Was "To Be or Not to Be" inspired by the "The Producers"?
I vaguely remember an interview with Mel Brooks where he stated that Spaceballs was inspired by the History of the World: Part I end scene of Jews in Space.
This made me wonder if To Be or Not to Be came from a similar desire to actually show the fictional play "Funny Boy", from The Producers, to audiences. Has Mel Brooks ever stated that this was actually the inspiration for To Be or Not to Be?
Best Answer
"Funny Boy" is a show referenced in the opening number of the 2001 Broadway musical version of The Producers. Mel Brooks’ film To Be or Not to Be was made eighteen years prior in 1983, and is a remake of a 1942 film of the same name, starring Jack Benny and Carole Lombard. Given the dates, "Funny Boy" could not have inspired To Be or Not to Be.
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Answer 2
Funny Boy was based on Hamlet, according to the 2005 remake of The Producers. There was no reference to any specific play in the 1967 version of the film which is comparable; in so much as there was no specific play that flopped at the beginning of the film.
To Be Or Not To Be (1983) was actually a direct remake of the 1942 film of the same name, to the point of actually reusing some of the same dialogue. As such, they couldn't possibly be related.
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