His Story
Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky; June 28, 1926) is an American actor, writer, producer, director, comedian, and composer. He is known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. Brooks began his career as a comic and a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows. He became well known as part of the comedy duo with Carl Reiner in the comedy skit The 2000 Year Old Man. He also created, with Buck Henry, the hit television comedy series Get Smart, which ran from 1965 to 1970.
In middle age, Brooks became one of the most successful film directors of the 1970s, with many of his films being among the top 10 moneymakers of the year they were released. His best-known films include The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, History of the World, Part I, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. A musical adaptation of his first film, The Producers, ran on Broadway, from 2001 to 2007.
In 2001, having previously won an Emmy, a Grammy and an Oscar, he joined a small list of EGOT winners with his Tony Award for The Producers. He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2010, the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award in June 2013, a British Film Institute Fellowship in March 2015, a National Medal of Arts in September 2016, and a BAFTA Fellowship in February 2017. Three of his films ranked in the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years (1900–2000), all of which ranked in the top 15 of the list: Blazing Saddles at number 6, The Producers at number 11, and Young Frankenstein at number 13.
Brooks was married to Oscar and Tony-winning actress, Anne Bancroft, from 1964, until her death in 2005.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Brooks
What can you say ...
... about the great comedic genius Mel Brooks? He has given us some of the funniest movies in history, such as “The Producers”, “Blazing Saddles”, “Young Frankenstein”, and “Space Balls”. A brilliant writer, director and performer, Mel is a true comedy immortal.
For your reading pleasure, here are a few Mel Brooks facts you may not know
- Mel Brooks is one of just 11 performers who have won an Emmy, an Oscar, a Grammy, and a Tony Award, the so called “Grand Slam” of show business. He achieved this 34 years after winning the first of these awards, an Emmy in 1967. The final award was a Tony in 2001. Brooks has nearly achieved the slam multiple times, winning 4 Emmys, 3 Grammys, and 3 Tony Awards, but just 1 Academy Award. If he should happen to win another Academy Award, he’ll be the first person to have achieved the Grand Slam twice.
- Mel was supposed to have his first starring role in a movie called “Easy Come, Easy Go” starring the popular singing duo Jan and Dean in 1966. Unfortunately, the movie was cancelled when Jan Berry had his famous car accident which left him with brain damage and paralysis.
- The song “Springtime for Hitler” from “The Producers” is actually sung by Mel. His voice was dubbed-in for the singer’s in the film.
- As seemingly happened to many who go on to great things, Mel was a small, sickly child who was often picked on by his classmates.
- Brooks was a combat soldier in World War II. Specifically, Mel was a corporal in the U.S. Army stationed in North Africa. One of his duties was defusing landmines before the infantry moved in.
- As a soldier, Mel took part in the Battle of the Bulge.
- He has three films in AFI’s list of “Funniest Movies of All-Time”: “Blazing Saddles” (1973) is #6, “The Producers” (1968) is #11, and “Young Frankenstein” (1974) is #13.
- Although “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein” are often thought of as his most popular films, his biggest video sales come from “Spaceballs” (1987) and “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” (1993).
- Mel is a very accomplished drummer. He even got lessons from legendary drummer Buddy Rich.
- He met his future wife, Anne Bancroft, on the set of a TV show. In order to get to know her better, he paid a woman who worked on the set to tell him where she was having dinner that evening, so he could “accidentally” bump into her.
- He married Anne Bancroft at New York city hall in 1964. A passer-by served as the witness. The two were “glued together” from then until her death in 2005.
- He recorded a rap song for “History of the World: Part I” called “It’s Good to Be the King”. It turned out to be a mildly successful hip hop/dance song.
- Morey Amsterdam’s character “Buddy Sorrell” on the classic TV show “The Dick Van Dyke Show” was based on Mel Brooks.
- His movies always feature one scene in which the main character is seated, staring blankly, wondering what went wrong, while friends console him.
- He won three Emmy awards in a row for playing “Uncle Phil” on the TV show “Mad About You” (1997-1999).
- He had a rule of “never eating with the actors” on films he directed. However, he enjoyed the company of Cleavon Little so much on the set of “Blazing Saddles”, he “begged him to eat with me”.
- Mel made a cameo appearance in his movie “Young Frankenstein”, supplying the voice of a cat.
From Today I Found Out (feed your brain):
http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/01/mel-brooks-facts/
Mel Brooks quotes
- Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.
- If God wanted us to fly, He would have given us tickets.
- Humor is just another defense against the universe.
- Oh, I'm not a true genius. I'm a near genius. I would say I'm a short genius. I'd rather be tall and normal than a short genius.
- He who hesitates is poor.
- I was a soldier in WWII. The last couple of months of the war I was actually in combat.
- If you're quiet, you're not living. You've got to be noisy and colorful and lively.
- Immortality is a by-product of good work.
From BrainyQuote.com:
www.brainyquote.com/authors/mel_brooks
