SurfWax News Index  |  Track News  |  Save/Exchange Information |  About Us

    News and Articles on Mel Brooks

    Archives: Mel Brooks

    Universal Studios Hollywood, The Entertainment Capital of L.A., Lights Up the Stage With 'Creature from The Black Lagoon - A Raging Rockin' Show,' A Broadway-Level Contemporary, Musical Adaptation of Universal's Cult Horror Film  Jul 1, 2009
    "Creature from the Black Lagoon - A Raging Rockin' Show" is being realized for the stage by Universal Creative and an award-winning theatrical production team drawing from the best of Broadway that includes, Tony Award-nominated Director and Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett, whose credits include Footloose, starring Kevin Bacon, Bewitched, starring Nicole Kidman and Broadway's "Swing!"; Scenic Designer James Youmans, whose credits include Broadway's "West Side Story" and "Gypsy," starring... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)

    * [ART JOURNAL] The outsider  Jul 1, 2009
    Heres a good art-world quiz question, one that could stump many an astute insider: What do Sol LeWitt, Sonic Youth, Dean Martin, Mel Brooks, Merle Haggard, Hudson River School painting and mid-century New Jersey tract housing have in common ... Though many critics through the years have complained that Grahams work can be hard to love and too dryly pedagogical, he said he sees himself as a Jewish comedian working firmly in the tradition of Jewish comedy greats like Mel Brooks and Andy... (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Business)

    Mel Brooks Wants To Make 2000 Year Old Man  Jun 29, 2009
    MEL Brooks (above) and Carl Reiner are planning to resurrect the 2000 Year Old Man. The comedy routine, created in 1961, features Reiner, now 87, interviewing Brooks, who turned 83 yesterday, kvetching through the ages. (New York Post -- Gossip)

    Today in History  Jun 28, 2009
    Comedian-movie director Mel Brooks is 83. Senate Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin (D-Mich. (Yahoo News)

    Celebrity birthdays for the week of June 28-July 4  Jun 25, 2009
    June 28: Comedian-director Mel Brooks is 83. Comedian John Byner is 72. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)

    Funny ladies  Jun 23, 2009
    Other career highlights: A trio of Mel Brooks film comedies as Frau Blucher in Young Frankenstein (1974), Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety(1977) and Madame Defarge in History of the World: Part 1 (1981); Ida, the Slavic granny on Malcolm in the Middle (2001-06); made it to the sixth round on Dancing With the Stars in 2008. Pet causes: Posed in a lettuce gown for a pro-vegetarian PETA poster this year; was Timmy's mom on TV's Lassie in the '50s. (USA Today)

    This week's DVD releases (June 21)  Jun 21, 2009
    95; available now) SPACEBALLS (1987) The power of the Force - er, Schwartz - is twice as strong on Blu-ray for Mel Brooks s Star Wars riff. (MGM, $29. (Boston Globe)

    Local writer gets promoted from 'The Office' to the big screen with the comedy 'Year One'  Jun 20, 2009
    Year One showcases the manic star power of Jack Black and features Mel Brooks-worthy scenes in which Black and fellow cave dweller Michael Cera stumble upon such Old Testament figures as Abraham and Isaac ... Ramis came up with the concept of Year One when he was in college and heard Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner doing The 2000 Year Old Man. (Boston Globe)

    'Year One' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know  Jun 20, 2009
    To pen the script, Ramis enlisted two writers Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg who work on one of the best comedies on TV today: "The Office." As , the references for the film skewed less toward the Old Testament and more toward comedy greats like Mel Brooks and Monty Python. "It's kind of like 'The Meaning of Life' or 'Life of Brian' a funny look at biblical tales," Black told us. (VHI.com -- Music News)

    "Year One"  Jun 19, 2009
    Either way, there's nothing in "Year One" that's even half as funny as Carl Gottlieb's rapturously silly 1981 "Caveman" or Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's genius "2000-Year-Old Man" (which Ramis has cited as an influence). "Year One" sets prehistoric comedy back at least 20 years. (Salon)

