Comedy is one of the most underestimated art forms. It has the power to demean evil, influence new ways of thinking, and cure sadness with a few well-crafted jokes. The greatest comedians of our time have utilized comedy for all of the above reasons. And while comedy styles have changed as well as comedy taste, the legends never die. One of those legends who is still going strong at 95 is Mel Brooks.
Brooks made his name as a director with classic films such as The Producers, Young Frankenstein, and Spaceballs, poking fun at genres, cultures, and, of course, Hitler. But he has also worn hats a television writer, producer, screenwriter, songwriter, and actor in the entertainment industry. He was there for the birth of TV, directed decade-defining films, produced some of the most well-respected dramas, and adapted his screenplays into stage plays.
As a super fan, I was already familiar with Brooks’ resume and life story after seeing the movies, watching the documentaries, listening to the DVD commentaries, and reading his previous memoir, It’s Good to be The King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks. But when I heard that he had a new memoir out, one that focuses specifically on his career, I immediately ordered myself a copy. Below are my thoughts on Brooks’ latest book, All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business.
All About Me! book summary
Mel Brooks chronicles his career in show business from growing up the youngest of four boys in Brooklyn, NY watching movies at the local theater to getting his start in television before transitioning to movies, eventually forming his own production company, and most currently, trying his hand as a Broadway writer and producer. Brooks injects his signature humor and confidence into every chapter as he breaks down every gig, film, and production, skimming over the hardships and failures and highlighting the successes and praise. What emerges is a greatest hits of a career straight from the comedian’s fast-talking, sentimental, and grateful mouth.
A memoir about showbusiness
Mel Brooks is first and foremost a fan of storytelling. It has shaped his life from making his family laugh as a little boy to making millions laugh on stage and screen. He is a storytelling machine as outlined by his television history in which he wrote six sketches a week for 39 weeks, a schedule that eventually burned him out in the television world, though not from the entertainment industry as a whole.
Brooks has tried his hand at multiple genres, and he has been able to evolve because he knows how to plot out a story, how to build those stories on a solid foundation with important messages as well as funny jokes, and how to evoke emotion, whether it’s in a joke, a dramatic scene, or a song. The result is always the same. It’s how it gets there that’s fascinating to read.
The book is not a guide to breaking into showbusiness or a comedy writing manual. It’s essentially Brooks paying tribute to himself. To any other person on this earth, it may seem ostentatious or self-congratulatory. But a combination of his rags to riches story, his deeply embedded comedy brand, and his extensive resume gives him not only the permission to do so, but he is encouraged to do so.
A lucky break and a positive attitude
Early on, Brooks tells the story of how his older brother convinced his mother not to send him to technical school like all of the other boys in the neighborhood expected to learn a trade rather than to choose a career. Being the single mother of four boys, the practical solution would have been the straight path. But being the youngest of four boys with older brothers to watch out for him, Brooks got his lucky break, took advantage of the opportunity he was given, and ran with it.
The early chapters serve to show where the seed was planted on the path to Brooks breaking into the business. We’ve all heard a thousand rags to riches stories in our lifetimes. But they never get old.
And The Greatest Generation is an endangered species this day and age. Brooks is one of the last surviving depression-era children. He’s also a World War II vet whose life was put on hold to put his life at risk overseas. Every generation has their hardships, but this particular brand of hardships will one day be a thing of the past.
While this book serves as a love letter to his career, Brooks is not jaded by his success. He’s simply a positive guy who likes to remember the ups rather than the downs. So, he selects the best stories, has only the nicest things to say about his co-workers and collaborators, and highlights only the most positive reviews of his work. He knows that his career was shaped just as much by luck and from the aid of others as it was by his drive and hard work.
Reminiscing
Even at 95, Brooks still has an uncanny attention to detail. Many of the stories are ones that the mega fans already know but won’t mind hearing again, such as his lunch dates with Cary Grant or the origins of his 2000 Year Old Man bit.
After the early years, the chapters are broken up according to project, first TV shows, followed by movies, and ending with his Broadway career. If you’re in it for the movies alone, you’ll have to wait until page 158 of this 450 page book.
Each chapter includes set photos, still images, behind-the-scenes stories about what it takes to get something made, memorable moments, and his funniest bits transcribed into text. Brooks is as big a fan of himself as anyone. But at the same time, he remembers to pay tribute to each team that worked with him to create every production as well as the critics who verified his success with glowing reviews.
Personal life
Brooks’ personal life is kept to a minimum. His first marriage is glossed over, and he blames himself for its end via his crankiness due to the burnout of writing for television. However, he does not forget to mention his three children from his first marriage.
Brooks’ second wife, actress Anne Bancroft, gets her own introductory chapter as someone who not collaborated with Brooks throughout their careers but also championed it when he was still an up-and-coming film director who had not yet earned his stripes. Their son, Max, who has since made a name for himself in the literary world, also gets a bit more attention in the book via his brief stint as a child actor in the movies his father produced.
I was hoping for more personal stories, but Brooks plays his family close to the chest. And just like he doesn’t share dirt on his co-workers, his personal life is overshadowed as well.
At his age, Brooks has no reason to hold anything back. He could have torn down everyone in a captivating tell-all that would make headlines and stoke the gossip fires online the way some celebrity memoirs do to draw sales. But it’s not in his character to do so. And he names certain people in his field, such as agents and producers, who did the same, keeping their industry secrets a secret. This old-fashioned notion of minding your own business and keeping your personal life sacred is something to admire.
Brooks’ films
Mel Brooks directed only 12 movies throughout his career. Some, such as Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, are household names while others, such as The Twelve Chairs and Silent Movie, are not films that are easy to find.
While reading the book, I found myself wondering if, despite their universal themes and classic storylines, if Brooks’ films will endure. Many jokes are outdated and could easily be misconstrued as insensitive or even offensive. It would be exhausting to have to explain the nuances in a Mel Brooks comedy to a young audience member. But Brooks himself is used to defending his work.
In one chapter, Brooks recounts an irate audience member running up to him during a showing of The Producers stage musical and berating him for featuring a dancing Hitler onstage as he was a World War II vet. Brooks counters this by explaining that he too is a World War II vet and was doing it all in good fun. Hitler’s hold loosens on those affected by his historical atrocities when he’s humiliated in fictional form. And when someone who could easily have been one of his victims, had he been born in the wrong country, is the one portraying him as a dancing fool or a skilled ice skater, then who better to pull the strings and get the laughs?
Brooks has spent the better part of a century entertaining us with his specific brand of humor. This book is a complete guide to his catalog and the secrets behind how not only his comedy brain but storytelling brain works. As a fellow writer, it’s fascinating to learn his tricks. As a fan, it’s nice to have his career chronicled all in one place.
My rating
Buy it!
Buy a copy of All About Me! here and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Pin it!
This sounds like a fun book!