All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
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- Author：Mel Brooks
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Summary
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At 95， the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television， film， and the stage。 Now， for the first time， this EGOT （Emmy， Grammy， Oscar， Tony） winner shares his story in his own words。
"I hope fans of comedy will get a kick out of the stories behind my work， and really enjoy taking this remarkable ride with me。" -Mel Brooks
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。
At 95， the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television， film， and the stage。 Now， for the first time， this EGOT （Emmy， Grammy， Oscar， Tony） winner shares his story in his own words。
"I hope fans of comedy will get a kick out of the stories behind my work， and really enjoy taking this remarkable ride with me。" -Mel Brooks
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。
Reviews
Ellen Krueger
，
I expected so much from this book that when I didn’t love it at first， I thought about giving up。 Boy am I glad I kept going。 Mel Brooks won me over with his charm and charming stories。 I can’t say I got any belly laughs， but there was more than a few chuckles， snorts， and a mess of guffaws。 On top of that， I learned about Brooks’ life story， and a lot about what goes into making movies。 I enjoyed All About Me， and agree with the subtitle。 It was a remarkable life in show business。 I am about to I expected so much from this book that when I didn’t love it at first， I thought about giving up。 Boy am I glad I kept going。 Mel Brooks won me over with his charm and charming stories。 I can’t say I got any belly laughs， but there was more than a few chuckles， snorts， and a mess of guffaws。 On top of that， I learned about Brooks’ life story， and a lot about what goes into making movies。 I enjoyed All About Me， and agree with the subtitle。 It was a remarkable life in show business。 I am about to start watching a bunch of Mel’s movies again。 With more attention to the details。 。。。more
Scott Martin
，
（4。5 stars） （Audiobook） One of the titans of modern comedy， this work is an autobiography of the life and action of the master， Mel Brooks。 It covers his early life growing up in Brooklyn， his evolution into a top writer for Sid Caesar， and then his moving into movie production， offering his take on his classic movies， from The Producers to Dracula， Dead and Loving It。 The professional side didn’t seem to need any additional accolades， but then he brought the Producers to Broadway， and he would （4。5 stars） （Audiobook） One of the titans of modern comedy， this work is an autobiography of the life and action of the master， Mel Brooks。 It covers his early life growing up in Brooklyn， his evolution into a top writer for Sid Caesar， and then his moving into movie production， offering his take on his classic movies， from The Producers to Dracula， Dead and Loving It。 The professional side didn’t seem to need any additional accolades， but then he brought the Producers to Broadway， and he would set records for that action。 Brooks is still going strong at 95。 The work is mostly positive， which is not unexpected for an autobiography。 However， aside from his early childhood and references to his second wife， Anne Bancroft and his son from that marriage， Max Brooks， there is not a lot of other details from the rest of his life。 He only mentions his first marriage in passing， and barely mentions his children from that marriage。 Make of that what you will。 He does offer his insight from his time in the Army in WWII （not something I really knew， but perhaps not surprising given his age）。 Brooks may not be a perfect man， but he was and is a comedic genius。 This was great to listen to （bonus for Brooks narrating his own work）。 If you like his work， you will love this one。 If nothing else， a man who influenced so much of modern humor and movie-making， this offers a key to that influence。 。。。more
Bill MacTaggart
，
Fabulously funnyMy expectations of this book were high and they were exceeded。 I found it a hugely entertaining read。 I now want seek out those films I have yet to see and watch again those I have seen。
Robert
，
An uneven but often very entertaining string of anecdotes and punchlines from the endearingly cheerful Mel Brooks， a man who seems to have relished every minute of his 95 years on this planet。
Penny Peck
，
Although I have heard many of Brooks' stories before in interviews and documentaries， this is an excellent memoir on his unique life and career。 He describes his happy youth in Brooklyn， his time in the military during WWII， and his breakthrough as a comedy writer for Sid Caesar。 He discusses his family life， especially with his second wife Anne Bancroft， but the best chapters focused on individual films and how they were made。 There are helpful photos but no index。 A must for fans and those who Although I have heard many of Brooks' stories before in interviews and documentaries， this is an excellent memoir on his unique life and career。 He describes his happy youth in Brooklyn， his time in the military during WWII， and his breakthrough as a comedy writer for Sid Caesar。 He discusses his family life， especially with his second wife Anne Bancroft， but the best chapters focused on individual films and how they were made。 There are helpful photos but no index。 A must for fans and those who like film comedy。 。。。more