    Allen's film, 'Whatever Works,' ideal for David  Jun 17, 2009
    On "Curb Your Enthusiasm," Larry David's alter ego has realized two fantasies: starring in a Mel Brooks production (as Max Bialystock in "The Producers") and acting in a Martin Scorsese film (as a Jewish gangster). Now, like a "Curb" story line come to life, David stars in Woody Allen's latest film, "Whatever Works.". (Erie Times-News, PA)

    Preserving The Sounds Of The Century  Jun 16, 2009
    " The selections for 2008 bring the total number of recordings in the registry to 275. Additions to the registry also feature notable performances by The Who, the trumpeter Oran "Hot Lips" Page, the Andrews Sisters, Ray Bolger, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks, and George Jones. For Future Generations The Library of Congress and its are required by law to identify and preserve the best existing versions of recordings on the Registry, to be stored at the Library's Packard Campus for Audio Visual... (CBS News)

    Land Of The Lost  Jun 16, 2009
    Spoof is perhaps the laziest form of comedy anyway, unless in the hands of a master such as Mel Brooks. It's based simply on the audience recognising what's being parodied: the bond of shared demography, as in "I saw that show too!". (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)

    Europe.view: Laughing matters  May 22, 2009
    Berliners are laughing uproariously at Mel Brooks s play The Producers (pictured), which has finally opened in a German-language production in Berlin. It satirises New York theatre-land, telling the story of two producers who want to stage a failure for tax reasons; they put on the grotesque Springtime for Hitler , only to find it becomes a raging success. (The Economist)

    Mark your calendar  May 21, 2009
    Local Search Site Search. THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING. (Boston Globe)

    Whats in store for next years Oscars?  May 21, 2009
    A best-picture trophy for producer Mel Brooks would make a nice companion bookend for his screenplay Oscar on the 1968 original. Walk the Line Joaquin Phoenix is the man in black, Johnny Cash, with Reese Witherspoon as wife June Carter. (MSNBC -- Academy Awards)

    Tyrants In Therapy: Veteran L.A. Based Duo Brings Their Gleefully Defiant "Punk Cabaret" Vibe to a New Generation with 'High Class Trash'  May 14, 2009
    A Wickedly Witty, Socially Conscious Cross Between The Eurythmics and Mel Brooks, Tyrants In Therapy Have Been Public Access TV (and now YouTube) Sensations With Their Half Hour Comedy Variety Series Meet The Tyrants In Therapy ... LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tony Award winning musical satirist and comic legend Mel Brooks may have created the ultimate spoof on the Fuhrer with Springtime For Hitler. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)

    'The Producers' arrives in Germany  May 7, 2009
    " "The Producers" began as a film by Jewish-American comedian Mel Brooks in 1968 which he helped adapt into a stage musical in 2001. The plot revolves around two Jewish con artists on Broadway who figure that with a scam, they can make more money staging a flop musical than a hit so they set out to develop the worst play of all time. But the result, "Springtime for Hitler: A Gay Romp With Eva and Adolf at Berchtesgaden", is taken for a brilliant satire by the New York theatre crowd and the... (Sydney Morning Herald -- World)

    * Actor, comedian, chef Dom DeLuise passes away at 75  May 7, 2009
    Writer, director and actor Mel Brooks particularly admired DeLuises talent for offbeat comedy and cast him in several films, including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie and History of the World Part I. DeLuise was also the voice of Pizza the Hutt in Brooks Star Wars parody, Spaceballs. Dom DeLuise was a big man in every way, Brooks said in a statement on Tuesday. (Taipei Times, Taiwan -- Sports)

    Tributes paid to comedian DeLuise  May 7, 2009
    Dom DeLuise appeared in numerous successful Mel Brooks comedies. Mel Brooks and Burt Reynolds are among those who have paid tribute to actor and comedian Dom DeLuise, who has died in Los Angeles at the age of 75 ... DeLuise is best known for his roles in such Mel Brooks comedies as Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie and History of the World: Part I.. (BBC News)

