“SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER”, Zero Mostel’s tour de force, notwithstanding his alter ego Gene Wilder, inspiring his father figure, to raise big bucks by producing a Mel Brooks (“Two thousand year old man”) box office disaster and floperoo.
II
But for the life of this corner, how did Anne Bancroft’s ‘H’ …(”the Graduate”) Mel Brooks do it
“Plastics plastics mate”, if we may quote Blossom Hoffman’s brother Dustin, (the secretary at Sutter Junior High, Canoga Park, Ca)
III
But who claimed Zero Mostel’s neurons were atrophying… howin the Great White Romp, could he turn around “Springtime for Hitler” into a financial disaster…..
Is he a dinosaur?
He still labels the Internet the ‘World Wide Web’. Irreverent to cyberspace …..social media and its apps.
Right, mate? Right!
IV
The romp with Eva Braun and Adolph at the Fuhrer‘s love nest in Berchesgarden may be a stretch, because the absurdity of raising money for a flop..…. the metamorphosis playing out anirony of ironies.
“Roll the dice, Max.”
Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) and his accountant Leo Bloom are found guilty of the grubby fraud, led away at the end of “The Producers” their very deceit a checkmate .
Nikolai Gogol’s satire, “Inspector General” may haveinfluenced Max’s tyranny of avarice...
The million dollar Grandmas kicking up their heels, Max Bialystock’s casting his “Angels” in their own parlance ofAngels, Into their rhythm like sweet sixteen teens going bonkers..in a quest for their Fountain of Youth.
V
All that was missing….the cream cheese bandit. Con artist and bully from the word “go”
Zero Mostel and his accountant didn’t listen to an adult man’s interior rap and argument.
“I was a contender for the Tilden High Varsity…. A first five letterman. But the coach was a son of a bitch. “You’re not a team player. You’re out for yourself. That’s not Tilden brand of basketball. Work out your demons with the Junior Varsity , if you want to earn a letter.”
“ For an eighteen year old senior, you got too much swagger foryour own good. You’re your own worst enemy, mate.”
The cream cheese bandit cussing under his breath, never forgetting the slap to his stroke (“to lord it over others)”, his arrogant and selfish trip of a life line….
Treasure Island “rehab’ and Market Street mockery of amore de wenches, in his Chief’s uniform, no less...
Sawtelle’s rehabilitation civilian life. “You’re as useless as teats on a boor’s ass.”
VI
Meanwhile Max Bialystock was sweating bullets, his impersonator of Hitler into his LSD monologue… transition toa Munich beer parlor, becoming a “Mein Kampf” playmaker …
To facilitate Chancellor Hindenberg’s exit…. the actoracquitting his beer hall fast break, the audience loving it: theirscreaming hilarity and laughter terrifying Max and Leo Bloom… his spreadsheet of debts and assets up in flames.
Max Bialystock’s reversal of fates, Leo Bloom…. into their apocalypse, sharing the emotional swing from a purported failure, to an immense success, the sophisticated New Yorkers shaking therafters with frenzied maddening laughs… the New York Times “a masterpiece”, the beatnik LSD drifter named Adolph, wearing his Roman “Ben Hur” helmet, drawling out his ascent to political power.
Leo Bloom fraught with manic “goal tending”. No Brazilian escape flight…. the dollar bills and profitable gold mine…and the fabled Grandma gig...
”Break a leg”, the Angels euphoria into their Fountain of Youth.
Max and Leo led away in handcuffs. …not a “Grandma”turning a heel at Sardis restaurant, across the Street.
March 21, 2015. The City that never sleeps.
