Film

Taking Nazi lampoonery to unprecedented extremes, Mel Brooks’ directorial debut follows the exploits of an unsuccessful Broadway producer (played by the blacklisted Mostel, in a ferocious performance), who raises money for his projects by sexing up old ladies, and a jittery, blanket-clutching accountant (Wilder), who advises him that a flop might rake in more money than a hit. The idea inspires their Nazi burlesque Springtime for Hitler, an extravaganza of bad taste featuring a Busby Berkeley-worthy line of leg-kicking SS officers. The Brooks-written Broadway adaptation may have broken Tony Award records, but the film is still unbeatable for its relentless, ingenious brand of shock comedy.