    The Parrots And People Paradox  May 7, 2009
    I saw him for the first time in Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie" (my first date, too) and was smitten. What a lovely man, with a big heart. (CBS News)

    Blazing Saddles actor dies at 81  May 7, 2009
    Korman, who appeared in a number of other Mel Brooks films, was also known for co-starring in US TV classic The Carol Burnett Show. He died in Los Angeles on Thursday after suffering complications from the rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm four months ago, his family said. (BBC News -- Entertainment)

    Comedy actor DeLuise dies  May 6, 2009
    DeLuise appeared in several successful Mel Brooks comedies ... DeLuise is best known for his performances in Mel Brooks' successful comic films, playing film director Buddy Bizarre in Blazing Saddles and Roman emperor Nero in History of the World: Part I.. (BBC News -- Entertainment)

    'Billy Elliot' ties 'Producers' record with 15 Tony nominations  May 6, 2009
    By Elysa Gardner, USA TODAY NEW YORK Look out, Mel Brooks Billy Elliot has your number. AND THE NOMINEES ARE. (USA Today -- Life)

    Changing Times: 'Springtime For Hitler'_ In Berlin  Apr 28, 2009
    Older people in the audience may "quarrel with the whole idea of having fun with what they thought was the most serious part of their lives," Mel Brooks, the musical's co-author, told The Associated Press. But for people aged 35 or 40, "I don't think there's any problem at all. ...They're hip, they're bright, and Berlin has always been a great theater town. They've always broken ground.". (CBS News -- World)

    Actress Bea Arthur, Star of TV's Golden Girls, Dies at 86  Apr 28, 2009
    Among the movies: "That Kind of Woman" (1959), "Lovers and Other Strangers" (1970), Mel Brooks' "The History of the World: Part I" (1981), "For Better or Worse" (1995). The plays included Woody Allen's "The Floating Light Bulb" and "The Bermuda Avenue Triangle," written by and costarring Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna. (Fox News)

    A LOOK AT THE WEEK AHEAD  Apr 11, 2009
    Shows include Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" (Oct. 13-25); "Chicago" (Jan. (Erie Times-News, PA)

    A party with Marty, and a trip down memory lane  Apr 1, 2009
    In New York, Jiminy floored onstage guest Mel Brooks by blurting, apropos of nothing, What is your beef with Nazis. He does admit to having a hard time keeping up with current comedy. (Globe and Mail)

    PREMIERE: 'Love' was a funny thing at 'Man' debut  Mar 19, 2009
    Saturday Night Live's Samberg shared his own male-bonding techniques, perfected in summer camp: "I wouldn't know anybody and I'd have to casually pick up on a dude to hang out with, usually whoever was the most nerdy. I would look at a guy and ask, 'What are the odds he spent most of the last five years watching Mel Brooks and Monty Python?' If the answer was close to yes, I would give it a shot.". Mather Zickel (the rehabbing best man from Rachel Getting Married), plays one of Rudd's man-dates... (USA Today -- Life)

    Paul Rudd, no longer a sidekick, stars in a 'bromance'  Mar 16, 2009
    Growing up, he was a fan of Steve Martin, Mel Brooks and George Carlin. But he decided to pursue classical theater at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. (International Herald Tribune)

    Are The Peasants Truly Revolting?  Feb 28, 2009
    During the French Revolution portion of Mel Brooks epic comedy History of the World, Pt. I , Count de Money no, no you fool, Count de Monet de-Mon-A approached King Louis XVI to inform him of an against the crown. It is said that the people are revolting the Count, (portrayed brilliantly by the late Harvey Korman), tells him. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)

    Robin Hood Republicanism?  Feb 27, 2009
    The idea that the GOP's Nottingham Sheriffs have genuinely become Robin Hoods might be plausible in a burlesque subtitled "Men in Tights" - but this is real life, not a Mel Brooks spoof. Then again, politics is theater of the absurd, featuring everything from a draft dodger posing as a "Top Gun" pilot to self-proclaimed "fiscal conservatives" repeatedly voting for deficit-expanding tax breaks. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Opinion)

