Director Mel Brooks' 1968 film stars Gene Wilder as a shy accountant, Leo, who works for a producer, Max (Zero Mostel). The two soon hatch a plan to raise money for a show that will be intentionally terrible 鈥� the two of them will reap the rewards when the show (which will be titled "Springtime for Hitler") is a flop and closes on opening night.
The movie was adapted into a Tony-winning musical of the same name which premiered on Broadway in 2001 and starred Matthew Broderick as Leo and Nathan Lane as Max. In a twist, the musical was then adapted into a 2005 movie, also titled "The Producers."
Legend has had it that the movie was banned in Germany, but the fact that the country decided not to distribute it could have stemmed from the fact that it hadn't performed well at the American box office.
