Plum Crazy

A movie: The Producers, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick

Based on a Broadway show: The Producers, originally starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick

Based on a movie: The Producers, starring Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder

Based on an idea for a Broadway show: Mel Brooks originally wrote the script for Broadway, but a producer told him it was too long for Broadway; it should be a movie.

Mel Brooks' 1968 movie about a Broadway producer who wants to produce a sure-fire flop, so he goes out in search of the worst script ever written, has gone beyond cult status over the years. So much beyond it, that it became a Broadway musical. And now the Broadway musical is set to become a film.

There are differences between the original movie and the Broadway version of it. For starters, the original movie isn't a musical. It has a couple of songs in it when they're performing the musical "Springtime for Hitler", but it mostly isn't a musical.

The original movie also has a different take on how the part of Hitler gets cast, featuring a hilarious performance by Dick Shawn. Worth renting the movie just to see Lorenzo St. DuBois ("But my friends all call me LSD") do his hippie Hitler. My favorite scene in the entire movie is after the big opening number when LSD is on stage as Hitler and the woman playing Eva Braun is playing the old "You love me. You love me not." game with a daisy. You must hear her German being spoken in an egregious New York accent.

Eva (with the daisy): Du liebst mir. Du liebst mir nicht. Du liebst mir. Du liebst mir nicht.

Eva (accusingly at Hitler): Du liebst mir nicht!

Hitler: I lieb you, baby, I lieb you. Now leave me alone.

However the Broadway musical version has its charms as well. Nathan Lane was hysterical in the role made famous by Zero Mostel. He brings a sense of camp to it beyond that of Mostel, which really works for the role. His throwaway line (written, I am sure, just for him) -- "When I was young and gay. But straight!" -- steals the opening number. And although nothing can top Dick Shawn's performance as a hippie Hitler, the tale of how flamboyantly gay director Roger De Bris has to take over the role at the last minute is also quite funny.

How will the movie based on the Broadway musical be? They have much of the same cast - Lane and Broderick, as well as the actors who originated the Broadway roles of Roger De Bris and his "assistant" Carmen Ghia. I am sure Nicole Kidman will do well as Ulla. My only reservation is Will Ferrell as the former Nazi guard and writer of the script, Frank Liebkind. Kenneth Mars was just so brilliant in the original movie, and Will Ferrell has always struck me as rather more dopey than truly funny.

I will definitely be seeing this movie once it opens, and I have little doubt that a DVD of it will have a proud place in my collection right next to my DVD of the original.

Hat tip to my brother, Jon.