    Wide world of theatre  Feb 19, 2009
    For something completely different, there's Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. Based on the maestro's own cult comedy classic, this zany song and dance version recreates all of the original's film highlights, including the Monster tapping his way through "Puttin' on the Ritz.". (Toronto Star)

    It's Friday ... again  Feb 13, 2009
    SHOWCASE :: Erie's Entertainment Web Site. Music as a Weapon tour with Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira, Lacuna Coil to visit Tullio Arena on April 20; tickets on sale Feb. 14. (Erie Times-News, PA)

    Army Archerd  Feb 10, 2009
    The return to favor couldn't have come at a better moment-she had been assured to costar in "Young Frankenstein" on B'way but after her tryout, Mel Brooks decided against her. He reminded, "I don't want her dropping dead on stage -- eight shows a week!" he allowed to me. (Variety)

    Life after Seinfeld  Mar 30, 2008
    Along the way, he returned to the stage, which he loves, to star in the West Coast production of Mel Brooks' hilarious The Producers opposite good pal Martin Short. Alexander started out in show business with a stage role at 16, which led to his first film, a 1981 horror picture The Burning. (Sydney Morning Herald -- Entertainment)

    Sandler, Myers, Carell bring spring laughs  Mar 26, 2008
    Add to that the fact that Mel Brooks and Buck Henry created the original series and neither of them is involved in this remake ... I mean it's a tough act to follow Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. (MSNBC -- Movies)

    Top 10 Spoof Movies  Mar 25, 2008
    March 24, 2008 - The spoof genre has been a big-screen staple since the Mel Brooks and Zucker brothers comedies of the 1970s and '80s ... Admittedly, Mel Brooks has made better, but this Cary Elwes flick's place in the pantheon of best spoof movies is secured by two things, the presence of Dave Chappelle (in his first film role) and the unforgettable "Men in Tights" musical number. (IGN FilmForce)

    More guys wanted  Mar 25, 2008
    And on June 1, the channel will premiere animated series Spaceballs, based on the Mel Brooks movie, along with the TV premiere of The King of Kong, a documentary about the quest for high-scoring stardom in Donkey Kong. G4 is also supplementing syndicated staple Cops with same-week repeats of NBC's Heroes, and this fall begins airing ABC's Lost, starting with the series pilot, each weeknight. (USA Today)

    Kate Hudson Didn't Help Owen Wilson's 'Drillbit'  Mar 25, 2008
    Already set in stone for several nominations is Mel Brooks Young Frankenstein. Andrea Martin is a lock for Best Supporting Actress, and the show itself should get all the regular nominations for Best Musical, Director (Susan Stroman, natch), Book, Lighting (Peter Kaczorowski), Set Design (Robin Wagner) etc. (Fox News)

    Stop-Loss is a Cant Miss  Mar 24, 2008
    Well before Mel Brooks pointed it out to a whole new generation centuries later, Henry VIII was one of the first to illustrate that it is good to be the king. His exploits are the subject of the Showtime series, The Tudors, which begins its second season this week. (MSNBC -- News)

    Wit intact, Gene Wilder looks back, wryly  Mar 22, 2008
    His director and co-scriptwriter, Mel Brooks, found him there and asked him why he was so sad. Wilder knew what was wrong but just couldn't express it. (San Francisco Chronicle)

    Theaters embrace digital age  Mar 21, 2008
    But this season, everything from Shakespeare to Mel Brooks, from Sondheim to the Rockettes are wiggling their digitals. Theater creators initially appeared wary of digital input, fearing it was a gimmick, that it upstaged the actors, or that it was an attempt to turn theater into cinema. (Variety)

    'Young Frankenstein': A 'bold' backpedaling from premium ticket prices  Mar 19, 2008
    Look closely at the latest television commercial for "The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein." After the usual production numbers and excited narration comes an announcement: "All tickets $50 to $120." Nothing for $450, $350 or even $225. As if Brooks's previous musical, "The Producers," the show that introduced the premium Broadway ticket in 2001, never happened. (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)

