The Big Screen Comedies of Mel Brooks

Book excerpt: Mel Brooks is often regarded as one of Hollywood's funniest men, thanks to such highly successful films as The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. Both critics and fans have, however, noticed that his films have a tendency to turn out much like the jokes that comprise them--hit-or-miss, one minute shoot-the-moon brilliant and the next minute well short of laughs. This work is devoted entirely to Mel Brooks' work, good and bad, as a writer and director of big screen comedies. It provides a thorough synopsis and thematic analysis for each of his twelve films: The Producers (1968), The Twelve Chairs (1970), Blazing Saddles (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977), History of the World--Part 1 (1981), To Be or Not to Be (1983), Spaceballs (1987), Life Stinks (1991), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). The analyses include consideration of each film in relation to his other films to find common themes. Complete cast and production credits are provided for each film.