The Producers : I'm confused, 1967 vs. 1968?

I'm confused, 1967 vs. 1968?

Why is there a disparity in dates for this title? IMDB says 1967, Wikipedia (and the copyright in the movie title itself) say 1968.

I gather that it had a small release in 1967, and was released to a wider audience in 1968, but wouldn't everything just refer to the 1967 date in that case?

Was there a difference in the versions (maybe edited a bit between the two releases?)

I saw a post on the remake's boards, and someone said that the 1967 version was better than the remake, and another person said the 1968 version was better than both (or maybe they were all saying the 2005 version was better than the 60s versions.) Were they just saying stuff for yucks and pretending there is a more of a difference than just the dates for the 1967/1968 version?

Re: I'm confused, 1967 vs. 1968?

"The Producers" had its world premiere at a Philadelphia theater in late 1967; actually, more of a screening. Actually, more of a disaster. The movie's commercial (and far more successful) engagements began in 1968. But apart from a few brief edits, it's the same movie that bombed in Philly.

The Broadway musical version opened in 2001; it was later filmed (with most of the Broadway cast) in 2005.

Opinions may vary, but I'll take the late 60s version.

Re: I'm confused, 1967 vs. 1968?

The confusion is understandable. The Producers is included in the 1968 edition of Screen World with covers movies released in 1967. However, since Mel Brooks won the Oscar for screenplay the following year which suggests that it had not been released in NY and LA until 68.

Re: I'm confused, 1967 vs. 1968?

The film was finished in 1967, but sat on the shelf because the studio didn't think it was releasable. Then Peter Sellers saw it and loved it and took out an ad saying it was great and it should be released, so it got released the next year. This has happened with films. Here are two examples: The Silence of the Lambs was released in 1991, but in the end credits it says 1990 and with Fargo (1996 release, 1995 in credits).
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