    'Producers' star makes lasting impression with audiences  Mar 15, 2008
    Elizabeth Pawlowski gets several big song-and-dance turns in "The Producers," the musical based on Mel Brooks' Oscar-winning movie ... " What: "The Producers"When: 7:30 p.m. SaturdayWhere: Orpheum TheatreTickets: Available at all Ticketmaster outlets.Details: "The Producers," based on Mel Brooks' Oscar-winning movie, won more Tony Awards than any musical in Broadway history. It starred Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick and was later turned into a film. The show recently closed on Broadway. But... (Sioux City Journal, IO)

    Get out of the house. Brave the snowdrifts. Have a good laugh  Mar 7, 2008
    Here, they've taken the classic, dark, Gothic novel - young damsel sent to work at an eerie, secluded country house run by a seemingly schizoid bachelor and his lunatic staff - and turned it into a memorable piece of silliness, stealing shamelessly from the comedic archive of Monty Python, Peter Sellers, Mel Brooks and the Marx Brothers. In fact, there's quite a lot of Mel Brooks, including one dream sequence in which three Talmudic black hats compare their physical endowments (in noisy faux... (Globe and Mail -- Entertainment)

    O'Brien's blog  Feb 29, 2008
    The man asks why he was in NY, and LaSorda starts telling him, and that s when I thought of the line from History of the World, Pt. I, when Mel Brooks said, It s good to the be the king. Not that anyone was baring cleavage to LaSorda or anthing, but just to hear him tell the story of why he was in NY, this 80-year-old dude being summoned by a friend who owns an Italian-restaurant chain, to help his son with something or other, and then while he s there, his buddy Mr. Modell asks Tommy to come... (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Sports)

    Thursday 02/21/2008  Feb 25, 2008
    Entertainment news, movie reviews, awards, festivals, celebrity photos, industry events - Variety. Film Independent's Spirit Awards. (Variety)

    'Idol' director may be leaving show  Feb 25, 2008
    Idol' director may be leaving show - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety. Film Independent's Spirit Awards. (Variety)

    Anne Thompson  Feb 24, 2008
    Columns by - Entertainment News, Celebrity News, Opinion - Variety. Film Independent's Spirit Awards. (Variety)

    McCain Declares War on NYT  Feb 22, 2008
    He should hire Mel Brooks or novelist Christopher Buckley (or both). Tell them to start with the truth: that the New York Times newsroom isn t a business run by adults. (Human Events Online)

    Innovative John Alvin master of movie poster art  Feb 16, 2008
    His first job was designing the one-sheet for 1974's "Blazing Saddles," with its painterly profile of Mel Brooks in Native American headdress (the Hebrew letters on the band read "Kosher for Passover"). It was an old-school take on a madcap movie; along with the work of fellow artist Drew Struzan, Alvin inaugurated the neoclassic era in movie posters, turning away from the stark postwar abstractions of Saul Bass to a softer, ironically retro presentation of stars and titles. (Boston Globe)

    Steve Carell Talks About The Rock Kicking His Butt; Says 'Smart' Is The Bomb  Feb 13, 2008
    On the old show, which was created by legendary funnymen Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, the Cone was one of many running gags that yielded the same joke. This time, however, director Peter Segal ("50 First Dates") has filled the cast with a solid stable of improv actors. (VHI.com -- Music News)

    Some kids' programs Dad likes even more  Feb 9, 2008
    "Jakers!" Stories - well told - of Ireland and Mel Brooks as a sheep. Different in enough ways to make the Top 20, though not a knock-out entertainment-wise. (San Francisco Chronicle)

    'Narnia's' Johnson rides hot streak  Feb 8, 2008
    " which didn't seem to have the edge festgoers we're looking for.Johnson and Levinson go way back together. After meeting on Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety" as second assistant director and writer, respectively, Johnson and Levinson partnered for 12 years, sharing the best picture Oscar for "Rain Man" in 1989 before splitting in 1994.It was during filming of Clint Eastwood's "A Perfect World" that Johnson realized his relationship with Levinson had run its course. "Barry and I disagreed on the movies... (Variety)

