Mel Brooks

Biography

Mel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926 in Brooklyn, New York. He served in WWII, and afterwards got a job playing the drums at nightclubs in the Catskills. Brooks eventually started a comedy act and also worked in radio and as Master Entertainer at Grossinger's Resort before going to television. He was a writer for, _"Your Show of Shows" (1950)_ (qv) _"Caesar's Hour" (1954)_ (qv) and wrote the Broadway show Shinbone Alley. He also worked in the creation of _The 2000 Year Old Man (1975) (TV)_ (qv) and _"Get Smart" (1965)_ (qv) before embarking on a highly successful film career in writing, acting, producing and directing. Brooks is famous for the spoofs of different film genres that he made such as _Blazing Saddles (1974)_ (qv), _History of the World: Part I (1981)_ (qv), _Silent Movie (1976)_ (qv), _Young Frankenstein (1974)_ (qv), _Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)_ (qv), _High Anxiety (1977)_ (qv), _Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995)_ (qv), and _Spaceballs (1987)_ (qv).