Saturday, January 20, 2007

Is This Someone's Sick Joke?

One of the funniest movies ever in human history was Mel Brooks' movie The Producers.

I'm guessing that most, if not all you bloggers, know the movie. It's about a Broadway musical producer who figures out that he can make money on a flop than a hit, and proceeds to try to intentionally make a flop.

The cast of the original movie was brilliant-- it included Zero Mostel as washed-up producer Max Bialystock and Gene Wilder as his bookkeeper Leo Bloom, as well as Dick Shawn, Kenneth Mars, Christopher Hewett (later "Mr. Belvedere"), and Lee Meriweather (Catwoman in the Batman movie) in various roles.

A few years ago, they did a live version of it, with another inspired cast-- Nathan Lane played Max Bialystok and Mathew Broderick as Leo Bloom.

I saw in the New York Times that they're doing another live version of The Producers. It has to be someone's sick joke. Playing Max Bialystock is....

Tony Danza?

11 comments:

Toccata said...

Tony Danza? No way. Just the thought makes me shudder.

Reel Fanatic said...

That has to be a joke ... with John Travolta playing Edna Turnblad in yet another version of Hairspray, though, I guess nothing is sacred

Joe said...

Yo, Leo.

Barbara Bruederlin said...

I've never seen the Producers so can't really comment with any degree of knowledge, but isn't Tony Danza just a punchline? He doesn't really exist, does he?

Ian said...

Hi Johnny,

I'm bloghopping today and came here via Erik's Choice.

Who says former boxers can't act? I see George Foreman on TV all the time! Of course, he's selling grills in between bites of ribs and chicken, but it's still acting, right? Isn't it? Danza only lost 25% of his matches in his short boxing career. It's sad how much brain damage one can suffer in only three losses, huh?

Ian

Johnny Yen said...

Toccata-
You know, I think as long as he kept playing blue collar lugs, he does fine. He lacks a certain gravitas to play Max Bialystock.

Reel-
Welcome to Casa de Yen!

John Travolta's another one who I think is great as long as he's playing the person he is-- kind of a dolt.

Bubs-
Yeah-- I guess Sylvester Stallone was unavailable, probably writing the script for Rocky 106.

Barbara-
Rush out and rent that movie tonight!

I think that's the best accessment I've ever seen of Tony Danza.

Ian-
Welcome!

What's sad is that his star power will actually probably result in an increase in box office.

yournamehere said...

Maybe they'll get a topless Allysa Milano to join the cast. That's a push in my book.

GETkristiLOVE said...

I love it in Friends when Phoebe sings, "Hold me closer, Tony Danza."

He's by far the worst talk show host I've ever seen.

Jenny Jenny Flannery said...

I think, these days, Tony Danza is just skeevy enough to pull of Max Bialystock. Though, I'd love to see John Lithgow in that role.

vikkitikkitavi said...

Tony Danza in the Producers ranks pretty high in the "criminally bad choice" hall of fame.

Not as high Rosie O'Donnell in Fiddler on the Roof, but pretty freakin high.

Dale said...

I've not seen the original film either and wondered how it was. Sounds pretty funny.

Maybe they're offering Tony the role as an update to the story? So bad an idea it couldn't possibly work? Or maybe they just plan to flush him out of hiding and then flush him for good.