Mel Brooks (Photo: HBO; used with permission)
Mel Brooks is one of just 19 artists who have earned “EGOT” status competitively*, winning an Oscar (Best Writing for The Producers), a Grammy (Best Spoken Comedy Album for The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000, Best Musical Show Album for The Producers and Best Long Form Music Video for Recording the Producers – A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks), an Emmy® (Outstanding Writing Achievement for a Sid Caesar special and three consecutive awards for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for Mad About You) and a Tony (Best Musical, Best Original Musical Score and Best Book of a Musical for The Producers).
Others who have earned a rare EGOT include Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Audrey Hepburn, Marvin Hamlisch, Rita Moreno, John Legend and Elton John. From the groundbreaking TV series Your Show of Shows to landmark films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, Brooks has been one of the most influential voices in comedy.
A two-part documentary about the comedic icon is currently in production from HBO Documentary Films and Apatow Productions. Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio are directing. The July 24, 2024, announcement described it as “an expansive yet intimate look at one of comedy’s most hilarious and influential minds, whose work has had audiences around the world laughing for more than 70 years.”
Said Apatow, “I went into comedy because of my love for Mel Brooks. This project is the dream of a lifetime.” The timetable for the production was not revealed in the announcement. Brooks turned 98 in 2024.
Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926 in Brooklyn, NY. His iconic career began with Sid Caesar’s Your Show of Shows, where he was part of what is considered by many to be the greatest writers’ room in history, which included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Larry Gelbart. The legendary filmmaker, writer and actor was also the subject of a 2019 career-spanning HBO special, Mel Brooks Unwrapped.
The HBO comedy special features the award-winner in interviews with Alan Yentob, former creative director for the BBC. Since 1981, Yentob has filmed Brooks for a number of candid conversations and mock interviews, many of which showcase a more reserved Yentob as “straight man” to Brooks’ high-energy, quick-witted, unsparingly sarcastic persona.
Mel Brooks Unwrapped also shows Yentob following Brooks in his day-to-day life, including a visit with long-time friend and collaborator Carl Reiner – who dubs Mel “the funniest human being in the world” – to share some spaghetti and meatballs and watch some iconic clips from Brooks’ 60-plus years in showbiz.
Watch the trailer for 2019’s Mel Brooks Unwrapped
Among Brooks’ other classic comedy films as director, writer, producer and/or actor are History of the World Part 1, Silent Movie, Spaceballs and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Blazing Saddles, The Producers and Young Frankenstein all appear on the AFI’s list of Funniest American Films. Brooks co-created, with Buck Henry, the hit TV series, Get Smart.
Incredibly, both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were released in the same year. The latter earned two Academy Award nominations, though it failed to win.
“How about some more beans, Mr. Taggart?” Watch a classic scene from Blazing Saddles
He married his second wife, actress Anne Bancroft, in 1964. She died in 2005. The pair starred together in Brooks’ 1983 film, To Be or Not To Be where they, yes, sang “Sweet Georgia Brown” in Polish.
Related: Gene Wilder, who starred in Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and The Producers, died in 2016
Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner (Photo via Reiner’s Facebook page)
Brooks and Carl Reiner formed a comedy duo in the 1950s, which notably featured The 2000 Year Old Man sketch, with Brooks as the titular character interviewed by his friend: “I have over 1500 children and not one of them ever comes to visit.”
The two widowers, both well into their nineties, had dinner together almost every night until Reiner passed in 2020.
Brooks’ long list of awards also includes the Kennedy Center Honors (2009) and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (2010). Many of his films are available in the U.S. here and in the U.K. here.
*Six others have earned an EGOT via a honorary award. They include Barbra Streisand (whose only Tony for “Star of the Decade” was awarded in 1970), Harry Belafonte and Quincy Jones (who received Humanitarian awards from the Film Academy two decades apart), and James Earl Jones (who received an Honorary Oscar).
9 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationI wish we could listen to their dinner conversation, it’s likely much funnier then dialog heard in today’s comedies.
I laugh out loud every time I think of some of the films and television he created , the stories are so over the top ! It’s a signature like no other, that’s a gigantic gift to all of us. Thank you God for Mel Brooks
At 75 years old, I too, still laugh at Mel Brooks comedic endeavors every time I see/hear them. What a genius! Thanks Mel!!!!
Comedy would never have been the same without the magnificent MEL BROOKS !
Thanks for many happy years of laughter, Mr. Brooks.
Thank you also for ‘The Elephant Man.’
The Producers was so funny, I laughed until my jaw hurt.
Spring time for Hitler in Germany…
Mel Brooks is probably the single funniest man that America has ever produced. His stuff has been legendary for decades. I hope he lives another hundred years and keeps creating.
It’s the truth! These group of writers were the best in the business of any group of comedy writer ever. I grew up on “Your Show of Shows” which starred Sid Caesar who IMHO was the funniest comedian ever. He was also good at pantomime. He could speak Italian, German, Russian, etc. but in reality it was just made up words. He hired the best comedy writers for his show which was on live every Sunday night starring Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howie Morris, Louie Mye and Nanette Fabray. Here are just a few clips to give you an example of how funny they were:
Just Enjoying A Movie
https://youtu.be/2tIIDUHg4VE?si=KnQ2isf8qyKHckHw
Boy At His First Dance
https://youtu.be/S-xv97UNRFM?si=IN1gVov_UvuDQ6Z6
Mel Brooks forever !
Judd Apatow never.
Quality versus crap.