| “ | (Singing) I wanna be a producer, with a hit show on Broadway, I wanna be a producer, Lunch at sardi's everyday. I wanna be a producer, Sport a top hat and a cane, I wanna be a producer, and drive those chorus girls insane! | „ |
| ~ Leo singing about his secret desire to be a producer. |
' Leopold "Leo" Bloom is one of the two main characters in Mel Brook's musical masterpiece The Producers, the other main character being Max Bialystock. He is a timid accountant whose lifelong dream is to be a successful Producer.
He is portrayed by the late Gene Wilder - who also portrayed Willy Wonka in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein - in the 1968 film, and by Matthew Broderick - who also portrayed Ferris Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Simba in The Lion King, Niko Tatopoulos in Godzilla, Inspector Gadget in the live-action Inspector Gadget films, and Despereaux Tilling in The Tale of Despereaux - in the 2001 theatre musical and the 2005 film.
Personality[]
Leo is a very timid man who refers to himself as "a loser, a coward, and a chicken." He is also very anxious and prone to panic attacks, or "hysterics" as he calls them. Often times when someone gets too close to him, he gets uncomfortable or fears that they are going to attack him. He is also shown to carry around a handkerchief sized fragment of a blue blanket that he’s had since he was a baby in his pocket, which he frequently pulls out and strokes against his face as a form of comfort when he is feeling nervous. Leo, Despite his shyness, severe anxiety and low self-esteem, is also shown to be loving, efficient, observant, protective, organized, level-headed, diligent, big-hearted, loyal, outgoing, optimistic and forgiving.
In the film[]
Leo Bloom arrives at "The King of Broadway" Max Bialystock's apartment to do some accounting on his books. Max Bialystock gives him a huge fright at first, but is able to calm Leo down enough for him to introduce himself.
Just as Leo is about to begin his work, one of Max's investors, an old woman named "Hold me, Touch me", arrives and Max quickly gets Leo to hide in the bathroom. After a while, Leo comes out of the bathroom to find Max and Hold me, Touch me on top of each other on the couch, to which he swiftly runs back into the bathroom.
Once Hold me, Touch me leaves, Leo is able to come back out of the bathroom. He tells Max that he is sorry for catching him "feeling up" the old lady. Max takes his coat but then throws it, lashing out at Leo, telling him to "account for himself." Max goes on to ask Leo a series of confusing questions, when Leo attempts to answer as best he can, Max harshly informs him that he is "having a rhetorical conversation." He then asks Leo if he knew who he used to be, to which Leo responds "Yes! you're Max Bialystock, the King of Broadway!" This answer surprises Max as much as it satisfies him. Leo reassures Max that he does not think he is just a "dirty old man" and confides with him about the secret desire to become a Broadway producer he has had ever since he saw one of Max's old shows as a child, he even shows him the original ticket stub that he keeps with him, but Max tells him to keep this desire of his a secret.
After briefly looking over Max's books, Leo inquires if he could speak to him for a minute. Max obliges but takes it literally and times him. Leo gets confused and pulls out his blue blanket out of overwhelm. Max swipes it from him to see it. Leo stands up and begins to panic and scream, frantically asking Max to give it back. Max, bewildered, gives it back to him, and Leo in his frenzied state explains that the blue blanket is just a "minor compulsion" that he doesn't like other people touching, and that he likes to keep it with him everywhere he goes for comfort since he's had it ever since he was a baby. After this, Leo faints and Max attempts to get him to regain conciousness. In doing so he causes Leo to fear that he's going to jump on him and "squash him like a bug" as Max was standing over him on the floor. Leo becomes "hysterical" and has a panic attack. Max, after multiple attempts is able to calm him back down.
Leo finally accounts his books and finds an error in them. After Max convinces him to cover the error up, Leo observes aloud that a Producer could make more money with a flop than he could with a hit. Max jumps at this, and wanting to get more money, attempts to get Leo to join in his scheme to get two million dollars so they can go to Rio. Leo refuses, afraid that the show will succeed and they'll go to jail for tax fraud, but Max sings to him about the joys that will come from the plan. Leo quickly runs out of the apartment onto the streets to get away from Max but Max eventually catches him at central park. Max tries to convince him but Leo says that he's "mistaken him for someone with a spine," and leaves Max.
Leo goes back to his job at the accounting firm “Whitehall and Marks” where he is chatised and bullied by his cruel boss, Mr. Marks. Leo begins fantasizing about being a producer through song which then breaks out into a full, flourishing dance number in his imagination. After breaking out of his daydream, Leo realises that Max was right about there “being a lot more to him than there is to him.” Just as Leo is about to leave the firm, Mr. Marks comes back into the room and Leo not only tells Mr. Marks that he’s quitting, but also stands up for himself by boldly telling Mr. Marks off, to which his fellow miserable coworkers cheer. He gives back all of his old accounting items to Mr. Marks (who snatches them lividly) and finishes off his song, leaving the building to find Max.