Peggy Haufle
，
Travel with Mel Brooks to Brooklyn， Europe during WWII， New York City， California， Vienna and more。 Meet various people along the way who helped Mel with his career and his writing。 He goes into detail about the creation of some of his movies and his film company。 This book will make you appreciate his work more。 If you don't like his films， you won't find this interesting。 Travel with Mel Brooks to Brooklyn， Europe during WWII， New York City， California， Vienna and more。 Meet various people along the way who helped Mel with his career and his writing。 He goes into detail about the creation of some of his movies and his film company。 This book will make you appreciate his work more。 If you don't like his films， you won't find this interesting。 。。。more
Tom
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A perfect old-school show biz biography， cozy like a pair of old slippers。 The chapters about individual movies got repetitive after a while， but that’s my only small nit。
Richard Littel
，
If you are a fan of any one of these， Mel Brooks， Comedy， Movies or theater， you will like this book。 If like me you are a fan of all four， you will love this book。 It is also a classic American tale written in a highly engaging style。 Many laugh out loud moments （so read with caution if you are in a library。）
Melissa
，
Many stories are familiar， but you laugh all over again。 Mel's narration makes for a terrific experience。 It's like he's in your living room recounting all his exploits。 Many stories are familiar， but you laugh all over again。 Mel's narration makes for a terrific experience。 It's like he's in your living room recounting all his exploits。 。。。more
Bob Mendelsohn
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What a nonstop chronicle of adventures and sometimes winning。 From Brooklyn to Broadway with stops in Europe in WW2 and Hollywood and everywhere in between the stories are remarkable and full of pathos and life。 The details are so specific even back in The Show of Shows that I felt a disclaimer ought to have been included such as “some dialogue is approximated “I’m married to my wife for 45 years and when he speaks with such praise and gentle appreciation for his wife of 45 years I feel a specia What a nonstop chronicle of adventures and sometimes winning。 From Brooklyn to Broadway with stops in Europe in WW2 and Hollywood and everywhere in between the stories are remarkable and full of pathos and life。 The details are so specific even back in The Show of Shows that I felt a disclaimer ought to have been included such as “some dialogue is approximated “I’m married to my wife for 45 years and when he speaks with such praise and gentle appreciation for his wife of 45 years I feel a special affinity。 The use of a non-capitalised “god” throughout the book is most interesting。 Is Brooks diminishing the real God or is he trying to make another statement？ I honestly could not decide。 Reading this chronologically really helped me to see his story more easily。 He has outlived so many and I hope his own children and grandchildren outlive him and find as much pleasure and happiness as he seems to have done。 。。。more
Kevin
，
Boringly quaint。 I love Mel Brooks， however， after the first story or two， the poor writing and lack of editing made it impossible to finish。 I'll stick to Mel's movies。 Boringly quaint。 I love Mel Brooks， however， after the first story or two， the poor writing and lack of editing made it impossible to finish。 I'll stick to Mel's movies。 。。。more
Michael Bryson
，
Being a little less than half the age of Mel Brooks （he was born in 1926）， my first exposure to his unmistakeable voice was his performance as a bald baby in Free To Be You and Me （1972）， a routine I can still remember vividly nearly 50 years later。 Brooks has been providing memorable comic moments since the 1930s， and approaching 100 he hasn’t stopped yet。I listened to Brooks narrate his memoir via audio book， which is surely the best way to “read” this material。 The verve， the personality， the Being a little less than half the age of Mel Brooks （he was born in 1926）， my first exposure to his unmistakeable voice was his performance as a bald baby in Free To Be You and Me （1972）， a routine I can still remember vividly nearly 50 years later。 Brooks has been providing memorable comic moments since the 1930s， and approaching 100 he hasn’t stopped yet。I listened to Brooks narrate his memoir via audio book， which is surely the best way to “read” this material。 The verve， the personality， the charisma infuse every moment。 Brooks has had a long and packed life， yet one must be honest and say this book may be all about him， but it isn’t all of him。 It’s his professional life， with small dips into his private life。 Fair enough。 There’s a lot to go through none-the-less。Anything critical to say？ I can only recount one sour note。 He mentions DW Griffith’s Birth of a Nation （1915） as one of the sweeping epic films that inspired the style of his own History of the World， Part I （1981） without following the reference with “that racist piece of shit。” Actually， I don’t think Brooks has a negative thing to say about anyone in his entire life。 Which is really quite nice。 His kind of comic generosity should never go out of style。For a slightly different take on Brooks’ work， see - https://www。lareviewofbooks。org/artic。。。 。。。more
