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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Johnny Brandon to Ric Burns
Mel Brooks Biography (1926-)
Original name, Melvin Kaminsky; born June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Max (a process server) and Kate (a garment worker; maiden name, Brookman) Kaminsky; married Florence Baum (a dancer), 1952 (divorced, 1959); married Anne Bancroft (an actress), August, 1964; children: (first marriage) Stefanie, Nicholas, Edward; (second marriage) Maximilian. Addresses: Agent: TridentMedia Group, Carnegie Hall Tower, 152 West 57th St., New York, NY 10019.; Contact: c/o 2301 La Mesa Dr., Santa Monica, CA 90405; Brooksfilms, 9336 West Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Actor, director, screenwriter, producer, song composer
- Birth Details
- June 28, 1926
- Brooklyn, New York, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Film Appearances
- Voice of old man from Russia, The Critic (animated short film), Pintoff-Crossbow Productions, 1963
- (Uncredited) Singer in "Springtime for Hitler," The Producers, 1968
- Tikon, The Twelve Chairs, UMC Pictures, 1970
- Governor Lepetomane, Indian Chief, and World War I aviator, Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
- (Uncredited) Voice of hurt cat, Young Frankenstein, 1974
- Mel Funn, Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
- Dr. Richard Thorndyke, High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
- Professor Max Krassman, The Muppet Movie, Associated Film, 1979
- Moses, Comicus, Torquemada, Jacques, King Louis XVI, and other characters, History of the World: Part I (also known as Mel Brooks' History of the World: Part I), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
- Frederick Bronski, To Be or Not to Be, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
- Himself, Sunset People, 1984
- President Skroob and Yogurt, Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
- Voice of Mr. Toilet Man, Look Who's Talking Too, TriStar, 1990
- Goddard "Pepto" Bolt, Life Stinks (also known as Life Sucks), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Pathe, 1991
- Rabbi Tuckman, Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin des bois), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
- (Uncredited) Guest checking out, Silence of the Hams (also known as Il silenzio dei prosciutti), Summit Group, 1994
- Mr. Welling, The Little Rascals, United International Pictures, 1994
- Dr. Abraham Van Helsing, Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Columbia, 1995
- Jake Gordon, Svitati (also known as Screwloose), Medusa, 1999
- Stressed old man, Sex, loenger, and videovaald, 2000
- Himself, The Sid Caesar Collection: The Magic of Life TV, CreativeLight Worldwide, 2000
- Himself, The Sid Caesar Collection: Inside the Writer's Room, Creative Light Worldwide, 2000
- Himself, The Sid Caesar Collection: Creating the Comedy, CreativeLight Worldwide, 2000
- Himself, The Sid Caesar Collection: The Fan Favorites--The Professor and Other Clowns, Creative Light Worldwide, 2001
- Himself, The Side Caesar Collection: The Fan Favorites--Love & Laughter, Creative Light Worldwide, 2001
- Himself, The Sid Caesar Collection: The Fan Favorites--The Dream Teamof Comedy, Creative Light Worldwide, 2001
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Film Director
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The Critic (animated short film), Pintoff-Crossbow Productions, 1963
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The Producers (also known as Springtime for Hitler), Embassy, 1968
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The Twelve Chairs, UMC Pictures, 1970
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Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
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Young Frankenstein (also known as Frankenstein Jr.), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
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Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
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High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
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History of the World: Part I (also known as Mel Brooks' Historyof the World: Part 1), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
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Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
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Life Stinks (also known as Life Sucks), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Pathe, 1991
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Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin des bois), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
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Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Columbia, 1995
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Film Executive Producer
- (Uncredited) The Elephant Man, Paramount, 1980
- (Uncredited) Frances, EMI, 1982
- (Uncredited) My Favorite Year, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1982
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The Doctor and the Devils, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1985
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The Fly, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1986
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Solarbabies (also known as Solar Warriors), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1986
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84 Charing Cross Road, Columbia, 1986
- (Uncredited) The Fly II, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1989
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The Vagrant, 1992
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Film Producer
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High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
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History of the World: Part I (also known as Mel Brooks' Historyof the World: Part 1), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
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To Be or Not to Be, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1983
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Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
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Life Stinks (also known as Life Sucks), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Pathe, 1991
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Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin des bois), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
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Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Columbia, 1995
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Film Work
