The film is "The Producers" written and directed by Mel Brooks in 1968 and, no, we're not going to talk about the gown wearing musical director. Our focus will be on Lee Meredith who appeared in the film for all of about three minutes, but managed to make a life long impression as the girl so many boys wanted to grow up to be.

Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder are a pair of neophyte con-men who hatch a scheme to make their fortune by producing the biggest flop on Broadway, the tuneful "Springtime For Hitler."

In order to look like genuine big-time producers they decide it's necessary to put up a good...ahem...front. They acquire new offices and new office furniture...including a non-English speaking receptionist played by the statuesque Miss Meredith who is first glimpsed in a dramatic tilt-up from high-heels to blonde hair; the sort of camera move usually reserved for skyscrapers and multi-stage rockets.

It's a galvanizing moment. At least it was for me. Standing there in a clingy yellow mini-dress she instantly shouldered her way onto my list of role models; those cinematic females I wished I could be.

When Gene asks what sort of work the Swedish bombshell will be doing in the office, Zero gives the order: "Ulla, go to work!"

Turning on the hi-fi she demonstrates one of her skills.

Dancing isn't Ulla's only talent. She can answer the phone (albeit only in Swedish) and she's a wiz at leaving and entering a room...which she manages to do several times during the course of one short scene, each arrival and departure photographed in loving detail.

But wait, there's no end to this girl's abilities. She's also an exceptional cigar lighter. What could possibly be the sub-text here?

 

It's baggy-pants burlesque just barely disguised as, oh, yeah, satire.

Very rude and very funny. And after the laughter fades there's the memory of Ulla...and the hours spent in front of a mirror trying to perfect that back arch to see if I could fill out a t-shirt the way she did. Movies can be so inspirational.

 

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