MovieChat Forums > The Producers (1968) Discussion > The only thing that ever bothered me abo...

The only thing that ever bothered me about this movie

posted 13 years ago by TCall2004
19 replies | jump to latest

One of my all time favorite movies but.....

The part of that movie I never liked was the "old ladies".

Those women were made to look ridiculous, pathetic and desperate because they wanted a (gasp!) sex life. They weren't nubile (or fertile?) anymore so they should have been been grateful for any attention they got from a man even if he was an overweight guy with a bad combover who was using them for money.

Maybe it's just me and I'm over-analyzing, but that part of the film always bothered me.

[–] dyahrmarkt 13 years ago

ehhhhh....

Look, the comedy comes into play watching Max and what he has to go through in order to raise money at this point in his life. You're worried about the old ladies being exploited? Hey, the actresses are good enough sports! They weren't dragged into the film by force and tricked by Mel Brooks and the entire crew.

And let's face it, some of these old ladies had some pretty kinky role-play fantasies! Brooks set it up deliberately that way - the comedy just pours out of this predicament.

PS. I don't think anyone can over-analyze a film - if there's something to talk about there's something to talk about. But, I do think having fresh points-of-view never hurts. Especially when it comes to comedy!

“No man can be a genius in slapshoes and a flat hat.” - Buster Keaton

[–] 13 years ago

[deleted]

[–] MovieMaven907 13 years ago

You know what bothered me more? The fact that he referred to the attractive Swedish receptionist as o "toy". Seriously? A human being a "toy" just because she's attractive and flirtatious. Talk about a sexist pig!

Got us a serial killer, love those, always something to look forward to.

[–] dalldorfw 13 years ago

I did find that a little unsettling, but still hilarious. There's nothing in this movie that Isn't funny.

[–] pjpurple-1 12 years ago

Just watched this movie on TCM last night. Haven't seen it in a long time and it still makes me laugh. The "toy" comment Max made referring to his secretary was in character for him. He was, like Leo said in the courtroom in Max's defense, "the most selfish man I have ever known." He used people as a means to an end.

At least he hired the secretary and paid her and since she didn't speak much English, she probably didn't know that he called her a toy. However, she sure did seem to like her "work", dancing in a bikini,etc. She took the job of her own free will.

[–] PACman66 12 years ago

Geez...

People are FAR too sensitive now days. If you know anything of Mel Brooks films, is that in every one of his movies, there is something that is WAY "Un-PC". Remember all the "N-Word" racism jokes in Blazing Saddles? How about this movie, where Hitler is made to be a happy dancing fool, while never addressing the fact that this monster ordered the deaths of countless lives? Or Young Frankenstein, where they make fun of someone "Abbie Normal?" (Read: mentally deficient) Or all the obnoxious homeless jokes in "Life Stinks?" One could go on & on...
Bottom line: Brooks's movies are HARD satire and are not for the easily offended. Nothing is sacred. And THAT is where the humor lies. It's both shocking AND hilarious. Like the best Richard Pryor comedy routines.

(In my humble opinion, that is...)

For God's sake... LAUGH. Hard & loud! Life (and everything in it) is absurd. Point at it all and make fun.

Thank you, Mr. Brooks.

Trust me,
Swan
My, you're nosey, aren't you?

[–] hodie 11 years ago

If anything, "The Producers" showed that rich old women can be just as ridiculous as rich elderly men. I'm female, almost 60 (not rich, unfortunately) and I've always loved this movie. People should really worry about real stuff. And honestly, the women had more fun with Max in their life than out of it. They weren't victims. They were wealthy women who did as they pleased, and had plenty of money to do it. I hope I get to do the same thing!

Honestly, older women don't need your sentimental, stereotyping pity. Jeez.

"Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?"

[–] laurence01 11 years ago

Did you also know that Max's way of raising money was in fact based on a real producer that Mel Brookes worked for when he was first in the business.

Let Zygons Be Zygons.

[–] elena-28 11 years ago

And a couple of them seemed to know what the game was, and either made sure Max played by their rules ("Edna, I swear on my life you don't look a day over 65." Only then, with an approving coo, does she give him the check), or that he enjoyed their rules (He seemed to like the motorcycle - even blew her a spontaneous kiss as she cried out "Go, Bialy baby, go!"). I'm pretty sure the old lady played by the magnificent Estelle Winwood had a clue of what fun she was going to make sure she had.

As for Ulla, watch the graceful, playful way she avoids having to kiss Max (while she genuinely seems to like him, and is looking forward to going the motel). In the snatches we get to see, while Max may say or think she's a toy, Mel Brooks directed Lee Meredith to show clearly that she is not only a person but one who might get (or already have?) the upper hand here.

[–] NewtonFigg 10 years ago

@elena-28 Actually, Estelle Winwood, who lived to be over 100, hated this movie. She said "I must have needed the money pretty badly to do that".

[–] mike-848 10 years ago

Geez, Brooks is so un - PC with every other ethnic group except for his own...then he's VERY PC.

[–] Professor-Bob 10 years ago

Actually, Brooks like to poke fun at Jews as well. Perhaps you don't "get" the satire if you are not Jewish.

Schrödinger's Cat is Dead, Schrödinger's Cat is not Dead

[–] logicalskeptic 10 years ago

PACman66, This old fart finds himself in almost complete agreement with you. The only thing we might not be in agreement on is as I've said many times "Mel will try anything if he thinks it has any possibility of getting a laugh even if it's just not really funny." Unlike most posters I find the silliness of Dick Shawn to be more likely to entertain a juvenile audience than an adult one and not at all comparable to Robin Williams' near genius.

Only two things are actually knowable:
It is now and you are here. All else is merely a belief.

[–] Tashtago 11 years ago

I agree TCALL not only offensive but also it was overplayed to death.

[–] sumankey13 10 years ago

if you find it offensive in a movie, how about real life? this stuff really happens, that's why it was in the movie

[–] JSFound 9 years ago

I don't know if you know this, but on the making of documentary on the DVD, Mel Brooks says the idea for the movie came from a real producer he worked with as a kid who would always sleep with old ladies to get money for his projects. Brooks said Bialystock was written pretty much like that producer.

[–] belaglik 9 years ago

Those women were made to look ridiculous, pathetic and desperate

Pretty much everyone in the movie was made to look ridiculous, pathetic and desperate! Hardly any demographic represented in the film was given a pass. Whether you were a middle aged overweight man with a bad combover, a nerdy desk jockey with poor social skills, an immigrant English language learner, gay, a stoner hippie, a drunk, or a horny old lady, your type was not represented in a favorable light in this film. Everyone was mocked fairly. Treating the elderly ladies any differently would have been sexist and ageist.

[–] !!!deleted!!! (49761343) 8 years ago

Those women were made to look ridiculous, pathetic and desperate because they wanted a (gasp!) sex life.

No, you've got it backwards. The women were there to make Max look ridiculous, pathetic and desperate, not the other way around. We were supposed to be laughing at this so-called big time producer becoming so desperate for money that he was whoring himself out to little old ladies, and also be disgusted at how he was taking advantage of them.

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