Happy 99th Birthday, Mel Brooks!

Met him years ago and he is a doll. Happy birthday, Mel!

Hang on!

The Inquisition! What a show!

The Inquisition! Here we go!

We know you're wishin'

That we'd go away!

But the Inquisition's here

And here to stay!

Madeline Kahn didn’t play sings—that was Teri Garr

I sent him a bottle of Old Spice and a nice sport shirt.

Happy Birthday! You Teutonic twat!

History of the World, Part One is hysterically irreverent! Can’t believe it didn’t make the poll!

Life Stinks is underrated

He gave us Madeline Kahn as Marlene , so all is forgiven.

I first watched Young Frankenstein when I was 16 or so. This would have been circa 2000. I thought it was far and away the funniest movie I'd seen in my life.

A couple of years ago, I screened it for my students (mainly college freshmen). I think they laughed collectively once. I was dumbstruck!

“The inquisition”is the greatest musical number ever! Any eldergays here who were involved as dancing monks? It must’ve been such a blast to shoot this scene.

Pity he hasn't directed a watchable film since 1981.

He was in Boston about 15 years ago for some college’s graduation and that afternoon sat in front of me on the 5 pm American Airlines jet to LA. He spent the best part of the flight kneeling backwards on his seat entertaining the rest of the passengers in first class. He was absolutely hilarious.

Happy birthday Mel.

I knew someone who claimed the Broadway score of THE PRODUCERS was really written by Barry Manilow.

I recently watched Spaceballs again in anticipation of the sequel. I was shocked how unfunny it actually is.

Don't discount novelty, R15. When Spaceballs came out the idea of a Star Wars parody was fresh, and when you saw the movie for the first time you didn't know what was coming at every turn. Blazing Saddles will never stale because the shock value of the language isn't going away. If anything, it's more shocking now! Young Frankenstein is a masterclass in direction and cinematography, and has a perfect cast.

One reason why his later films aren't the classics his older ones were is that the satiric targets aren't as well-defined, and few actors today have the comedic chops to do his shtick. The same thing happens with revivals of A Funny Thing Happened On the Way To the Forum. The script is still funny, but there are no vaudevillians to cast in it.

Severely under-honored.

He deserves an honorary Oscar and a Kennedy Center Award at the very least!

And he and his BFF Carl Reiner were very vocal in their hatred of Trump so he’s a saint in my book.

True R16. What I really meant to say is that Spaceballs didn’t age well. History of the World, The Producers, and Blazing Saddles did, and I still find Young Frankenstein hilarious.

I'm tired, tired of being admired...

He was already honored by the Kennedy Center. :)

High Anxiety is uneven but it's probably my favorite due to endless airings on HBO in the 80s. Nurse Diesel was hilarious (if extremely un-PC)

"Taffeta, darling!"

[quote] it's absolutely nessa

Is this one of those brain-dead abbreviations like “mid” or “sus” that are used by mental midgets to appear contemporary and relevant?

It makes you seem illiterate and at least a little retarded.

“All these flowers, and on a lieutenant’s pay. You shouldn’t have” says Anna (Anne Bancroft) in thanks for the room full of roses to her Polish bomber pilot amour Andre (Tim Matheson) who replies, “That’s OK, my father’s a florist.”

and when Andre says, “Wanna see my bomber?” at which point Sasha, Anna Bronski’s becaftaned dresser faints away mouthing the words “Yes, yes, yes”

To Be or Not to Be, 1983

I loved loved loved the Bring On the Nuns sequence in History of the World where the kick line of nuns by the pool loose their habits and morph into an Esther Williams Aquacade number.

In both the original film version of “The Producers” and the film version of the musical, Mel’s voice is dubbed in for the lines “Don’t be stupid, be a smarty / Come and join the Nazi Party” in “Springtime for Hitler.” It makes me laugh even harder every time I hear it because Mel wanted to be the one who said it.

Joan Rivers said that making people laugh is like giving them a little vacation from their troubles. By that she meant it’s essentially impossible to worry while you’re laughing. Mel has given this eldergay a lot of vacations!

I wish they could update the clarity of his movies, and the rest of the Dom Delouise films and Rodney Dangerfeld one too. when I stream the clarity sucks and just makes those old great movies unwatchable.

As an 11 year old in 1981, nothing was funnier than History of the World Part I.

"You look like the piss boy!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"You look like the PISS BOY!"

"And YOU look like a bucket of shit!"

Harvey Korman call the piss boy over, does his business, and the tips him by flipping a coin into the bucket. "I'll get it later."

"But your Majesty! You don't understand! The peasants are revolting!"

"Boy you said it! They STINK on ICE!"

And of course-

"You mentioned 'rape' twice."

"I like rape!"

Loved Mel and Carl Reiner with the Thousand Year Old Man routines. I lost interest in his later years when he fell in love with himself.

I worked with Cary Elwes and asked why he did Robin Hood: Men in Tights. He answered: "Because it was Mel Brooks".

[quote] Is this one of those brain-dead abbreviations like “mid” or “sus” that are used by mental midgets to appear contemporary and relevant?

R23 No it isn’t, which you’d know if you were more familiar with Mel Brooks films.

Think before you start name-calling, especially the R-word.

Also, slap yourself viciously.

Who knew Mel was into scat?

Silent Movie is a gem that still holds up. Especially the pooping carousel horses. 🎠

Thanks R20. I’m glad.

I was too lazy to check.

R31 needs to start another thread telling us all about Cary Elwes

From History of The World

What a talented troupe of comedic actors were part of Mel Brooks' decades-long ensemble! Ironic that he is the last remaining original member.

When the time comes ... the loss of this beloved, legendary clown prince will warrant a national day of mourning.

Happy Belated Birthday, Mr. Kaminsky.

Such a weirdly matched couple physically and he mentioned it often. She was a beautiful woman in her time and he's always looked like an ugly little dwarf. But it worked. A lesson for us all.

Thank you, R32.

R23 is clearly not a Mel Brooks fan!

[quote] You mentioned 'rape' twice." "I like rape!"

That one’s not from History Of The World, It’s from Blazing Saddles.