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All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now he shares his story for the first time in "a wonderful addition to a seminal career" (San Francisco Chronicle), "infused with nostalgia and his signature hilarity" (Parade).
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK POST • "Laugh-out-loud hilarious and always fascinating, from the great Mel Brooks. What else do you expect from the man who knew Jesus and dated Joan of Arc?"-Billy Crystal
For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny.
All About Me! charts Mel Brooks's meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Whether serving in the United States Army in World War II, or during his burgeoning career as a teenage comedian in the Catskills, Mel was always mining his experiences for material, always looking for the perfect joke. His iconic career began with Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, where he was part of the greatest writers' room in history, which included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Larry Gelbart. After co-creating both the mega-hit 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums and the classic television series Get Smart, Brooks's stellar film career took off. He would go on to write, direct, and star in The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, and Spaceballs, as well as produce groundbreaking and eclectic films, including The Elephant Man, The Fly, and My Favorite Year. Brooks then went on to conquer Broadway with his record-breaking, Tony-winning musical, The Producers.
All About Me! offers fans insight into the inspiration behind the ideas for his outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work, and offers details about the many close friendships and collaborations Brooks had, including those with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his life, Anne Bancroft.
Filled with tales of struggle, achievement, and camaraderie (and dozens of photographs), readers will gain a more personal and deeper understanding of the incredible body of work behind one of the most accomplished and beloved entertainers in history.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NEW YORK POST • "Laugh-out-loud hilarious and always fascinating, from the great Mel Brooks. What else do you expect from the man who knew Jesus and dated Joan of Arc?"-Billy Crystal
For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, filmmaker, and creator of all things funny.
All About Me! charts Mel Brooks's meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Whether serving in the United States Army in World War II, or during his burgeoning career as a teenage comedian in the Catskills, Mel was always mining his experiences for material, always looking for the perfect joke. His iconic career began with Sid Caesar's Your Show of Shows, where he was part of the greatest writers' room in history, which included Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and Larry Gelbart. After co-creating both the mega-hit 2000 Year Old Man comedy albums and the classic television series Get Smart, Brooks's stellar film career took off. He would go on to write, direct, and star in The Producers, The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, High Anxiety, and Spaceballs, as well as produce groundbreaking and eclectic films, including The Elephant Man, The Fly, and My Favorite Year. Brooks then went on to conquer Broadway with his record-breaking, Tony-winning musical, The Producers.
All About Me! offers fans insight into the inspiration behind the ideas for his outstanding collection of boundary-breaking work, and offers details about the many close friendships and collaborations Brooks had, including those with Sid Caesar, Carl Reiner, Gene Wilder, Madeleine Kahn, Alfred Hitchcock, and the great love of his life, Anne Bancroft.
Filled with tales of struggle, achievement, and camaraderie (and dozens of photographs), readers will gain a more personal and deeper understanding of the incredible body of work behind one of the most accomplished and beloved entertainers in history.
Editorial Reviews
"Delightful . . . A wonderful addition to a seminal career, All About Me! is not only a worthy summary of all Mel Brooks has achieved but also a lasting testament to the laughs he's had along the way."-San Francisco Chronicle
"The book . . . covers [Brooks's] ninety-five years of life with a tummler's panache."-The New Yorker
"Full of both hilarity and wisdom."-Adam Grant, "15 Inspiring Books to Read Over the Holidays"
"If you're a Mel Brooks fan, All About Me! is the book you've been waiting for."-The AV Club
"This book has everything you would ever want Mel Brooks to tell you, and at 480 pages it is still not enough! Pure joy."-Judd Apatow
"Mel Brooks is Mount Hilarious. All any of us can do is look up and feel small and not as funny in comparison."-Marc Maron
"No one ever made me laugh harder than Mel Brooks. There was no more magical couple than Mel and Anne Bancroft. I treasure every memory with him and with them."-Norman Lear
"There are people who have great stories and there are people that tell great stories. Mel is that precious combination of a person with amazing stories who happens to be one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Lucky for him? Lucky for us!"-Sarah Silverman
"If you are holding the great Mel Brooks's memoir and you are wasting time reading this blurb, you're an idiot."-Conan O'Brien
"This marvelous book by the great man himself will give you a mega-dose of sheer reading pleasure. It's the personal, delightfully revealing life story of a giant comic talent. All About Me! delivers a much-needed, therapeutic supply of full-out laughter."-Dick Cavett
"All About Me! isn't a typical comedy memoir, and why would it be? Mel is a singular talent, still witty, still sharp, and still zinging us after all these years. These stories thread a hilarious narrative that is also profound and touching. Reading this, you'll learn very quickly why Mel Brooks is a king of comedy."
