A curious part of film history is how readily drag culture has been utilized for laughs by heterosexual male characters. Dating back to 1959’s Marilyn Monroe-starring “Some Like It Hot,” straight male characters have often disguised themselves in women’s clothing, usually as a form of camouflage. 

Set in Australia, the film follows two drag queens, Adam “Felicia Jollygoodfellow” (Guy Pearce) and Tick “Mitzi Del Bra” (Hugo Weaving), as well as their transgender compatriot, Bernadette, as they journey across rural Australia to perform a cabaret show at a hotel run by Tick’s estranged wife, Marion (Sarah Chadwick).

Brooks himself said that a film like “Blazing Saddles” could never get made today, in the realm of political correctness and progressive attitudes. Similarly, Brooks’ “The Producers” would most certainly be problematic if made today. Originally filmed in 1967, “The Producers” went on to become a smash Broadway musical and a middling 2005 remake.