You fish-faced enemy of the people

Rating: 6/10 (9 May 2006)

This was Mel Brook's first big success which he wrote, directed but did not act in. Over three decades later he turned it into a successful Broadway play and there was a remake with Nathan Lane in 2005. The legendary black-listed comedian Zero Mostel (one of the original Hollywood Undesirable 12) plays a failed Broadway producer Max Bialystok who has taken to scamming old ladies. A young Gene Wilder (the fish-faced enemy of the people) is an accountant who has the disastrous idea that an unsuccessful play can earn more money than a successful one.
He and Max sell shares for their sure-fire flop Springtime for Hitler - written by a Nazi psycho. They sell shares for slightly more than 100% - more in the vicinity of 25,000%, but thats OK because a play portraying Hitler as the hero is bound to fail right? Wrong! We have the lead actor playing Hitler - called LSD (another in-joke I think!)to thank for that.
While some of the dialogue is certainly funny, personally I think the film didn't age too well. I saw it for the famed Zero who originated the Tevye role in Fiddler on the Roof on Broadway, because I'd never seen him before in any movie. But, I understand the Nathan Lane remake is better.
I don't know if I'll see that soon, but anyone wanting to see The Producers may want to watch the newer version instead which is supposed to be better than the original.