Karen Germain
，
I rarely listen to audio books and when I have， I haven't included them in my read/reviewed books。 However， I've decided to make a change for 2022 involving listening to more audio books and reviewing them。Mel Brooks is a legend and it was a joy to listen to him narrate his memoir。 His writing is filled with his unique humor and delivery。 Although I'm very familiar with his films and theatrical productions， I did not know much about Brooks' personal life。 Brooks details his childhood in Brooklyn I rarely listen to audio books and when I have， I haven't included them in my read/reviewed books。 However， I've decided to make a change for 2022 involving listening to more audio books and reviewing them。Mel Brooks is a legend and it was a joy to listen to him narrate his memoir。 His writing is filled with his unique humor and delivery。 Although I'm very familiar with his films and theatrical productions， I did not know much about Brooks' personal life。 Brooks details his childhood in Brooklyn （including his first experience with a broadway show， when his uncle took him to a performance of "Anything Goes"）， his service in WW2， and the start of his comedy writing career。 He also writes about his children and marriages， including the love of his life actress Anne Bancroft。Listening to Brooks share his life， I felt like it was a way to respect a person who has contributed so much to our country; through his art， his comedy aesthetic， and his military service。 In the last few chapters， Brooks shares the experiences of being honored through the American Film Institute and Kennedy Center。 He talks about his other awards， such as "The Producers" holding the record for production receiving the most Tony Awards， even after the phenomenon of Lin-Manuel Miranda's "Hamilton。" Brooks is not humble when describing these successes， but it would be impossible to call him undeserving， especially after listening to his early struggles and flops。 Brooks is easily one of the hardest working people in show business， but also someone who truly loves to tell a great story。 On a final note， it's nice to listen to Brooks while he is still living and will hopefully grace us with more projects。 。。。more
Teresa
，
An enjoyable collection of anecdotes covering his major career milestones。 I'd have liked a little more depth but it was a plesant， funny read all the same。 An enjoyable collection of anecdotes covering his major career milestones。 I'd have liked a little more depth but it was a plesant， funny read all the same。 。。。more
Philip
，
There are many roads to laughter but there is only one person， Mel Brooks， that championed the cause。 A most inspiring and belly jumble of laughs， laughter and stop！ I can't breathe！ Thanks for making the world follow suit。 There are many roads to laughter but there is only one person， Mel Brooks， that championed the cause。 A most inspiring and belly jumble of laughs， laughter and stop！ I can't breathe！ Thanks for making the world follow suit。 。。。more
Janet
，
I took my time listening to it as it was that great and to hear it in Mel Brooks’ own voice was just so incredible。 I didn’t want it to end！ His movies blew my mind as a kid。 I’ll never forget seeing Blazing Saddles in the movies and missing some dialogue as the laughter was so loud。 I especially loved when we saw it go from a western to a movie。 The funniest scene was when Harvey Korean was talking to himself and then he looks directly into the camera and asks， “why am I asking you？” I’ve never I took my time listening to it as it was that great and to hear it in Mel Brooks’ own voice was just so incredible。 I didn’t want it to end！ His movies blew my mind as a kid。 I’ll never forget seeing Blazing Saddles in the movies and missing some dialogue as the laughter was so loud。 I especially loved when we saw it go from a western to a movie。 The funniest scene was when Harvey Korean was talking to himself and then he looks directly into the camera and asks， “why am I asking you？” I’ve never seen that before and it just floored me。 He sounds so vibrant and lively that I’m hoping he’ll be doing more movies and other shows。 I’d love to actually get the chance to see him in person。What was so striking to me was that he only had praise for everyone and gave credit to all that worked and/or helped him along the way。 He didn’t have a negative thing to say about anyone。 You just don’t see that anymore and it was so refreshing。 。。。more
Jules Kelly
，
