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History of Mel Brooks: Both Parts
Jewish Review of Books ^ | December 12, 2019 | Jesse Tisch

Posted on 12/12/2019 10:26:23 AM PST by billorites

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To: wbarmy

I’ve declared Blazing Saddles one of the worst movies of all times if it’s edited for television. They rip the guts right out of it.

Airplane, Caddyshack, and Smokey and the Bandit also make the list.


21 posted on 12/12/2019 11:23:03 AM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

Edited for television? What the heck would be left?

Probably Mel fondling the statue. The rest of the movie would make someone seek a safe space.


22 posted on 12/12/2019 11:25:57 AM PST by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
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To: faithhopecharity
"Brooks one of the funniest and most talented people on earth has given us so many hours of laughter and fun."

Agreed. And his movies were Anti-PC before PC took over everything.

23 posted on 12/12/2019 11:32:15 AM PST by Pajamajan ( Pray for our nation. Thank the Lord for everything you have. Don't wait do it today.)
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To: gaijin

The man is a genius, a legend.

Could he Make It TODAY..?

Not a chance in hell.

How many new Mel Brooks are being crushed now..?

We’ll never know.

Brooks has lamented that the PC culture has killed comedy....he’s right. I never minded Pryor or Chappell insulting whites because like Brooks they were equal opportunity offenders and we still laugh at them. Me and my kids (who grew up in the Blazing Saddles/History of the World/High Anxiety era) still insert some of the funny lines of his movies when we’re being extra silly...life is good when you still laugh after years and years. Salute to Mel Brooks!


24 posted on 12/12/2019 11:32:42 AM PST by Dawgreg
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To: yarddog

Correct


25 posted on 12/12/2019 11:32:47 AM PST by MuttTheHoople
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To: Pajamajan

Ha! For sure


26 posted on 12/12/2019 11:37:07 AM PST by faithhopecharity ( “Politicians are not born; they are excreted.” Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 to 43 BCE))
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To: dfwgator

And he was wise to include Richard Pryor as a writer on Blazing Saddles.

Even some of Richard Pryor’s stuff today would be considered anti-PC.

I totally agree.....and Brooks bringing a group of off the charts comedy actors......Kahn, Korman, Wilder, Cleavon Little, Howard Morris, Rudy DeLuca, Cloris Leachman and many more.......sigh......we’ll never see that again in our lifetimes.


27 posted on 12/12/2019 11:39:33 AM PST by Dawgreg
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To: yarddog

“Whatever else I think of him he did make some funny stuff.
Also served in the Army in WWII.”

He was apparently at the Battle of the Bulge and said to an interviewer who asked him about it that it was “very noisy which prevented him from reading as much as he wanted to.”


28 posted on 12/12/2019 11:42:45 AM PST by yetidog
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To: gaijin

Stuff you can’t do in film now:

1. Punch a horse
2. Use the N word
3. Hint about black men being gifted in a certain place
4. Joke about the Holocaust
5. Joke about slaves singing
6. Mince around like a total homo
7. Joke about a king shooting a peasant in the head w/shotgun

Those are just a few examples I thought of in 30 seconds

ALL OF IT WAS INNOCENT and hilarious.

You got that right......in another post I totally forgot one of the great comedy actors Don Deluise.....the director of the prissy boys and telling them they sounded like gasworks before he fell in the fountain.....LOL


29 posted on 12/12/2019 11:44:26 AM PST by Dawgreg
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To: gaijin

Stuff you can’t do in film now:
= = = = = =

BUT, they could probably get away with the ‘no Irish’ comments.

BS was on the tube last night, UNCUT..

Rerun on 12/15 2100-2230....(9PM) HDNET Movies...


30 posted on 12/12/2019 11:47:27 AM PST by xrmusn (6/98"HRC is the Grandmother that lures Hansel & Gretel to the pot")
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To: gaijin

"My VAGINA..! Ahahahahah..! My VAGINA...!!!"

"And did you hear the one about MY VAGINA..?!?!!?"