"The book . . . covers [Brooks's] ninety-five years of life with a tummler's panache."-The New Yorker
"Full of both hilarity and wisdom."-Adam Grant, "15 Inspiring Books to Read Over the Holidays"
"If you're a Mel Brooks fan, All About Me! is the book you've been waiting for."-The AV Club
"This book has everything you would ever want Mel Brooks to tell you, and at 480 pages it is still not enough! Pure joy."-Judd Apatow
"Mel Brooks is Mount Hilarious. All any of us can do is look up and feel small and not as funny in comparison."-Marc Maron
"No one ever made me laugh harder than Mel Brooks. There was no more magical couple than Mel and Anne Bancroft. I treasure every memory with him and with them."-Norman Lear
"There are people who have great stories and there are people that tell great stories. Mel is that precious combination of a person with amazing stories who happens to be one of the greatest storytellers of all time. Lucky for him? Lucky for us!"-Sarah Silverman
"If you are holding the great Mel Brooks's memoir and you are wasting time reading this blurb, you're an idiot."-Conan O'Brien
"This marvelous book by the great man himself will give you a mega-dose of sheer reading pleasure. It's the personal, delightfully revealing life story of a giant comic talent. All About Me! delivers a much-needed, therapeutic supply of full-out laughter."-Dick Cavett
"All About Me! isn't a typical comedy memoir, and why would it be? Mel is a singular talent, still witty, still sharp, and still zinging us after all these years. These stories thread a hilarious narrative that is also profound and touching. Reading this, you'll learn very quickly why Mel Brooks is a king of comedy."
Readers Top Reviews
lucypoohTexann
Great insight to the mind and madness of legendary film maker
Jack M B Selway
After starting to read his book, I collected most of his movies. The Producers is the only hit. The best thing about him was Anne Bancroft. Actually his Brooksfilm movies were great. The Elephant Man.
Christopher RaeJa
Starts off hysterical and lots of good insights and wisdom and anecdotes of his life and early career. But then it just sort of becomes him reciting his filmography with a few anecdotes and not a ton of challenges to overcome in the 2nd half. He glazes over the death of Anne Bancroft (perhaps too difficult still), I wish there had been more about “Spaceballs”, and there’s nothing about the 2nd “The Producers” movie. I’m He is absolutely a national treasure and I’m glad I got to see him do a live showing of “Blazing Saddles” with Q&A but I was hoping for something with a bit more meat on the bone in the 2nd half of the book. It reads like, “Here’s a list of accomplishments and praise I got for them from these famous people”.
Tea&BookLoverChri
I love Mel Brooks, his comedy movies and his humor. He can always make me laugh. And I did laugh while reading his autobiography, but I was expecting so much more. This is mostly about his movies, even going into the money problems of them, and it was about his Broadway shows too, and the "amazing" people he worked with. Which brings me to the three problems I had with his book. Problem one: Everyone he mentioned was "wonderful" "extremely talented" "a genius", "incredible", etc... and I mean everyone! Way too many adjectives describing the people he worked with when he could have just named them. Did he like and love everyone? No working problems at all for decades? Problem two: I wanted more of Mel Brooks married life with his family. There wasn't much of that at all. He left a ton of information out to focus on his shows, movies and awards. I expected Mel to be proud of all that he's done, but he's very self-aggrandizing in his book. Problem three: He proudly states he rejected a Kennedy Center Honors award from President George W. Bush, on account of the "Bush wars" because he is a war veteran himself, but he had no problem proudly accepting the same award from Obama, and again in 2015, accepting a National Medal of Arts from Obama, even though, according to an L.A. Times article, "U.S. military forces have been at war for all eight years of Obama’s tenure, the first two-term president with that distinction. He launched airstrikes or military raids in at least seven countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Yemen, Somalia and Pakistan." So, as usual, Hollywood and the Arts community are hypocrites. No surprise. Very disappointed in Mr. Brooks but I still love his work, and he will still go down as one of the most talented funny men ever known who brought laughter to people in hard times.