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Other
- (Uncredited) Additional voices, The Prince of Egypt (animated), DreamWorks, 1998
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Television Appearances
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Series
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Your Show of Shows, NBC, 1950-1954
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Movies
- Voice of Snowman, It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, NBC, 2002
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The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, Showtime, 2002
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Specials
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The All-Star Comedy Show, ABC, 1962
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Annie, the Woman in the Life of a Man, 1970
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Annie and the Hoods, ABC, 1974
- Voice of baby boy in nursery, Marlo Thomas and Friends in Free to Be ... You and Me (also known as Free to Be ... You and Me), ABC, 1974
- Title role, The 2,000 Year Old Man, CBS, 1975
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The Muppets Go Hollywood, 1979
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Dom DeLuise and Friends, ABC, 1983
- Himself, An Audience with Mel Brooks, 1983
- (In archive footage) Himself, The Great Standups (also known as The Great Standups: Sixty Years of Laughter), 1984
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More of the Best of the Hollywood Palace, ABC, 1993
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Hal Roach: Hollywood's King of Laughter, The Disney Channel, 1994
- Host, Frankenstein: The True Story (also known as It's Alive: The True Story of Frankenstein), 1994
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Caesar's Writers, PBS, 1996
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American Dreamers, TNT, 1996
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I Am Your Child (also known as From Zero to Three and Johnson & Johnson Presents: I Am Your Child), ABC, 1997
- Himself, Pretty as a Picture: The Art of David Lynch, 1997
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M*A*S*H, Tootsie & God: A Tribute to Larry Gelbart, PBS, 1998
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AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Movies, CBS, 1998
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The Television Academy Hall of Fame, UPN, 1999
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Neil Simon: The People's Playwright, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
- Himself, AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies, CBS, 2000
- Himself, Intimate Portrait: Madeline Kahn, Lifetime, 2000
- Himself, Recording "The Producers": A Musical Romp with Mel Brooks, PBS, 2001
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Mark Twain Prize--Celebrating the Humor of Carl Reiner, PBS, 2001
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Hail Sid Caesar: The Golden Age of Comedy, Showtime, 2001
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The First Ten Awards: Tony 2001, PBS, 2001
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Artists and Entertainers, CNN, 2001
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Awards Presentations
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The 5th Annual American Comedy Awards, ABC, 1991
- Presenter, The 49th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards, 1997
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The 50th Emmy Awards, 1998
- Himself, The 55th Annual Tony Awards, CBS and PBS, 2001
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Pilots
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The Colgate Comedy Hour, NBC, 1967
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Episodic
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, NBC, 1962, 1975, 1980, 1991, 1992
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The Andy Williams Show, 1966
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The Hollywood Palace, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967
- Guest panelist, The Hollywood Squares, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1978
- Cameo, "Episode #35," Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, 1969
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Don Adam's Screen Test, syndicated, 1975
- Himself, "Mickey's 50," The Wonderful World of Disney, 1978
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The Late Show, Fox, 1986
- Bernard "Buzz" Schlanger, "Due Diligence," The Tracey Ullman Show,Fox, 1990
- Voice of Tom, "Miracle on Third or Fourth Street," Frasier, NBC, 1993
- Himself, Clive Anderson Talks Back, 1993
- "Sid Caesar: Television's Comedy Genius," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1994
- Voice of himself, "Homer vs. Patty and Selma," The Simpsons (animated), Fox, 1995
- "Carl Reiner: Still Laughing," Biography, Arts and Entertainment,1995
- Uncle Phil, "The Grant," Mad about You, NBC, 1996
- Uncle Phil, "The Penis," Mad about You, NBC, 1997
- Uncle Phil, "Uncle Phil and the Coupons," Mad about You, NBC, 1997
- Uncle Phil, "Uncle Phil Goes Back to High School," Mad about You,NBC, 1999
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Late Show with David Letterman, NBC, 2000
- Also appeared as guest panelist, The Celebrity Game; himself, Lordagshjornet; voice, The Electric Company, PBS; Naked Hollywood, Arts and Entertainment.
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Television Work
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Series
- (With Buck Henry) Creator, Get Smart!, NBC, 1965
- Creator and executive producer, When Things Were Rotten, ABC, 1975
- Producer, The Nutt House, NBC, 1989
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Specials
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An Audience with Mel Brooks, 1983
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Stage Appearances
- Made debut in Separate Rooms, Red Bank, NJ.
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RECORDINGS
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Albums
- (With Carl Reiner) 2,000 Years, Capitol, 1960
- (With Reiner) 2,000 and One Years, Capitol, 1961
- (With Reiner) At the Cannes Film Festival, Capitol, 1961
- (With Reiner) 2,000 and Thirteen, Warner Bros., 1973
- Contributor, High Anxiety (soundtrack), Elektra, 1977
- (With Steve Barri) History of the World: Part I (includes "The Inquisition"), Warner Bros., 1981
- (With Reiner) The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000: The Album, Rhino, 1997
- Author and performer (with Reiner), The Incomplete Works of Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (contains 2,000 Years, 2,000 and One Years, and At the Cannes Film Festival).
