It's about time this guy had his own thread! This man is simply a genius when it comes to movies. I would have to say my favorite of his is Blazing Saddles but a big part of that is because of Gene Wilder .(mods feel free to move this where ever)

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Seeing as we already have a Madeleine Kahn thread and now a Mel Brooks one...rather than start a third I'll use this thread (if Maddy doesn't object) to mention another of Brooks' often used actresses...the brilliant Cloris Leachman!
I first remember her as Mary Tyler-Moore's upstairs neighbour, Phyliss in the MTM Show..she later got her own spin off series too called simply 'Phyliss'. Next thing I remember her in was Young Frankenstein where she played the starchily Tuetonic house-keeper, 'Frau Blucher' (whinney!)..as depicted in my sig.

Her dominatrix psychiatric nurse, Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety could have been related to Frau Blucher (whinney!)..and I'm sure that's where Jean-Paul Gautier got the idea for Madonna's conical bra from!



She's done loads and loads of TV work according to IMDb...including a guest voice on The Simpsons (the old lady with the iodine in '3 Men and a Comic Book')

However I had no idea she was so old now! Born in 1926 according to IMDb she'll be 80 this year!!!


Still looking good for her age, though!

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Me object? Naw . I figure if it has any relation to Brooks an anyway then it belongs here

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I love Mel Brooks and I simply adore Cloris Leachman too...for every reason Charlie stated above.

Charlie:OMG, Wow, you have got to be sh*tting me...

My favorite Mel Brooks movies are....
Oh by the way I had to watch Blazing Saddles last night...and haven't watched it for awhile...but man it is so funny, you don't even know where to start touting the funny scenes and lines....I have already been touting it in the Madeleine Kahn thread, so I won't repeat myself...

anyway I digress..my favs..

Young Frankenstein
Blazing Saddles
Space Balls
High Anxiety
The Producers
The Twelve Chairs
Life Stinks
To Be or Not To Be

And I'll mention it again here...I really like the new Producers, any Mel Brooks fan will like it, it is still Mel's movie all the way. It still smells like Mel ....

Did we all know that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, a comic genius in his own right, were the creators of the TV show Get Smart. One of the funniest/best TV shows ever made.

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I'd have to say nothing will ever top Blazing Saddles for me.

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"Nothing is Written."

A few quotes from Mel..I have to say I greatly admire the man, always have.

I think the most important thing in the world is to be able to laugh at yourself and others...well Mel didn't say that one, I did..

Mel said these though....

Humor is just another defense against the universe.

I only direct in self-defense.

Look, I don't want to wax philosophic, but I will say that if you're alive you've got to flap your arms and legs, you've got to jump around a lot, for life is the very opposite of death, and therefore you must at very least think noisy and colorfully, or you're not alive.

Tragedy is when I cut my finger. Comedy is when you fall into an open sewer and die.

I think he would have gotten on famously with Oscar Wilde..who said my favorite quote of all time....Life is too important to be taken seriously.

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I loved History of the World, Part I, though I understand many didn't.

Well..while we are celebrating Brooks' regular cast members I have to put in a word for the great Harvey Korman.


He was Hedy ("That's 'Hedley'!!'') Lamarr in Blazing Saddles
" You will be risking your lives, whilst I will be risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for the Best Supporting Actor"

Jack Seward in 'Dracula: Dead and Loving It'
Dr. Steward: "Allow me to introduce Professor Abraham Van Helsing. He's a doctor of rare diseases as well as a man of theology and philosophy".
Van Helsing: "And gynecology."
Dr. Steward: "Oh, I didn't know you have your hand in that, too"

The pun-derfully named 'Count de Monet' in 'History of the World Pt. 1
"Don't get saucy with me, Bernaise"
and
Dr Charles Montague, in 'High Anxiety'
"Enjoy yourself, for God's sake! Get your mind off the Wentworth murder... Accident!..Accident!!"

I also remember seeing him starring in a TV series called The Nutt House, which I gather was supposed to be a sort of US version of Fawlty Towers but it bombed badly...but Korman was still good in it.

And again I am amazed to discover that he is almost 80 as well..born 1927!
I guess that if we don't see these people on our screens very often we just remember them as they were in their films..some of which were nearly 30 years ago! It's a bit like Dorian Gray in reverse. The image of them on screen remains young whereas the physical body deteriorates...

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I love when the guy makes the giant bong and then the romans(I think) were caught in the smoke and got high and started to walk in circles

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Thanks for bringing Harvey up too Charlie...he is wonderful..

Did you guys across the pond ever see The Carol Burnet Show, he was a regular along with Tim Conway..My god those shows were just a riot...

Jeez when was that on..late 60's early 70's...they are still seen in reruns occasionally...

and of course I always trust your facts...but my god, hard to believe those people are that old now

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