The Producers (2005)

After putting together another Broadway flop, down-on-his-luck producer Max Bialystock teams up with timid accountant Leo Bloom in a get-rich-quick scheme to put on the world's worst show.

Director:

Susan Stroman

Writers:

Mel Brooks (screenplay), Thomas Meehan (screenplay),

Stars:

Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman

Nominated for 4 Golden Globes. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nathan Lane	...	Max Bialystock
Matthew Broderick	...	Leo Bloom
Uma Thurman	...	Ulla
Will Ferrell	...	Franz Liebkind
Gary Beach	...	Roger DeBris
Roger Bart	...	Carmen Ghia
Eileen Essell	...	Hold Me-Touch Me
Michael McKean	...	Prison Trustee
David Huddleston	...	Judge
Debra Monk	...	Lick Me-Bite Me
Andrea Martin	...	Kiss Me-Feel Me
Jon Lovitz	...	Mr. Marks
Bryn Dowling	...	Usherette / Girl With Pearls / Little Old Lady / Bavarian Peasant
Meg Gillentine	...	Usherette / Girl With Pearls / Little Old Lady / Tapping Brown Shirt
Kevin Ligon	...	Workman / Little Old Lady

Storyline

New York, 1959. Max Bialystock was once the king of Broadway, but now all his shows close on opening night. Things turn around when he's visited by the neurotic accountant Leo Bloom, who proposes a scheme tailor-made for producers who can only make flops: raise far more money than you need, then make sure the show is despised. No one will be interested in it, so you can pocket the surplus. To this end, they produce a musical called Springtime for Hitler written by escaped Nazi Franz Liebken. Then they get the insanely flamboyant Roger De Bris to direct. Finally, they hire as a lead actress the loopy Swedish bombshell Ulla (whose last name has over 15 syllables). As opening night draws near, what can go wrong? Well, there's no accounting for taste...

---

Plot Keywords:

opening night | accountant | scheme | actress | nazi | 

---

Genres:

Comedy | Musical

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for sexual humor and references

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont Columbia Tristar [fr] Sony Pictures [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Producers: The Movie Musical

Filming Locations:

116th Street and Amsterdam Avenue, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$45,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$1,015,227 (Australia) (13 January 2006)

Gross:

$19,377,727 (USA) (17 February 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Brooksfilms

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nathan Lane exclaims "Wow!" after gargling with Listerine mouthwash, but the "Wow!" after gargling actually stems from a TV commercial by Listerine competitor Lavoris.

---

Goofs

When Max is trying to convince Leo to join him in the park, the couple behind them disappears and reappears in different places between shots.

---

Quotes

Roger De Bris: And now finally, last and least, my lighting designer, Shirley Markowitz.

---

Crazy Credits

After the credits finish, cast members from the film (including a cameo by Mel Brooks) sing the number "Goodbye!", which is sung in the stage version at the conclusion of the curtain call.

---

Connections

References High Anxiety (1977)

---

Soundtracks

"We Can Do It"
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
Performed by Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick

User Reviews

just fantastic

If i could give it an 11 out of a possible 10 I would give it that... the entire production was wonderful.. i would watch it again...and that is something i do only with very few movies. Nathan Lane steals the show with his wonderful performance. The performance by the actor portraying the gay director is a model of what a supporting actor should be.

The scene showing the actual production of the play was a masterpiece and only Mel Brooks could do it justice.

Uma Thurman gives a stellar performance and almost steals the show.

I can not say enough good things about this movie.