Mel Brooks Tribute
Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks in To Be or Not to Be (top); Mel Brooks at the 1969 Oscar ceremony (bottom)
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a tribute to Mel Brooks on Friday, July 24, at 8 p.m. at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills.
Hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin, the evening will feature numerous film clips and stories from his artistic collaborators and friends, in addition to Brooks himself. Schedules permitting, special guests will include Richard Benjamin, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Tracey Ullman and Lesley Ann Warren.
The Brooklyn-born comedian, writer, producer, director, composer, and actor Mel Brooks won an Academy Award for the original story and [...]
by Andre Soares | July 22, 2009
| Subscribe / Syndicate
Tags: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Anne Bancroft, Classic Movies, Gene Wilder, Los Angeles Screenings, Mel Brooks, To Be or Not to Be
Mel Brooks Biography: Q&A with James Robert Parish
James Robert Parish, author of countless film books (The RKO Gals, Fiasco: A History of Hollywood’s Iconic Flops), answers a few questions on the subject of his upcoming biography, It’s Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks (Wiley, 2007).
Many comedians are supposed to be major bores when they’re not "on." Does Mel Brooks fit into that mold?
Over the decades, few people (beyond Brooks’ family and very close friends) have ever witnessed Mel when he is not "on." He considers it his lifelong duty to be entertaining both on camera and off. Whether bantering on a TV talk show, parrying with a dour waiter in a deli, or directing his cast/crew on the film set, [...]
by Andre Soares | February 7, 2007
| Subscribe / Syndicate
Tags: Anne Bancroft, Blazing Saddles, Books, Gene Wilder, Interviews, It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks, James Robert Parish, Mel Brooks, Sid Caesar, To Be or Not to Be, Young Frankenstein
Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor died today of a heart attack at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 65.
One of the most popular Hollywood comedians during the second half of the ’70s, Pryor appeared in several box-office hits, including Silver Streak (1976), in which he was first paired with fellow comedian Gene Wilder; the all-star, omnibus dramatic comedy California Suite (1978), opposite Bill Cosby; and Stir Crazy (1980), also with Wilder.
Among his other films of the period were the urban comedy Car Wash (1976); Which Way Is Up? (1977), in which he played three characters; The Wiz (1978), in the title role; and Wholly Moses! (1980), starring Dudley Moore.
Pryor’s career took a major tumble in the early ’80s, partly [...]
by Andre Soares | December 11, 2005
| Subscribe / Syndicate
Tags: California Suite, Car Wash, Gene Wilder, Jo Jo Dancer Your Life Is Calling, Lost Highway, Richard Pryor, Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, The Wiz, Wholly Moses!
