Mel Brooks

Mel Brooks is now as much institution as man, his incomparable achievements in the world of stage and film comedy dwarfing those of nearly any other producer. Mel Brooks is capable of connecting with audiences of all types, bringing a musical, irreverent sensibility to his productions. While the actual language may be toned down from time to time, the ideas remain ratcheted up. Searing social commentary and satire are all part of the fun for Mel Brooks, though the range of his humor is quite broad, and he has the theater man’s sense of balance in a scene and project.

His classic musical The Producers started in 1968, and has been running ever since, with a recent big-name Broadway production filling seats in a way few other long-running musicals have managed to do. He is creative talent capable of writing music, lyrics, dialogue and stories. Mel Brooks had written extensively for several sketch comedy shows on television while working on more cohesive theater productions.

Consequently 1974 was a good year for Mel Brooks—he released two of his most popular movies Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. The first was a brutal lampooning of the Western genre, executed with obvious affection for the source material, despite satirically attacking the racism some Westerns embrace. Young Frankenstein was a relatively deadpan affair, with his imitation of the original being faithful enough to cause some scenes to be actually frightening.

His career began in the forties, and his hectic work schedule slowed in eighties, although still yielding Spaceballs and History of the World: Part One. Both films featured his trademark double entendres and sexual humor, delivered with a straight face and with so many winks and nods even the prudes end up laughing. His last big hit came in 1993 with Robin Hood: Men in Tights. His more recent films have not enjoyed as much success, but he has continued to make film and television appearances and continue work in the theater.

Brooks was born in Brooklyn June 28, 1926. He lost his wife of thirty-one years, beloved performer Anne Bancroft, in 2005. He has one child with her and three others from a previous marriage.