Take Waititi’s new “anti-hate satire” JOJO RABBIT extends a cinematic tradition of casting Adolf Hitler as a buffoon that goes back to Charlie Chaplin, though Mel Brooks’ 1967 debut feature THE PRODUCERS is ultimately more concerned with the question of how to contextualize the very idea of laughing at Hitler. In this half of our pairing, we debate the extent to which Brooks’ rock-solid premise — in which a producer and an accountant bank on audiences being turned off by a musical called “Springtime For Hitler,” only to discover they find it hilarious — and the presence of Gene Wilder makes up for the bumpy ride that is the rest of THE PRODUCERS, and what it’s ultimately saying about how we as audience members are able to view Hitler. Plus, we tackle some feedback about the state of the movie trailer in 2019.

Please share your comments, thoughts, and questions about THE PRODUCERS, JOJO RABBIT, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

Show Notes

Works Cited:

• “Screen: ‘The Producers’ at Fine Arts,” review by Renata Adler, The New York Times archive, 3/19/1968

• “Terminator 2 and the world’s biggest spoiler,” by Tasha Robinson (thedissolve.com)

Outro music: “Springtime For Hitler” by Mel Brooks

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