"Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!" is a Fascinating HBO MAX Documentary

 Mel Brooks was born in 1926, so he turns 100 years old this year. This HBO MAX documentary does a thorough, excellent job of detailing his iconic life in comedy. Director Judd Apatow interviews Brooks, but also has many clips from Mel on talk shows hosted by Johnny Carson, Merv Griffin, Mike Douglas, Tom Snyder and more. Mel was an entertainer in the Catskills resorts of upstate New York in the 1940s after serving in the US military during World War II. From 1950-54, he was a writer for "Your Show of Shows," which was one of the earliest comedy shows in infancy of the television medium. Here he formed important relationships with Carl Reiner and Sid Caesar. Brooks and Reiner are known for their comedy bit, "The 2000 Year Old Man." Reiner played the straight man. In 1962, Mel was one of the guests on the first episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson."  The documentary goes through his impressive resume as a writer-director on such films as: "The Producers" (1967), "The Twelve Chairs" (1970), "Blazing Saddles" (1974), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Silent Movie" (1976), "High Anxiety" (1977), "History of the World Part I" (1981), "Spaceballs" (1987), "Robin Hood: Men in Tights" (1993), and others. From 1965-70, he wrote the TV show "Get Smart" which he created with Buck Henry. In 1967, "The Graduate" was released, written by Buck Henry and starring the woman who would become Mel's wife, Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson). Mel Brooks is one of few celebrities who can say he is an EGOT winner (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). He won the Tony for his 2001 stage production of "The Producers." The documentary talks about how hard it was for Mel to lose his wife Anne Bancroft and friend Carl Reiner. Anne passed in 2005 and Carl passed in 2020. Mel and Carl had a tradition of watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy together in Carl's home, eating dinner off  TV trays. After Reiner's death, the chairs and TV trays were put on display at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, New York. At age 99, Mel still had projects in the works. "Spaceballs 2" and "Very Young Frankenstein" are in post production. 

*Some information from imdb and wikipedia. 

Looking Back on Laugh-In

My dad was a big influence on me when it came to television. He was a big fan of wacky TV comedy shows. Some of his favorites were Hee Haw, The Muppet Show, The Red Green Show, The Dean Martin Celebrity Roasts, and the show I will write about today, Laugh-In. When something made my dad laugh, it got my attention. He was also the person who got me interested in Johnny Carson. Laugh-In had something in common with Johnny Carson’s show. They were both taped at the NBC Burbank facility. The Laugh-In announcer, Gary Owens, would say the show originated from “Beautiful downtown Burbank.” The full name of the show was Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In. It was hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin. The show aired from 1968-73, a tumultuous time for America, with lots of political strife due to the highly controversial Vietnam war. It was a time when people needed some levity to forget the issues of the day. Even President Richard Nixon had a cameo on the show where he uttered the catch phrase “Sock it to me.” He appeared on the show while running for office in 1968. His competitor, Hubert Humphrey, declined appearing on the show and later regretted that decision. The show was a big break for sketch comedy performers such as: Arte Johnson, JoAnne Worley, Goldie Hawn, Lily Tomlin, Ruth Buzzi, Henry Gibson, Dave Madden, Richard Dawson and more. During its entire run, due to high turnover, only four cast members stayed with the show, including Rowan, Martin, Gary Owens and Ruth Buzzi. It was known for its rapid fire pace, with quick cuts from one comedic gag to another. Editing the show was time consuming and tedious. The show won 7 Primetime Emmy Awards. As far as all awards, it won 11 and was nominated for 34. In 1969, one of the writers included Lorne Michaels. One has to wonder if he was influenced by Laugh-In to launch Saturday Night Live in 1975. Due to the popularity of the show, Laugh-In attracted many big name guest stars, including: John Wayne, Tiny Tim, Jack Benny, Sammy Davis Jr. (his catchphrase was “Here comes the judge”), Henny Youngman, Phyllis Diller, Rich Little, Tim Conway, Dinah Shore, Carl Reiner, Don Rickles and more. Late night TV icons like Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett and Steve Allen appeared on the show. A 1977 revival of the show was shot but was not renewed after one season. One of the stars was Robin Williams. This was just before he starred in Mork and Mindy (1978). 1969 was the first year of Hee Haw, which became a country version of Laugh-In, with wacky sketches and recurring characters. 1974’s The Muppet Show had some similarities to Laugh-In, with the structure of some of its jokes and skits. The 1968 Pontiac GTO muscle car was nicknamed “The Judge.” The ads used the phrase from Laugh In “Here comes the judge.” It is ranked #42 on TV Guide’s list of the 50 Greatest TV Shows of all Time. A staple of the show was the “joke wall” where cast members would stick their heads through holes in the multi-colored wall and recite quick jokes. Arte Johnson’s catchphrase, as Wolfgang the German soldier, was “Verrrry interesting!” Lily Tomlin’s telephone operator Ernestine was known for saying “One ringy dingy…two ringy dingy.” Also, “A gracious afternoon…is this the party to whom I am speaking?” The first season provided music videos by groups such as The Bee Gees, The Temptations, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and Strawberry Alarm Clock. The phrase “Sock it to me” was popular on Laugh-In, but had also been used in the 1967 song by Aretha Frankin called “Respect.” A chain of Laugh-In restaurants opened in 1968-69, but all were closed by the mid-1970s. In its second and third seasons, 1967-68 and 1968-69, Laugh-In was the #1 show on TV. For the 1968-69 season, 31.8 million people watched the show.

