The experience helped to solidify some of the recurring themes and elements in Brooks' comedy - broad humor with a distinctly Jewish flavor, driven by larger-than-life portrayals, absurd wordplay, parodies of well-known celebrities and popular culture all of it shot through with a vein of burlesque-style shtick. After serving as a combat engineer in Europe and North Africa with the Army during World War II, Brooks sharpened his chops as an emcee and musician at the Catskills resort Grossinger's, where he also changed his name to Brooks (a variant on his mother's maiden name, Brookman) to avoid confusion with trumpeter Max Kaminsky.
With the success of the big screen adaptation of "Get Smart" (2008), more than 40 years after the premiere of the original series, it was clear that the mad mind of Mel Brooks still packed a timeless comedic punch.īorn Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York on June 28, 1926, Brooks discovered his ability to make others laugh in the same manner as so many other comedians - by performing for his parents, Maximilian and Kate, and his brothers Leonard, Irving and Bernard.
His first theatrical feature, "The Producers" (1968), later served as the basis for a hit Broadway musical, which earned Brooks and his cast and crew a record 12 Tony Awards in 2001. He soon graduated to directing films and turned out a string of uproarious and bawdy parodies of Hollywood genres, including "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "Blazing Saddles" (1974), and "High Anxiety" (1977) - all considered classics by anyone's standards. He got his start penning gags for Sid Caesar on the legendary "Your Show of Shows" (NBC, 1950-54) before developing his own series, "Get Smart" (NBC/CBS, 1965-1970). A true legend in the entertainment industry, Mel Brooks was an Oscar, Emmy, Golden Globe and Tony-winning creator and performer of some of the biggest comedy hits on television, in film, and on Broadway.
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