Mel Brooks was so brazen in its satire that major studios would not touch it, nor would many exhibitors. Brooks finally found an independent distributor who released it as an art film, a specialized attraction. In 1968, Brooks received an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, beating such writers as Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavetes. "The Producers" became a smash underground hit, first on the nationwide college circuit, then in revivals and on home video. Brooks later turned it into a musical, which became hugely successful on Broadway, receiving an unprecedented twelve Tony awards. With the moderate financial success of
Present Arms (musical) Present Arms (musical) Present Arms is a Broadway musical comedy that opened April 26, 1928, with music by Richard Rodgers, and lyrics by Lorenz Hart. It is based on the book by Herbert Fields. It was produced by Lew Fields with musical numbers stage by Busby Berkeley. It ran for 155 performances at the Lew Fields' Mansfield Theatre, which today is known as the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. "Present Arms" was filmed in 1930 with Irene Dunne, with its title changed to "Leathernecking". The film is presumed lost. The show starred Charles King, Flora Le Breton, Joyce Barbour and Busby Berkeley.