    The week's best films  Feb 2, 2008
    Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974) 11. 20pm, Five. (Guardian Unlimited -- Film)

    The Madness of John McCain  Feb 2, 2008
    With the world as his stage, the persona McCain has created given visible expression by what Camille Paglia trenchantly described as the over-intense eyes of Howard Hughes and the clenched, humorless jaw line of Nurse Diesel (from Mel Brooks Hitchcock parody, High Anxiety) will have every opportunity to act out his fantasies of soldierly greatness. . (The American Conservative)

    'Frankenstein' rethinks its formula  Feb 2, 2008
    "One of the biggest mistakes I made was the pricing of these tickets, against the good advice of some very smart Broadway people," says the backer of Mel Brooks' $16 million follow-up to his legit hit "The Producers." "But there's no way to undo it. Those days are gone.". In the wake of a string of biz decisions that stirred the resentment of many in the industry, Sillerman has stepped forward to claim responsibility -- and, he says, to steer the ire away from creatives, who he feels became the... (Variety)

    PR problems for 'Frankenstein'  Feb 1, 2008
    Sillerman has stepped forward to claim unilateral responsibility for a string of biz decisions that caused an industry backlash against "Young Frankenstein," the Mel Brooks tuner he co-produced with Brooks. "There are definitely things I wish I had done differently," he told Daily Variety. (Variety)

    Flagler man's Walter Brennan imitation close to the real McCoy  Jan 28, 2008
    "With five children, nine grandchildren and a wife supportive of his hobby -- though she sometimes acts as his voice of reason -- Hess plans to continue his infamous Brennan impersonation for as long as it's fun.kari Did You Know?The rugged, free-thinking and hard-living cowboy is an integral part of American history that is repeatedly memorialized, and sensationalized, by the Hollywood western. Whether portrayed with humor, as in Buster Keaton's 1925 film "Go West" or Mel Brooks' "Blazing... (Daytona Beach News Journal)

    The Union Square Round Table  Jan 25, 2008
    ("What's Mel Brooks doing on Sportscenter?" Dryer interrupted, glancing at the TV.). A month after the Blue Man debacle, for the first anniversary show, the troupe sold out the house. (Boston Globe)

    FULL STORY >  Jan 22, 2008
    MEL Brooks' "Young Frankenstein" musical opened last year. He's still tweaking it. (New York Post -- Gossip)

    'Nicholas Nickleby' and 'La Cage': Iconic and well refreshed  Jan 15, 2008
    rables": another show adapted from a capacious 19th-century novel. "Nicholas Nickleby" has now been revived on the West End at the Gielgud Theatre, where, as is the way of such things, it happens to be playing next door to "Les Mis," which has run continuously all these years. "Nickleby," by contrast, finishes its limited run on Jan. 27, the less-than-stellar box office proof that theatrical events don't necessarily happen twice. (Though warmly received by the audience that was there, at the... (International Herald Tribune -- Arts)

    Does anyone want to go barefoot in the park? Neil Simon play coming to Sesser Opera House  Jan 12, 2008
    When it comes to humorists, Neil Simon ranks right up there with Mark Twain and Mel Brooks. Many Broadway audiences virtually rolled in the aisles watching plays such as the Simon classic, Barefoot in the Park. (West Frankfort Daily American, IL)

    Clinton's upset notblack and white  Jan 12, 2008
    In the immortal words of Governor William J Le Petomane ( Mel Brooks) in his 1974 comedy classic Blazing Saddles, "We've gotta protect our phoney baloney jobs, gentlemen!". And so, like cavalry soldiers of old, the punditocracy saddles up and rides out to the sounds of the guns. (Asia Times Online)

    Mort Garson, 83; composer used Moog synthesizer  Jan 11, 2008
    As a composer, he wrote music for Mel Brooks' and Carl Reiner's 1975 animated television special "The 2000 Year Old Man," "The Untamed World" documentary series, game shows, movies and "Marilyn! the Musical," which debuted in London in 1983. And teamed with lyricist Bob Hilliard, he co-wrote the 1963 Ruby and the Romantics hit "Our Day Will Come," which rose to No. 1 on national charts. (Los Angeles Times)