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WRITINGS
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Screenplays
- (With others) New Faces (based on Broadway revue New Faces of 1952), National Pictures/Twentieth Century-Fox, 1954
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The Critic (animated short film), Pintoff-Crossbow Productions, 1963
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The Producers, Embassy, 1968
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The Twelve Chairs (based on a novel by Ilya Arnoldovich Ilf and Evgeni Petrov), UMC Pictures, 1970
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Shinbone Alley, 1971
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10 From Your Show of Shows, 1973
- (With Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger) Blazing Saddles (based on a story by Bergman), Warner Bros., 1974
- (With Gene Wilder) Young Frankenstein (based on characters createdby Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1974
- (With Ron Clark, Rudy De Luca, and Barry Levinson) Silent Movie, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1976
- (With Clark, De Luca, and Levinson) High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
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History of the World, Part I (also known as Mel Brooks' Historyof the World: Part 1), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
- (With Thomas Meehan and Ronny Graham) Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
- (With De Luca and Steve Haberman) Life Stinks (also known as Life Sucks), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Pathe, 1991
- (With J. David Shapiro and Evan Chandler) Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin des bois), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1993
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Dracula: Dead and Loving It, Columbia, 1995
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Svitati, Medusa, 1999
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Film Songs
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The Producers (also known as Springtime for Hitler), Embassy, 1968
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The Twelve Chairs, UMC Pictures, 1970
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Blazing Saddles, Warner Bros., 1974
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High Anxiety, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1977
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History of the World: Part 1 (also known as Mel Brooks' Historyof the World: Part 1), Twentieth Century-Fox, 1981
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To Be or Not to Be, 1983
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Spaceballs, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1987
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Robin Hood: Men in Tights (also known as Sacre Robin des bois), 1993
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Television Specials
- (With others) The Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, Howard MorrisSpecial, CBS, 1966
- (With Carl Reiner) The 2,000 Year Old Man, CBS, 1975
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Television Pilots
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Black Bart, CBS, 1975
- (With Alan Spencer) The Nutt House, NBC, 1989
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Television Episodes
- (With others) Broadway Review (also known as The Admiral Broadway Revue), NBC, 1949-1950
- (With others) Your Show of Shows, NBC, 1950-1954, 1976
- (With others) Caesar's Hour, NBC, 1954-1957
- (With others) Sid Caesar Invites You, ABC, 1957-1958
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Get Smart!, NBC, 1965
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When Things Were Rotten, ABC, 1975
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Stage Writing
- (With others) New Faces of 1952 (Broadway revue), produced at Royale Theatre, New York City, 1952-1953
- (Author of book with Joe Darion) Shinbone Alley (musical; based onthe "Archy and Mehitabel" stories by Don Marquis), produced at Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1957
- (Author of book) All-American (musical; based on the novel Professor Fodorski by Robert Lewis Taylor), produced at Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1962
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The Producers, produced at St. James Theatre, New York City, 2001-
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Nonfiction
- (With Carl Reiner) The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000, Cliff Street Books/HarperCollins, 1997
- (With Meehan) The Producers: The Book, the Lyrics, and the Story Behind the Biggest Hit in Broadway History: How We Did It, Talk Miramax Books/Hyperion, 2001
Further Reference
ADAPTATIONS
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Shinbone Alley was adapted for film by Joe Darion and released byAllied Artists, 1971; Black Bart, a television special based on the character from Blazing Saddles, was aired in 1975; The Nude Bomb,(film; also known as The Return of Maxwell Smart), 1980, Get Smart, Again! (television movie), ABC, 1989, and Get Smart! (series), Fox, 1995, were based on characters created by Brooks and Buck Henry for the series Get Smart!
OTHER SOURCES
Books
- Adler, Bill, and Jeffrey Fineman, Mel Brooks: The Irreverent Funnyman, Playboy Press, 1976
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Dictionary of Literary Biography, Volume 26: American Screenwriters, Gale, 1984
- Holtzman, William, Seesaw: A Dual Biography of Anne Bancroft and Mel Brooks, Doubleday, 1979
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St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture, St. James Press, 2000
- Yacowar, Maurice, Method in Madness: The Comic Art of Mel Brooks,St. Martin's, 1981
Periodicals
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Entertainment Weekly, June 28, 1996, p. 116
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People Weekly, July 20, 1987, pp. 39-41; November 3, 1997, p. 37;December 31, 2001, p. 100
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U.S. News and World Report, July 7, 1997, p. 81
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St. Paul Magazine, August, 1998, pp. 25-27
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