What's so funny!?

Mel Brooks (born Melvin Kaminsky in 1926), one of the most prolific comics of the 20th Century. I grew up on reruns of Get Smart, films such as Young Frankenstein, Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Space Balls. In the last decade he turned his hand to the world of Broadway musicals via the cult movie The Producers which was played to acclaim by Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane. It played continuously on Broadway for 6 years (finishing in April, 2007) winning 12 Tony awards, the most for any musical.

While the comedy of Mel Brooks is never subtle, it is pervasive, with catchphrases entering modern popular culture. Whether it is someone who says "Missed it by that much." in their best Don Adams impersonation or "It's good to be the king.", it is hard to meet a person who doesn't laugh at some of his gags, or at the very least crack a wry smile. Who could forget the scene in Blazing Saddles where the sherrif takes himself hostage to get out of trouble!?

This biography by James Robert Parish traces the early years of Mel Brooks, through the peak of his film career in the 1970s to the low point in the mid 1990s and eventual rebirth via The Producers.

If you're a fan of the man quoted as saying "Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you walk into an open sewer and die.", then you better go out and get your copy now!

Available at all good booksellers