Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
A spirited dive into the life and career of the director who dominated twentieth-century American comedy Mel Brooks, born in Brooklyn in 1926 as Melvin Kaminsky, is one of the great comedic voices of the twentieth century. A rare winner of Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony awards, and a recipient of the National Medal of Arts, Brooks has, throughout his career, straddled the line between outsider and insider, obedient and rebellious. He has relished distinct American Jewish humor, pushed the boundaries of camp, and made out-of-bounds comedy the American mainstream.
In this lively biography, Jeremy Dauber argues that throughout Brooks's career--from Your Show of Shows to his 2,000-Year-Old Man character, Get Smart, The Producers, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights--the controversial comedian has seen the most success when his unflagging, almost manic energy has been constrained by either comedic partners or the Hollywood system, allowing him to take on the role of the loyal opposition, aware of the rules and borders and forever testing them. Dauber also explores how Brooks's American Jewish humor went from being for niche audiences in the 1950s and 1960s to an essential part of the American mainstream, paving the way for more boundary-breaking Jewish comedians.