Jim StoutTea&Book
Hard to read a book through laughter-changed-to-choking. Just saying. A memoir which is a masterclass in a difficult art form is rare; Mr. Brooks does this and expresses his humanity while sharing his life at the same time! Bravo, Maestro!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
Brooklyn
It is 1931, I am five years old, and my older brother Bernie takes me to see a movie called Frankenstein at the Republic Movie Theatre. Big mistake! That evening, even though it was a hot summer night, I closed the window next to my little bed. My mother hears it being closed and immediately comes into the bedroom and quickly opens it.
"Mel," she says, "we're on the top floor and it's a hundred degrees in here. It's very hot. We have to keep the window open."
I counter with, "No, we must keep it closed! Because if we keep it open Frankenstein will come up the fire escape and grab me by the throat and kill me and eat me!"
(Even though it was the doctor who was named Frankenstein, all the kids called the monster Frankenstein because that was the title of the picture.)
My mother, realizing that she could never win by demanding that the window stay open, decides to reason with her five-year-old baby boy. "Mel," she says, "let's say you are right. That Frankenstein wants to come here and kill you and eat you. But let's look at all the trouble he's going to have to get to Brooklyn. First of all, he lives in Transylvania. That's somewhere in Romania. That's in Europe. And that's a long, long ways away. So even if he decides to come here, he has to get a bus or a train or hitchhike to somewhere he can get a boat to go to America. Believe me, nobody is going to pick him up. So let's say he's lucky enough to find a boat that would take him here. Okay, so he is here in New York City, but he really doesn't know how the subways work. When he asks people they just run away! Finally, let's say he figures out it's not the IRT, it's the BMT and he gets to Brooklyn. Then he's got to figure out how to get to 365 South Third Street. Okay, it's going to be a long walk. So let's say he finally gets to Williamsburg and he finally finds our tenement. But remember, all the windows at 365 are going to be wide open and he's had a long journey, so he must be very hungry. So if he has to kill and eat somebody, he probably would go through the first-floor window and eat all the Rothsteins who are living in apartment 1A. And once he's full, there is no reason for him to go all the way up to the fifth floor and eat you."
The story made good sense to me. "Okay," I said, "open the window. I'll take a chance." And that's how my patient, loving mother solved only one of the many problems I would hand her each day.
Since we're talking about me, let me go back to the very beginning. I was born on June 28, 1926. As far as I was concerned, a very good time to be born. Maybe not so good a date for the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, as it was the twelfth anniversary of his assassination, which kicked off World War I. But in America things were good, we were still at peace and the Great Depression wouldn't start until 1929. I was born in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. That's where the Williamsburg Bridge makes it way over to Manhattan. I was the last child born to Kate Kaminsky, whose maiden name was Katie Brookman. A little later on in life when I was fourteen and learning to be a drummer, it occurred to me that if I was going to be in show business, Mel Brookman was a much better stage name than Melvin Kaminsky (which would be a good name for a professor of Russian literature). So with my new stage name decided on I began painting it on my bass drum, but when I got to B-R-O-O-K- there was no room left for M-A-N. I only had room for one letter, so I threw in an S at the end of BROOK. Hence, Mel Brooks, which has stood me in good stead ever since. But let's get back to Melvin Kaminsky.
Rumor has it that my mother said she already had three boys and the only reason she tried again was in the hopes that this last child would be a girl. The story goes that when the doctor delivered me and said to my mother, "You have a big, beautiful bouncing baby boy!"
My mother replied, "Do you want him?"
But I'm sure she was kidding. (At least I hope so.)
Being the baby of the family was good stuff. Everything went my way. I had three older brothers: Bernie who was four years older, Lenny who was seven years older, and Irving who was ten years older. I remember Bernie telling me one night that Daddy had come home with a little yellow rubber duck in his hand. Bernie was sure the duck was for him, but Daddy went right past his eager face and of course gave it to the baby-me. Bernie never forgave me for that. But my brothers were wonderful; we were like puppies in a cardboard box. We enjoyed one another's company tremendously. Plenty of fights, but plenty of fun. My uncles and aunts also adored me, as I was the youngest. I was always in the air, hurled up and ...
