Posted on 06/28/2021 7:12:11 PM PDT by Rummyfan
Ask Americans—well, Jews, well, most Jews, well, some Jews—over the age of 60 who is the funniest man on Earth? The answer is “Mel Brooks.” Brooks is the last great Hollywood Jew and when he goes—kinahora not for another 25 years—something will die with him. He might be the last great American Jew, period, some cross between a Kishinev shochet and a Williamsburg ganif, with that voice so full of wryness that the mere anticipation of what it might next utter brings a smile to our lips and comfort to our hearts.
It started in Europe, where the American-born Brooks followed his brothers into the army and ended up serving in the final advance on Germany in 1945. Mel says it was the war that really connected him to a deeper sense of his Jewish identity. In Patrick McGilligan’s exhaustive biography, Funny Man, he says, “I knew what Hitler was doing to Jews, so I really did feel this was a proper and just war.” He even tells a story of being called a “dirty Jew” by a fellow GI during training and reflexively lunging at him, proud of being “a tough Jew from Brooklyn.” By the end of his tour, he was entertaining troops with what would become his signature impression: Adolf Hitler with a comb for a tiny mustache and manic German gibberish.
Upon returning to New York, and every day hence, he has carried the torch of Jewish indignation, and pride. Publicly. This torch has created gifts for the millions, Jew and gentile, but especially a subset of us Jews for whom the jokes are not only funny but deeply personal and somehow cleansing—an unabashed embrace of being one of us.
(Excerpt) Read more at tabletmag.com ...
I never for an instant believed that ‘Young Frankenstein’ was funny. It was horribly stupid and I wanted to leave the theater before it was even half over. Worst Comedy movie ever.
It wasn’t until I read “King Of Comedy” by Shawn Levy, that I understood how much Jerry Lewis took from his Jewish heiritage and made a part of his act.
I also was made to understand how angry he was in his private life, how extremely self centered he remained throughout his adult life. He was what we now call a control freak. That helped to drive Dean Martin away from him too.
His last written Will is a testimony to that level of self involvement: Jerry had six sons, plus one adopted by his first wife. He left those sons nothing in his will.
Not a dime. Why? Mostly because one of his sons, Joeseph, became a dope addict, died in his late 40’s. Many of Jerry’s sons blamed him partially for Joe’s death, so he retaliated by cutting them out of the will.
Fun fact, the Buddy Sorrell character on Dick Van Dyke was loosely based on Mel Brooks’ real life persona (minus Pickles).
Mr. Fox writes well by my observations.
About the only thing he will admit regarding the new leftist leadership is that it is very difficult to tell a joke these days and that he realizes his own films could not be made in this day and age.
I though that Larry David and Bernie Sanders sounded exactly alike. That annoying nasal NY thing.
Jackie Mason!!
This Gentile thinks Brooks is damn funny.
Example:
The peasants are revolting!
Tell me about it!
And Lord Helmet in the Jewish Stars Wars.
Comedy gold!
The greatest Jewish comedian was Milton Friedman. His going on about how the American people actually wanted to be free was absolutely hilarious!
Was the original Mostel / Wilder Producers his?
Milton Friedman was important in the implementation of having the government withhold taxes.
“Springtime for Hitler and Germany”
“original Mostel / Wilder Producers his?”
Yes. See #34.
“The peasants are revolting!
“You said it! They stink on ice!”
Mel Brooks is 95. His marriage to Anna Bancroft was about as good as it gets. The two just loved being together.
Bump for later read
Young Frankenstein....nothing funnier. Also,the album “2013 Year Old Man” is also classic.
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