Page 44 - The Hollywood Reporter (January 2020)

91 Years of THR

Memorable moments
from a storied history

1995557 1995888 199559 1 1966660 1996611 1 199962 1966633 1 1999644 199665 1966 1967 19968 1 1969 1 19700 19977771 1 199722 199733 1997444 1 19775 197776 1 1977

In ’67, Hitler Comedy The Producers Won an Oscar

It’s been more than 50 years sparked by the sort of perfor- least 17 months. In August 1966, Hitler on his marquee.” And then
since Mel Brooks’ The Producers mance in which star Zero Mostel it announced that Brooks’ film, The Producers grossed $1.6 mil-
wrestled with the challenge of has no peer and marking an then titled Springtime for Hitler, lion in theaters, which meant
courting Oscar for a film offering impressive directorial debut by would be made on a $1 million it barely broke even. But when
a comic version of Adolf Hitler, Brooks,” said the review. But what budget. (The final cost for the Brooks adapted it as a Broadway
something Jojo Rabbit is fac- THR seemed most concerned 40-day shoot that began a year musical in 2001 with Nathan Lane
ing this year. “There are many about was that Embassy Pictures after the THR announcement and Matthew Broderick starring,
to whom this brand of humor might have botched the film’s was $941,000, or $7.25 million in it ran for 2,502 performances and
is more an opening of wounds chances for Oscar noms by open- today’s dollars.) The title, though, won a record 12 Tony Awards.
that can never heal,” THR said in ing it in New York and not having was an ongoing problem. Brooks — BILL HIGGINS
its Dec. 28, 1967, review. “Those enough trade screenings. “Gene had been thinking about using
who will not buy Grundig and Wilder’s supporting performance Springtime for Hitler in some-
Volkswagen will probably pass would have been eligible and thing since 1962. Universal’s Lew
by The Producers as well.” (For perhaps likely to have earned an Wasserman was interested in the
anyone under 50, the German Academy Awards nomination,” film but wanted it switched to

company Grundig was once the said THR. (It turned out Wilder Springtime for Mussolini because
largest radio manufacturer in was eligible and did receive a sup- “Mussolini’s nicer.” It ended up
Europe; Volkswagen was founded porting actor nod; Brooks, then being changed to The Producers
in 1937 by a Nazi labor union.) 41, won the Oscar for original because Embassy head Joseph
But on the bright side, THR loved screenplay.) THR had been fol- E. Levine said no Jewish theater
the movie. “It is a hilarious film, lowing the film’s progress for at owner would “put Springtime for

The “Springtime for Hitler” musical sequence in 1967’s The Producers. Right: THR first wrote about the Mel Brooks film on Aug. 18, 1966.
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