The Producers

Mel Brooks's first--and arguably his funniest--film is finally available on DVD. The American Film Institute recently ranked The Producers as the 11th funniest film of all time. As they say in Florida: we demand a recount! Zero Mostel is larger than life as Max Bialystock, a down-and-out theatrical producer whose only investors are lovelorn elderly ladies "looking to catch one last thrill on their way to the graveyard." Enter Gene Wilder as Leo Bloom, a meek, naive accountant, who postulates "an academic accounting theory": by overselling shares of a play, a producer could make more money with a flop than with a hit. That "guaranteed-to-close-in-one-night-beauty" is the gay romp Springtime for Hitler, which is in dubious taste, of course, but a sheer joy from beginning to end. Brooks earned an Academy Award for Best Screenplay before becoming the King of Broadway himself with the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation. Sporting a nice new digital transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound, the disc also includes an entertaining 64-minute documentary on the making of the film, which--like the Marx Brothers' Duck Soup--overcame disastrous reviews to become a certified classic, eventually enshrined in the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. Eleventh indeed! Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (K. Lee Benson)[DVD Review—Dec. 13, 2005—Sony, 2 discs, 90 min., not rated, $19.95—Making its third appearance on DVD, 1968's The Producers (Deluxe Edition) boasts a handsome transfer with Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and both widescreen and full screen versions. DVD extras on this edition are virtually identical to the 2002 DVD release with the exception of a look at the new 2005 theatrical remake starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick (2 min.) Bottom line: if you own the 2002 release, you don't need this one; if not, this is a must-have addition.][Blu-ray Review—June 18, 2013—Shout! Factory, 89 min., not rated, $29.95—Making its first appearance on Blu-ray, 1968's The Producers sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD 5.1 soundtrack. Extras include a “making-of” documentary (63 min.), a “Mel and His Movies” featurette with director Mel Brooks (19 min.), a deleted scene (4 min.), a brief reading of an ad that Peter Sellers placed in Variety, a sketch gallery, trailers, and a bonus DVD copy of the film. Bottom line: a comedy classic makes a welcome Blu-ray debut.]