This is the Forward’s coverage of Jewish comedian Mel Brooks.
Mel Brooks
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The Schmooze Mel Brooks’s 11-Finger Hollywood Handprint
Getty Images When he’s not watching “Downton Abbey” with Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks keeps busy by pranking future generations. The comedian finally cemented his Hollywood legacy on Monday afternoon during the Hollywood Cement Ceremony outside Mann’s Chinese Theater (“Blazing Saddles!”). The event also marked the 40th anniversary of “Young Frankenstein.” Dressed as only Mel Brooks…
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Opinion Tell It on the Mountain: A Shavuot Holiday Concert
The festival of Shavuot begins tonight. You all know what that means: time for a little holiday music. Herewith a mix of Peter Paul & Mary, Shlomo Carlebach, Shoshana Damari, Bob Dylan, some Ladino sacred cancon, some 1950s doo-wop and lots more, including a snippet of Mel Brooks. The holiday comes seven weeks after Passover…
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The Schmooze What Did Jewish Celebrities Do For Christmas?
For Jews, Christmas is a time to switch off, relax, be first in line to see the Christmas blockbuster releases and eat Chinese food by the soft glow of the TV. And in this case, celebrities really are just like us — how did your favorite Jewish stars celebrate Christmas? Find out: Sarah Silverman sent…
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The Schmooze Can You Guess Michael Bloomberg’s Favorite Movie?
Genesis prize aside, it seems the most Jewish thing about outgoing NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg is his taste in movies. Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles,” and “The Producers” and Woody Allen’s “Bananas” and “Sleeper,” all feature in Hizzoner’s top ten list, according to Buzzfeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith. For a complete list of “the classics,” as told…
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The Schmooze Mel Brooks Talks To Conan About His Jewish Roots
The latest installment of Conan O’Brien’s “Jibber Jabber” is perhaps his best yet. Our favorite red-headed comedian interviewed Mel Brooks, “the funniest man on the planet Earth,” who talked to him about growing up in Williamsburg — where if “you take a wrong step, you step on a Jew” — finding out humor wasn’t Jewish-specific…
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The Schmooze Is Rick Moranis ‘Too Jewish’?
Writing about Rick Moranis required that I remind myself what he’s done. After all, his great comic roles in Mel Brooks’ “Spaceballs” and the first “Ghostbusters” movie are pushing 30. So I sneaked over to YouTube to watch Moranis order his starship to “ludicrous speed,” and in “Ghostbusters” ask, “Okay, who brought the dog?” But…
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The Schmooze Mel Brooks Honored for Lifetime of Funny
Mel Brooks is already a member of the EGOT club, having received Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards, but the comedy legend has more prizes coming. Brooks is scheduled to receive the American Film Institute’s 41st Lifetime Achievement Award tonight, an honor widely considered to be the industry’s most important career-spanning recognition. The award will…
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The Schmooze What Mel Brooks can teach us about racism
“Blazing Saddles” is generally regarded as Mel Brooks’s best movie: It was ranked sixth on the American Film Institute’s list of the 100 greatest American comedies and it was nominated for three Academy Awards. “Best,” though, is a relative term. Brooks’s Borscht Belt-meets-absurdism style is so unique and so indelible that what we call the…
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