He sees Max sitting at the fountain in Central Park, where he left him. He tells Max that he was scared of going to jail, but he didn't realise that he already was in jail, that he has spent his life counting other people's money when all he wants now is to know when he'll get his share. He stands up on the edge of the fountain and yells "I want everything I've ever seen in the movies!" He and Max then dance in and out of the fountain now that Leo has agreed to join him in his scheme.
The next morning, Leo and Max are seen reading stacks of plays that they had been going through all throughout the previous night. Leo finally gives up, saying that they'll never find a play that would be a flop, but Max starts laughing and shows Leo a play that will be a gigantic diasaster, certain to offend people of all races, creeds and religions. Leo is shocked by the offensiveness of just the title alone. The play is called Springtime For Hitler which is practically a love letter to Hitler. Leo and max find out that the playwright is an ex-Nazi named Franz Liebkind who happens to also live in New York City, so the two go off to see him. Just before they leave, however, Leo picks up Max's spare hat and asks if he can wear it, to which Max says no because it is a Broadway producer's hat and Leo can't wear it yet since he hasn't officially produced a show. Leo swears that he'll wear the hat soon.
The two are finally able to find Franz, who is on top of his apartment roof, feeding his carrier pigeons. They tell him that they want to put his play on Broadway. Franz jumps at this chance and tells them that he would be delighted to do it. However, first they must prove to him that they are believe in Hitler as much as he does, by joining him in dancing to The Fuhrur’s favorite tune der Guten Tag Hop-Clop. Leo says that could never do that, as he doesn't want to show respect to Hitler, but Max says that they have to do it so Franz can sign. After having done the dance, Franz tells them that they have to take the "Seigfried Oath", which is a pledge of eternal allegiance to Hitler. Leo attempts to refuse again but Max elbows him in the gut and Leo quickly corrects himself by showing false enthusiasm. When Franz presents the two men with Swastika arm bands to wear while taking the oath, Leo pulls Max aside and informs Max that he's worried that they are getting in too deep. Max brushes him off and tells him that he'll let him know when they're getting in too deep. With that, they reluctantly take the oath. Franz signs the contract, right before Max and Leo leave, Franz stops the two men and informs them that he forgot to tell them that the penalty for breaking the Seigfried Oath is death. Leo’s expression looks unnerved, but Max does not seem fazed and simply says "sorry to hear that."
Leo and Max then go to see flamboyantly gay director, Roger DeBris, so he can sign the contract to direct the play. Leo and Max are greeted by Roger's peculiar Common-law assistant/partner, Carmen Ghia. Carmen goes to get Roger while the other two wait. Roger arrives to greet them, wearing a gown. Leo is disturbed by Roger's gaudy personality and behavior. Max asks Roger if he read the play and he says that he "devoured" it and loved it, but refuses to direct, saying that the story is too dark depressing.
He explains in a song that shows should be more pretty, witty and Gay. He introduces the producers to his entire production team, and Max, afraid that Roger will never agree to join, tells Leo to go say something nice to Roger. Leo does so reluctantly and compliments his dress. However, Leo gets very uncomfortable after Roger gets attracted to Leo's scent and makes an odd remark about it. Leo gets out his blue blanket and goes over to Max, once again saying that he thinks they're getting in too deep. Max says that there is nothing to worry about and tells Roger that he is certain to win a Tony for directing. Roger tells Leo and Max that the second half of the play has to be rewritten and to have the germans win the war. Roger finally agrees to direct and the everyone begins dancing to the conga to celebrate.
After returning to their apartment, Max and Leo are met by a beautiful young Swedish woman who wants to know if they've begun casting for the play. Her first name is Ulla Inga Hanson Benson Yanson Talen Halen Swaden Swanson. Max and Leo decide to just call her Ulla and ask what she does for a living. Ulla says she sings and dances. She performs for the two men a song she wrote called "When You Got it, Flaunt it" (Getting the idea from Max who shouted out those exact words as a cat-call earlier in the film), and dances for them. Max, attracted by her beauty, immediately lets her be in the show, but Leo tells Max that they don't even know if there's a part for her in the show. That and the fact that they haven't even begun casting yet. Max tells Leo that Ulla can work for them as a secretary/receptionist until the actual casting starts. Leo offers Ulla the job and immediately accepts with enthusiasm. Leo asks what time she can get to the apartment in the morning. Ulla goes through her morning schedule, saying what she does each hour. She ends by saying that at 11, she likes to have sex, then asks when she can arrive. The two men droolingly answer "Eleven." Ulla accepts and happily leaves the building.