The Letterman Podcast

If you're a fan of late night TV, and especially David Letterman, I'd highly recommend The Letterman Podcast. They just marked the release of their 100th episode, which consists of a 4-part compilation, looking back on the best moments of the podcast. This podcast is relaeased on Fridays, and sometimes bonus episodes will come out earlier in the week. The host is Mike Chisholm, who is from British Columbia, Canada. He has endless enthusiasm and passion for all things Letterman. I may be a bit biased toward this show, since I have been a guest on two occassions. I have always been a geek who is obsessed with television, especially the late night shows. I love finding people who are as passionate about these type of shows as I am. This show is special since it explores everything about Letterman's career, from the morning show, the NBC Late Night show and the CBS Late Show. Some impressive names have appeared on this show, such as bandleader Paul Shaffer, and comedians Jeff Altman, Dick Cavett and Tom Dreesen. Band members Will Lee, Felicia Collins and Tom "Bones" Malone have also appeared on the podcast. Some of the best guests have been the behind-the-scenes people who worked on Letterman's shows. Producers, writers, a camera operator, a costume designer, a CBS executive, a comedy booker, a promotions director, a technical director, a special effects worker and a graphic artist have been interviewed on the show. Hello Deli owner and frequest Letterman character Rupert Jee appeared on the show. This podcast is the best way to delve into the precise details of David Letterman and how his show operated on a daily basis. This show ran like a well-oiled machine. People who worked on the show were at the highest level of their careers.

Show Biz Wiz Quiz!

It's quiz time. Find the answers to these questions by looking at my last 10 blog entries.

1. What jazz vocalist/trumpet player hails from British Columbia, Canada and is receiving rave reviews for her work?

2. Which "Rat Pack" member started performing in Vaudeville theatres in 1929 performing with his father and uncle?

3. Who is the comedy legend that filled in for Johnny Carson 87 times as guest host of the NBC Tonight Show?

4. Between 1946 and 1956, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis performed regularly at what legendary New York City nightclub?

5. What groundbreaking situation comedy set the record for the highest Nielsen rating (67.3) in 1952-53?

6. Which late night TV host retired in May, after 33 years hosting his own show?

7. Who is the Canadian actor who has starred in the TV shows Family Ties and Spin City?

8. Which multi-talented Hollywood performer wrote 2 books about his life, called "Why Me" and "Yes I Can"?

9. What Harvard-educated actor starred in the films The World According to Garp, Terms of Endearment and Footloose?

10. Canadian entertainers Martin Short and Paul Shaffer met in the 1970s while working on a Toronto production of which musical?

Answers

1. Bria Skonberg

2. Sammy Davis Jr.

3. Bob Newhart

4. The Copacabana

5. I Love Lucy

6. David Letterman

7. Michael J. Fox

8. Sammy Davis Jr.

9. John Lithgow

10. Godspell

How did you do? Leave a comment below. Also, feel free to let me know about what topics you would like to see covered on this blog.