Mel Brooks although Brooks was not involved with its production after the pilot episode. "Get Smart" was highly rated for most of its production and won seven Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Comedy Series in 1968 and 1969. For several years, Brooks had been toying with a bizarre and unconventional idea about a musical comedy of Adolf Hitler. Brooks explored the idea as a novel and a play before finally writing a script. Eventually, he was able to find two producers to fund the show, Joseph E. Levine and Sidney Glazier, and made his first feature film, "The Producers", in 1967. "The Producers"
Kelly (musical) on a percentage of ticket sales for each of the show's profitable weeks. Before its Broadway opening, the show was presented for three weeks in Philadelphia and half a week in Boston. While "Kelly" was in tryouts, roles played by Ella Logan, Jack Creley, and Avery Schreiber were cut by show doctors Leonard Stern and Mel Brooks. Pre-Broadway promotion for the show included an event on the Brooklyn Bridge with a series of chorus girls. Directed and choreographed by Herbert Ross, the musical began previews at the Broadhurst Theatre on February 1, 1965 and opened (and closed) on February 6