Failed Broadway producer Max (Zero Mostel) and timid accountant Leo (Gene Wilder) come up with a foolproof plan to make a fortune, by staging a musical which is guaranteed to flop and close after one night. A mad Nazi seems to have the perfect raw material - a tribute to the Führer entitled 'Springtime for Hitler'. However, the show is taken for a comedy classic, and becomes an overnight success. The two schemers, faced with financial ruin, determine to blow up the theatre in which the show is taking place. Mel Brooks won a Best Screenplay Oscar for the film, which also marked his directorial debut.