Once gone, Leo laments to Max about how beautiful Ulla is, and that he has a strange feeling inside of him, building up and "erupting like a volcano". He asks Max what that feeling is, and Max dismisively tells Leo that it is either an erection or malaria, (but not to worry as they have shots for everything now.)
Max shows Leo an empty safe and asks what he sees inside it. Leo says "Nothin'." And Max says that it's their job to feel the safe with 2 million dollars. Leo first asks how much money they're supposed to put in themselves, to which Max responds by sharply telling Leo to NEVER put your own money in the show, Leo then asks how they'll raise money, and Max says that he'll get the money from his investors, a bunch of little old ladies that he has paid dalliances with (as seen earlier in the film with Hold Me-Touch Me). Max tells Leo to get out while he gets himself ready to do the job.
After some time, Max comes back to Leo, yelling that he finally raised two million dollars. The two then see the production sign for "Springtime For Hitler" being put up and happily rejoice.
Some time passes, they arrive back at the apartment only to find that Ulla has painted it entirely white (as she was requested to “tidy up” the office by the two men earlier.) Max retrieves some money from the safe and goes to make payments to the theater that “Springtime” will be performed in, leaving Ulla and Leo alone in the appartment together.
Leo tries to get some paperwork done, but Ulla expresses that she would like to spend some time with him by pointing out that they're all alone. She attempts to make a flirtatious advance on Leo, getting close to him in the process and forcing him to pull out his blue blanket and move away from her, as she had flustered him. Ulla asks Leo why he moved away, and inquires if it was because he doesn't like her, and informs him that she likes him. Leo reassures Ulla that he certainly does like her, "maybe a little too much."
He then begins a song about how his growing love for Ulla will certainly have a massive impact on his current work with Max. He sings about how her beauty will "do him in" and ruin his partnership. After dancing together (and having a little unseen scuffle behind the couch), the two then realize their true love for each other, sing a shorter, more romantic duet version of the song Leo sang earlier and finally share a passionate kiss, wherein Leo takes out his blue blanket and drops it in the waste bin, no longer needing it now that he has more courage.
Leo, along with Roger, Carmen, Ulla, Franz and Max, later appear at the auditions for the role of Adolf Hitler, but Leo dosen't really take much activity in the scene. During one of the singers performances, Franz gets angry at the mockery and disrespect and gets up himself to show Max and Leo the “correct” way to sing the song. Once his performance is over, Max announces that Franz will be the one to play the role of Hitler.
The scene cuts immediately to the opening night of the show. As audience members enter the theater, Leo is seen outside talking with two usherettes. He innocently attempts to impress them by putting on Max’s spare hat, only to be stopped by Max himself, who once again declines Leo’s desire to wear the hat, saying that Leo is still technically not a producer as the curtain has neither gone up or down yet.
This conversation is interrupted by Ulla, who rushes in to talk to Leo before she gets into costume, she dotingly straightens his bowtie and Leo wishes her a good show, telling her to “roll them in the aisles” before the two share a kiss in front of Max.
Once Ulla leaves to go to the dressing room, Max expresses his jealousy and discontentment with Leo branching out to form a romantic relationship with Ulla, saying that he feels as though he’s left out in the cold while they’re off “askewing” each other. Leo refutes by saying that he has no interest in sex, or “askewing” as Max puts it and that he only goes as far as hugs and kisses in terms of physical affection. This seems to put Max at ease.
Shortly after this, Franz arrives loudly on a motorcycle, followed by Roger and Carmen. The group of five congregate near the back door of the theater to exchange words of encouragement before the show begins. Leo wishes everyone “good luck” causing them all to back away in shock and offense. Leo is confused by their reaction, so Roger, Carmen and Franz explain to him in song form that it is bad luck to say “good luck” before an opening night performance and that the correct expression is “break a leg.” All the while Max is wishing good luck to the random cast and crew members walking through the backstage door, trying everything to ensure that the show will flop.
After this small number, it is announced that the curtain will be going up in five minutes, this causes Franz to rush through the backstage door, the rest of the group calls “break a leg” after him, however he trips down the stairs. Literally breaking his leg.
The four men attempt to quickly come up with a solution now that Franz is unable to perform the leading role of the show. Leo does not take much part in this conversation other than to remind Max that Franz does not have an understudy. Max attempts to enlist Roger to play the role of Hitler as he knows every line in the show, at first he refuses although it’s evident that he wants to, but after a quick pep-talk from Carmen, he accepts the offer with enthusiasm and the show is back on.
Just as soon as the show is about to start, Leo, in a burst of anticipation and excitement, impulsively shouts “This is it!” from the audience. Max shushes him and Leo covers his mouth in embarrasment. The two producers then exchange “good lucks” right before the curtain goes up.