november / december 2005:

WINTER MOVIE PREVIEW: Mel Brooks
In a year of trials, the consumate funny man gets a last laugh fit for a producer.

profiles by Benyamin Cohen & Bradford R. Pilcher


The “only Jew who ever made a buck offa’ Hitler” (his words, not ours) has had a tumultuous 2005. From the birth of his grandson, Henry, in April to the tragic death of his wife, Anne Bancroft, in June, the year has been full of ups and downs for the comedic legend. Let us all hope it ends on an up note when Mel Brooks’ acclaimed The Producers winds its way to the silver screen ... again.

The movie, based on a play based on a movie about a play, is due to be released on December 23. Brooks directed (and wrote) the original film back in 1968, earning himself an Oscar in the process. Its more recent Broadway production has been the kind of hit most can only dream about, but now Brooks is taking virtually the entire Broadway cast back to the movies.

Still it wasn’t the easiest year to make mirth.

Read all the winter movie profiles: Sarah Silverman Steven Spielberg Jack Black Amanda Peet Zach Braff Jon Favreau Mel Brooks

The comedy maestro once said this of himself: “Look at Jewish history. Unrelieved lamenting would be intolerable. So, for every ten Jews beating their breasts, God designated one to be crazy and amuse the breast-beaters. By the time I was five I knew I was that one.”

The death of Bancroft, however, could easily have converted Brooks into a ‘breast-beater.’ The ensuing memorials in the press couldn’t gush enough about how deeply and sincerely the couple’s love ran. When Brooks held a service for her a few weeks after her death, he informed guests that if they felt like grieving, “keep it to yourself.”

Ever so slowly, however, Brooks has begun to move on, and it’s not as if he hasn’t faced adversity before. The original version of The Producers almost didn’t get released at all. Executive producer Joseph Levine found it in poor taste and not very funny (it was originally titled Springtime for Hitler -- that song alone kept it out of German theatres for years). Peter Sellers, the late English actor/director, intervened. The name change secured its release.

As for Bancroft, she has a role in the Producers story as well. Brooks liked to refer to her as his “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” after she encouraged him to take The Producers to Broadway. For Brooks, we’re sure that Bancroft’s memory (and the Schwartz) will always be with him.

Release date: December 23



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