Which *The Producers* Quote Best Fits the Bush Presidency?

[Plaid Adder]

Poll question: Which *The Producers* Quote Best Fits the Bush Presidency?

Just like the Star Wars poll only with Mel Brooks's classic *The Producers,* starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. This movie is preserving my sanity. If you don't recognize any of these quotes, go see it again, or for the first time.

[ThoughtCriminal]

1. Springtime for Hilter

Is in the Air!

[Plaid Adder]

2. Winter for Poland and Fraaaaance...

Actually, France is having a damn good time kicking W around the playground right now, and I love every minute of it.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[agingdem]

3. How about...

It's good to be the king...

[Plaid Adder]

4. Never liked *History of the World* as much as I expected to.

The beginning is funny but it deteriorates rapidly. In fact, my partner and I were talking about why we like *The Producers* so much better, and a lot of it had to do with Mel's use of women. In HOTW P1, Brooks spends a lot of time on Benny-Hill type bathroom humor involving women's bodies and sex. Not my thing. *The Producers* includes some of that ("Ulla, go to work!"). But the main way in which women get involved in *The Producers* is as Bialystock's little old ladies. And the little old ladies are hilarious! Estelle Winwood should have gotten a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance as "Hold Me, Touch Me," the lusty octogenarian who chases Max around the office, climbs on top of him, and makes him play "the Contessa and the Chauffeur." The best thing about it is that she looks like she's having a great time. And that little wicked gleam she gets in her eye when she locks the door and says "Let's fool around!" is priceless.

Anyway, so in *The Producers* you have this use of women and sex which *could* have been nothing but nasty but which actually is really funny because instead of being hideous and terrifying (the way older women are usually portrayed) they actually are kind of sexy, in their own way. You hardly ever see a movie admit that there's life after 60, as far as all that goes. And I know Brooks wasn't including the little old ladies to make any kind of social commentary, but it still makes the movie better that he handled it so that the joke is on Bialystock and not the old ladies.

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[newyawker99]

14. Congrats SandraBaskind!! 200 posts

:toast:

[mac56]

5. "Your honor, we find the defendant INCREDIBLY guilty."

nm

[Plaid Adder]

6. Good one!

"We've learned our lesson, and we'll never do it again."

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[FloridaJudy]

7. I'm hysterical!

And I'm in pain...

[kodi]

8. "we could go to jail for that"

apropos?

[buddhamama]

9. one of the few movies i own

voted for Springtime for Hitler and Germanyyy

[Plaid Adder]

10. Got the DVD from Netflix; it has a "making of" documentary on it.

Has some interesting stuff:

1) They almost cast Dustin Hoffman as Liebken, but he was cast in *The Graduate* at the last minute.

2) Brooks apparently discovered Gene Wilder in a production of *Mother Courage* which also starred Anne Bancroft. I'd've paid money to see THAT.

3) The film was originally called "Springtime for Hitler" but they eventually conceded they had to change the name because "nobody wanted to put 'Hitler' on a marquee." One studio said they would do it if they changed it to "Springtime for Mussolini."

C ya,

The Plaid Adder

[TheBigGuy]

11. Gene Wilder and Anne Bancroft in Mother Courage ?1?1?1

..the Brecht play?

Ohhh. Nooo..mr bill !!!!

Yes that WOULD have been something...almost Mel Brooks' Mother Courage.

[Plaid Adder]

12. Yeah, I have a feeling it was being MST3Kd

In the interview Brooks says that when Wilder came off the stage he used to be like, "Why are they laughing at me? I'm not trying to be funny!" and he said, "Whether you want to or not, God says you're funny." Which is true, really. As for Anne Bancroft as Courage...that must have been some production.

:scared:

The Plaid Adder

[philosophie_en_rose]

13. Don't be Stupid, be a Smarty, Come and Join the Nazi Party.

Also, Bush must listen to "Heil Myself" from the Broadway play - it's obviously his theme song.

[Plaid Adder]

15. Thought of one I should have included:

"Hey, world, you STINK!"

in honor of Bush's speech,

The Plaid Adder