Mel Brooks is a distinctive actor who became famous for his comedic roles. Brooks successfully compensated for the lack of poster appearance of a handsome man with incredible charisma. He also realized his talent as a director, making several popular comedy films.
The beginning of the biography
Mel Brooks (real name Melvin James Kaminski) was born in 1926, in a family of Polish immigrants. The parents of the future comedian were poor, they moved to the United States in the hope of a new, happier life. Kaminski Sr. did not succeed in achieving great success, but the boy did not feel much need. He compensated for the lack of money in the family with hobbies, the main of which was cinema. Mel ran to the cinema at any opportunity, he watched the films of his idol Charlie Chaplin dozens of times.
Brooks' other hobby was foreign languages. In addition to English, he knew Polish well, as well as Yiddish, because the boy came from a religious Jewish family. Mel studied well and felt quite comfortable at school. However, the path to the university was closed for him: the family was constantly short of money.
Instead of studying, Mel had to go to the army. He served as a military engineer, and in his spare time entertained colleagues with witty parodies of his own composition. After completing his service, the future comedian went to Las Vegas and took a job as a cleaner in one of the many casinos. The position is not the most prestigious, but at least indirectly bringing Mel closer to the coveted world of show business. Brooks looked closely at the artists who entertained the audience in between the games, and understood: he could perform much better!
The way up: a career as a comedian
The opportunity to prove yourself on the stage presented itself quickly. The permanent casino actor fell ill, the management found out about it at the last minute, when it was too late to look for a replacement on the side. The administration ventured to try a young cleaning guy as a comedian. He did not disappoint: the audience really liked the unusual demeanor and unbreakable jokes. The debutant was rewarded with long applause and something more valuable - confidence in his comedic talent. After several performances, the aspiring actor began to think about a pseudonym. At first he took his mother's surname - Brookman, but then shortened it to Brooks. The name was also shortened: Melvin gave way to capacious and memorable Mel.
Despite the obvious success, Brooks did not plan to limit himself to the casino scene. He was attracted by the cinema. Mel dreamed not only to play in films, but also to shoot them on his own, like the great Charlie Chaplin. The first film that brought him fame was the comedy "Producers" (1968). Brooks himself wrote the script and directed the tape about two scammers who tried by hook or by crook to break into the world of cinema. The public liked the picture, the critics also accepted it favorably. The highest award was the Oscar for the original script. The success inspired the novice director, he immediately took up a new job - the film "12 Chairs" based on Ilf and Petrov.
The second film could not repeat the success of the first. The screen version of the adventure novel did not appeal to the audience, the picture did not collect the box office and was removed from the rental. Brooks was upset with failure and decided to temporarily leave directing, focusing on acting. In addition, he vowed never to film classics and kept his word.
The next film with the participation of the young comedian was called "Glittering Saddles". Brooks' work was highly praised by critics, and the audience loved it. In the wake of his success, he played another role in the comedy parody Young Frankenstein. The film, shot in retro style, on black and white film, was a rather risky project, but fully justified the costs. Well, for Brooks, the fame of one of the most talented comedians-parodists was forever entrenched.
Almost all subsequent films enjoyed well-deserved success with the audience. Brooks returned to directing, filming several successful films at once: "Silent Movie", parodies "Fear of Heights", "Space Eggs", "World History: Part One", "Robin Lip: Men in Tights", "Dracula Dead and Satisfied" … In Brooks' filmography there is also a serious picture under the provocative title "Life is Shit."
The director also showed himself as a composer, writing songs for some of his films. In many films, he starred as an actor, performing not only the main, but also episodic roles.
On account of Brooks and his own television projects. He wrote scripts for the popular "The Muppet Show", while voicing one of the characters, hosted his own program, thought over the outline of the series "Get your brains".
Among the successful projects of the director is his own film studio, which released the film "The Elephant Man" by David Lynch. Brooks produced such popular films as "The Fly" and "Fly-2", "Producers", "To Be or Not to Be." Mel's activities have been repeatedly noted with prestigious awards, the last being the National Medal in the Arts, received in 2016.
Personal life
In 1951, Brooks married Florence Baum. The marriage was not very successful: despite the birth of three children, the couple separated in 1961. The second wife of the actor and director was actress Anne Bancroft. Their common son Max followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a screenwriter and writer. Anne died in 2005, Mel did not marry again, but does not feel lonely, continuing to act in films and TV series, voice characters and advise aspiring directors.
