Max Bialystock (Zero Mostel) is a washed up Broadway producer forced to romance old ladies to finance his plays. When timid accountant Leo Bloom (Gene Wilder) is brought in to do his books, he inadvertently reveals to Bialystock that under the right circumstances, a producer could make more money with a flop than a hit.

Bialystock cajoles Bloom into helping him achieve this end and together they come up with what they consider to be a sure-fire disaster waiting to happen--a musical version of Adolf and Eva's love story entitled 'Springtime for Hitler'. But is it possible that they might actually have the most unlikely hit of all time on their hands?