Before there was the movie based on the musical, there was the musical based on the movie. That first movie is The Producers. The film tells the story of failed broadway producer Max Bialistock (Zero Mostel), and a scheme hatched by fellow producer Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder). Their plan is to raise more money in investments than the show will earn, then abscond with the investment money. It's a stupid plan, but that doesn't stop Max and Leo from going through with it.
They set out to make the worst musical in Broadway history. With a Hitler-reverent script written by a former Nazi soldier, an overly flamboyant and inappropriate director, and a burnout lead actor aptly named LSD, they are sure that they've come up with a sure-fire flop.
The film is a product of its time. With its go-go dancing Swedish bombshell, hippie freakouts, and vaguely offensive portrayal of homosexuals, not to mention the muted colour palette, it's certainly a film from the late 1960s. However, the film is a pillar of the pop-cultural canon, hilarious, and timeless, and better than 96% of the new movies coming out today.
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