overrated (imho) Blazing Saddles.
I thought Mostel was also excellent in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2005, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-just-watched-the-producers-for-the-first-time/308018/20 "2005-06-13T12:01:23Z")
> [@want2know](#):
>
> And also the film that introduced us to the late, great Dick Shawn.
Actually, he had quite a nice role in "It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World ", made 5 years earlier. Similar character. So by “The Producers” he was already being typecast.
“The Producers” also had Barney Martin as Goring. Morty Seinfeld as a (stage) Nazi is even funnier now.
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