    Obituaries in the News  Jan 10, 2008
    Richard Stahl, whose screen credits include Mel Brooks' 1977 spoof ``High Anxiety'' and TV's ``The Odd Couple,'' plus ``Laverne ey,'' died in 2006. Ish was heavily influenced by her high school drama teacher, an old vaudeville actor, and developed a knack for imitations, Stahl said. (Guardian Unlimited -- World)

    Sid Caesar is still the showman of showmen  Jan 9, 2008
    He had an all-star writing staff, including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Larry Gelbart and Woody Allen. But the star had the final say. (USA Today -- Life)

    Edward Albee, Josh Brolin, Ruby Dee and Sidney Lumet Added to The New York Times Arts and Leisure Week January 7 - 13  Dec 29, 2007
    TimesTalks also include Paul Auster, Roger Bart, Philip Bosco, Tom Brokaw, Mel Brooks, Bob Drogin, Feist, John Gannon, Leslie Gelb, Jeff Koons, Nicole Krauss, James Levine, "Mad Men" creator Matthew Weiner and cast members including Jon Hamm and John Slattery, Theodore Mann, Wynton Marsalis, Rick Moody, Mark Morris, Megan Mullally, The Naked Brothers Band, Julian Schnabel, Thomas Schumacher, Frances Sternhagen, Martha Stewart, Susan Stroman, Jeffrey Toobin and Cornel West ... The roster of... (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)

    Long, witty line of Jewish comedians  Dec 29, 2007
    Then came radio, motion pictures and eventual spots on television where comics like Carl Reiner, Neil Simon and Mel Brooks defined today's talk shows and sitcoms ... The show featured a supporting cast led by Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris, and an all-star team of writers including Mel Brooks, Neil Simon and Larry Gelbart (even you'd be funny with those guys working for ya). (CNN -- Showbiz)

    Broadway hits high over holiday  Dec 27, 2007
    55 million for Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein," which does not report grosses, and the legit sector has plenty of reasons for holiday cheer. While the week between Christmas and New Year's is traditionally the season's strongest (the Dec. 25-31 frame earned a record-smashing $29. (Variety)

    This List for Dec. 23  Dec 23, 2007
    The cast recording for the Mel Brooks musical Young Frankenstein, based on the 1974 Brooks film of the same name, gets a merry Dec. 26 release. Buoyant performances by Broadway s Tony Award-winning stars Roger Bart and Sutton Foster not to mention Andrea Martin make this light-as-a-feather score sound fun. (La Crosse Tribune, WI)

    Shows have smooth ride on road  Dec 22, 2007
    Mel Brooks' brand is strong, too -- explaining wide road enthusiasm for "Young Frankenstein," despite its tepid Gotham reviews. For sure, presenters are increasingly price-conscious. (Variety)

    Broadway plays its strong suit  Dec 22, 2007
    With the post-strike shuffle prompting Disney to delay the opening of "The Little Mermaid" until January, the only big tuner news of the fall was Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein.". Perhaps inevitably, after the warm embrace extended to "The Producers," the stage reworking of Brooks' classic horror spoof was given a lukewarm greeting by critics, most of whom felt that it too slavishly tried to recreate the film rather than evolve into its own animal. (Variety)

    International Hockey HoF makes room for the ladies  Dec 21, 2007
    What former major leaguer was quoted as saying the following: They wanted me to play third like Brooks (Robinson) so I did play like Brooks Mel Brooks. IT'S A DOG-EAT-BALL WORLD. (San Diego Union-Tribune -- Sports)

    Drowsy Chaperone to end long Broadway run  Dec 21, 2007
    The show fell victim to widespread audience indifference toward original musicals not spawned from feature films or other familiar materials, such as the current Mel Brooks hit Young Frankenstein. Its box office challenge was complicated by a smart postmodern premise that spawned great word of mouth but proved difficult to market. (Globe and Mail)