Brooklyn
It is 1931, I am five years old, and my older brother Bernie takes me to see a movie called Frankenstein at the Republic Movie Theatre. Big mistake! That evening, even though it was a hot summer night, I closed the window next to my little bed. My mother hears it being closed and immediately comes into the bedroom and quickly opens it.
"Mel," she says, "we're on the top floor and it's a hundred degrees in here. It's very hot. We have to keep the window open."
I counter with, "No, we must keep it closed! Because if we keep it open Frankenstein will come up the fire escape and grab me by the throat and kill me and eat me!"
(Even though it was the doctor who was named Frankenstein, all the kids called the monster Frankenstein because that was the title of the picture.)
My mother, realizing that she could never win by demanding that the window stay open, decides to reason with her five-year-old baby boy. "Mel," she says, "let's say you are right. That Frankenstein wants to come here and kill you and eat you. But let's look at all the trouble he's going to have to get to Brooklyn. First of all, he lives in Transylvania. That's somewhere in Romania. That's in Europe. And that's a long, long ways away. So even if he decides to come here, he has to get a bus or a train or hitchhike to somewhere he can get a boat to go to America. Believe me, nobody is going to pick him up. So let's say he's lucky enough to find a boat that would take him here. Okay, so he is here in New York City, but he really doesn't know how the subways work. When he asks people they just run away! Finally, let's say he figures out it's not the IRT, it's the BMT and he gets to Brooklyn. Then he's got to figure out how to get to 365 South Third Street. Okay, it's going to be a long walk. So let's say he finally gets to Williamsburg and he finally finds our tenement. But remember, all the windows at 365 are going to be wide open and he's had a long journey, so he must be very hungry. So if he has to kill and eat somebody, he probably would go through the first-floor window and eat all the Rothsteins who are living in apartment 1A. And once he's full, there is no reason for him to go all the way up to the fifth floor and eat you."
The story made good sense to me. "Okay," I said, "open the window. I'll take a chance." And that's how my patient, loving mother solved only one of the many problems I would hand her each day.
Since we're talking about me, let me go back to the very beginning. I was born on June 28, 1926. As far as I was concerned, a very good time to be born. Maybe not so good a date for the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, as it was the twelfth anniversary of his assassination, which kicked off World War I. But in America things were good, we were still at peace and the Great Depression wouldn't start until 1929. I was born in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York. That's where the Williamsburg Bridge makes it way over to Manhattan. I was the last child born to Kate Kaminsky, whose maiden name was Katie Brookman. A little later on in life when I was fourteen and learning to be a drummer, it occurred to me that if I was going to be in show business, Mel Brookman was a much better stage name than Melvin Kaminsky (which would be a good name for a professor of Russian literature). So with my new stage name decided on I began painting it on my bass drum, but when I got to B-R-O-O-K- there was no room left for M-A-N. I only had room for one letter, so I threw in an S at the end of BROOK. Hence, Mel Brooks, which has stood me in good stead ever since. But let's get back to Melvin Kaminsky.
Rumor has it that my mother said she already had three boys and the only reason she tried again was in the hopes that this last child would be a girl. The story goes that when the doctor delivered me and said to my mother, "You have a big, beautiful bouncing baby boy!"
My mother replied, "Do you want him?"
But I'm sure she was kidding. (At least I hope so.)
Being the baby of the family was good stuff. Everything went my way. I had three older brothers: Bernie who was four years older, Lenny who was seven years older, and Irving who was ten years older. I remember Bernie telling me one night that Daddy had come home with a little yellow rubber duck in his hand. Bernie was sure the duck was for him, but Daddy went right past his eager face and of course gave it to the baby-me. Bernie never forgave me for that. But my brothers were wonderful; we were like puppies in a cardboard box. We enjoyed one another's company tremendously. Plenty of fights, but plenty of fun. My uncles and aunts also adored me, as I was the youngest. I was always in the air, hurled up and ...