31 posted on 12/12/2019 11:51:24 AM PST by gaijin
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To: gaijin

You mean the one with the echo?


32 posted on 12/12/2019 11:54:41 AM PST by Reily
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To: billorites

Blazing Saddles...funniest movie ever made!


33 posted on 12/12/2019 12:33:30 PM PST by 6ppc (It's torch and pitchfork time)
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To: gaijin
From "History of the World,: Part 1":

Count de Monet: I’ve come on the most urgent of business. It is said that the people are revolting.

King Louis XVI: You said it! They stink on ice!

34 posted on 12/12/2019 2:44:29 PM PST by OldMissileer (Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, PK. Winners of the Cold War)
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Not the most attractive description of Mel Brooks.

Although I never met the man, my sister DID have a run-in with Mel and his wife, Anne Bancroft.

My sister is very gregarious and will strike up a conversation with anyone, and quickly become “best friends” with them. It’s made her an excellent bar tender, and for many years now, and extremely successful realtor. but back then, she was in her early 20s, and working at Bloomingdales in Manhattan at their snack bar.

Her boss hated her, and was constantly on her for the smallest thing. One day, her manager’s abuse had her break down and start crying. When she took a break, and was riding the elevator down, an older woman started talking to her, since she was obviously upset, so Jill pretty much told the lady her life story, and her current situation, and why she was crying. It was Anne Bancroft, but my sister didn’t know who she was.

About an hour later, my sister was back at work, and out of nowhere, Anne and Mel come running up to her, making a huge scene, and making it sound like they had known my sister all her life! They told my sister’s boss a story of how they’d been friends with our parents since high school, and how Mel was her God-father! Besides making Jill feel really good, her manager never abused her again.

They were really nice people to do all that.

Mark


35 posted on 12/12/2019 2:52:07 PM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: Yo-Yo

Living in Kansas City, Slim’s line about “Kansas City faggots” got a HUGE laugh in the theaters!

During another scene, I think that my mother and I were the only ones in the theater that understood what the Indians were saying, and got the joke that the India chief was Mel Brooks, and the Indians were speaking Yiddish!

Mark


36 posted on 12/12/2019 2:55:24 PM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: dfwgator
And he was wise to include Richard Pryor as a writer on Blazing Saddles.

He originally wanted Richard to play "Sheriff Bart" as well as being a writer, but Richard's drug usage had the studio refuse to allow it.

Gene Wilder was also not their first choice, but it was a brilliant move after the original actor couldn't work because of alcohol consumption. I recall an interview where Gene said he had never ridden a horse before getting the role.

Mark

37 posted on 12/12/2019 2:58:36 PM PST by MarkL (Do I really look like a guy with a plan?)
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To: MarkL

Wilder and Pryor were a great comedic duo.

Richard told a funny story about how when they were filming “Stir Crazy”, they visited the penitentiary, and Gene was trying to be friendly with the inmates, going “Hi, how ya doin?” Richard then says, “Gene! Get your a$$ over here.” And Gene asks Richard, “What do you think they’d do to us, Rich?” And Richard said, “F Us!” Gene said, “But I’m not homosexual”, to which Richard said, “Homosexual ain’t got nothing to it. They don’t do it because you like it. They just do it to see that look on your face.”


38 posted on 12/12/2019 3:02:33 PM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: billorites

For the best interview EVER, here’s Playboy’s interview of Mel: https://www.thedailybeast.com/mel-brooks-is-always-funny-and-often-wise-in-this-1975-playboy-interview


39 posted on 12/12/2019 5:06:31 PM PST by Fast Moving Angel (The words of the prophets are written on the Facebook walls and tenement halls.)
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To: billorites

I recently bought his boxed DVD movie collection to add to my collection of movies that will probably be banned at some point. I have them hardcopy now. Blazing Saddles is one of my all time favorites, although I enjoyed Robin Hood Men in Tights more now than I did when I was young. Same for Young Frankenstein.


40 posted on 12/12/2019 5:11:57 PM PST by FalloutShelterGirl (Cool! I found my original screen name!)
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