    Matching Candidates With Celebrities  Dec 20, 2007
    Or, for that matter, Rudy Giuliani with Bill Cosby, Mitt Romney with Montel Williams, or Ron Paul with Mel Brooks. In each case, the celebrity is the one who matches up most closely with that particular candidate for president on a selection of five key character traits--articulateness, intelligence, confidence, experience and how influential they are perceived to be. (Forbes)

    Walk Hard ultimately stumbles  Dec 19, 2007
    This comedy genre has given us classics like Mel Brooks Blazing Saddles (which brilliantly skewered the Western) and Young Frankenstein (classic horror movies), not to mention the Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker classic Airplane. which single-handedly destroyed the disaster movie until Jerry Bruckheimer brought it back to life with Armageddon. (MSNBC -- Movies)

    Dustin Hoffman on sex and death  Dec 15, 2007
    "I've been doing movies since 1967. Have I been involved in movies that had scenes that made this exchange look like nothing? And did we hear stories of Jack Nicholson throwing a television set across the room trying to kill Roman Polanski in Chinatown? Did Bill Murray not pick up the producer who was running Universal and throw her into the lake on What About Bob?" The names keep coming: Gene Hackman, Mel Brooks, Robert Duvall. "We heard these things constantly. And shouldn't that happen if it... (Sydney Morning Herald)

    Producer, agent Freddie Fields dies  Dec 13, 2007
    At ICM, Fields talent roster included Newman, Streisand, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Woody Allen, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, McQueen and directors Arthur Penn, Steven Spielberg, Mel Brooks, Sidney Pollack, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, and Paul Mazursky. Fields first marriage, to actress Polly Bergen, ended in divorce. (MSNBC -- News)

    Internet Message Boards and Musicals  Dec 8, 2007
    My guilty pleasure in life is musical soundtrack albums, in particular "The Producers" (pictured from left, Richard Dreyfuss, Mel Brooks and Lee Evans) and Monty Python's "Spamalot." I'm also one of the only guys I know that liked the movie version of "Chicago" a few years ago ... My wife laughs at me when I sing every word of "Keep It Gay" from "The Producers" (Mel Brooks is a genius). (Boston Globe)

    Chavez's "Democratic Authoritarianism"  Dec 6, 2007
    One is reminded of the quote from the film History of the World: Part I when Mel Brooks' Louis XVI announced, "It's good to be the King.". But we should not forget that, behind the bloated rhetoric, Hugo Chvez is an undeniable megalomania 00004000 c. His raison d'tre is accumulating power, and everything he has done over the past eight years has made it infinitely easier for him to seize even more power. (CBS News)

    Critic's Corner chat  Dec 4, 2007
    Question -- and it's not related to TV, so I hope you will answer it -- but a few weeks ago I noticed you wrote the review for the Broadway opening of Mel Brooks' new stage version of "Young Frankenstein." How did that assignment come about. And how did you like doing it as opposed to your usual beat writing about TV. (USA Today -- Life)

    Mel Tolkin, 'Your Show of Shows' writer  Dec 3, 2007
    Comedy writers for Sid Caesar's "Your Show of Shows:" (from left, front row) Gary Belkin, Sheldon Keller, Michael Stewart and Mel Brooks; (from left, back) Neil Simon , Mel Tolkin, and Larry Gelbart ... As head writer on the live, 90-minute "Your Show of Shows," Mr. Tolkin led a pack of writers that included Lucille Kallen, Mel Brooks, Tony Webster, and Neil and Danny Simon, among others. (Boston Globe)

    The Soundbite Congress  Dec 3, 2007
    The history of this year s Congress should be written by Mel Brooks. Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi have spent weeks and months flapdoodling on ending the Iraq war, fiddling with FISA, bashing Gen. Petraeus and whining about obstructionist Republicans who aren t joining in their legislative mayhem. (Human Events Online)

    Archives: Mel Brooks

    Back to TV News

[ Terms Of Use | Privacy | About ]
©1998-2009 SurfWax, Inc.
All rights reserved. Patents pending.



Copyright SurfWax, Inc. 2009