if you can， this is absolutely best served as an audio book。 it is sweet & funny & so giving when it comes to all the people in his life， bbut also tales from the ultimate mensch I leapt up onto the table and screamed， "Coleman Jacoby and Arnie Rosen won an Emmy for comedy writing and Mel Brooks didn't！ That writers like that can win the award and geniuses like me would be denied？ Nietzsche was right！ There is no god！ There is not god！" if you can， this is absolutely best served as an audio book。 it is sweet & funny & so giving when it comes to all the people in his life， bbut also tales from the ultimate mensch I leapt up onto the table and screamed， "Coleman Jacoby and Arnie Rosen won an Emmy for comedy writing and Mel Brooks didn't！ That writers like that can win the award and geniuses like me would be denied？ Nietzsche was right！ There is no god！ There is not god！" 。。。more
Jason
，
I love Mel Brooks， even better that he got to narrate this book
Doc Bullfrog
，
Wonderful autobiography。 It was a real treat getting to know more about Mel Brooks from his early years growing up in Brooklyn and his beginnings in comedy。 In this book you get to see the conception and production side of his shows and films。 You get to learn about chance meetings that led to lifelong relationships。 You get the feeling that you got to spend quality time with one of the greats in show business。 I will always be grateful to Mel Brooks for influencing my sense of humor and appreci Wonderful autobiography。 It was a real treat getting to know more about Mel Brooks from his early years growing up in Brooklyn and his beginnings in comedy。 In this book you get to see the conception and production side of his shows and films。 You get to learn about chance meetings that led to lifelong relationships。 You get the feeling that you got to spend quality time with one of the greats in show business。 I will always be grateful to Mel Brooks for influencing my sense of humor and appreciation of comedy。 。。。more
Alison
，
This was a fun and enlightening book to read。 Yes， it is all about Mel Brooks。 From childhood through today we get a peek into Mel's life and what made Mel， Mel。 There are a lot of celebrity names dropped， but not out of conceit （look who I know） but his relationship with other people in the industry helped make Mel who he is。 We also get a keen look behind the scenes of the many TV programs and movies that he made - which provided more background to what goes into making a movie， to the persona This was a fun and enlightening book to read。 Yes， it is all about Mel Brooks。 From childhood through today we get a peek into Mel's life and what made Mel， Mel。 There are a lot of celebrity names dropped， but not out of conceit （look who I know） but his relationship with other people in the industry helped make Mel who he is。 We also get a keen look behind the scenes of the many TV programs and movies that he made - which provided more background to what goes into making a movie， to the personality of those with whom he worked。 This book is a credit to Mel Brooks and all the laughs that he gave us - laughs that are sorely needed into today's chaotic world。 。。。more
Karla Ewers
，
wonderful bookMel Brooks has a way with words。 Such an enjoyable read。 Now I need to go back and watch his movies that I missed。 Great book！
tim
，
I started this as an audiobook。 Once his voice was in my head， I began reading it in print and plowed through the pages。 There is no griping， few regrets， no scandals， or any need to defend a reputation。 The memoir offers a quick 480 pages of his life in show business where everything seems to have gone pretty smoothly。 He loves his actors and collaborators， quotes from his films， offers side stories， with great admiration and love for his late wife， Anne Bancroft， and for his children and grand I started this as an audiobook。 Once his voice was in my head， I began reading it in print and plowed through the pages。 There is no griping， few regrets， no scandals， or any need to defend a reputation。 The memoir offers a quick 480 pages of his life in show business where everything seems to have gone pretty smoothly。 He loves his actors and collaborators， quotes from his films， offers side stories， with great admiration and love for his late wife， Anne Bancroft， and for his children and grandchilden。 Underneath， is a driven man， an old-school Borscht Belt comedian。 There are other bios on Brooks so they can delve into other facts。 Here is a quite unabashed ode to himself and his inexhaustible humor that led to so many successes。 His casual stories and anecdotes feel like some old uncle reminiscing the best and proudest moments of life。 As Mel Brooks is 95 - so more power to him。 It is a gift to readers。 Along the way are nice tips and insights along with a surprising knowledge of film。 Tales of dinners with Cary Grant， Hitchcock and others are a real treat。 I haven't even seen all his films; his was a broader style of comedy than met my tastes。 Now， of course， I want to catch up。 The highlights of his career are on these pages， a generous and inspiring， often laugh-out-loud memoir of an artist who never gave up his bawdy Jewish sense of the absurd。 。。。more
Michael
，
charming I’m a Brooks fan since his early TV days。 I’ve heard all the stories before。 However， it’s good hearing them again。 My wife thinks I should rate it a 5。
Peter
，
The comedy legend， at 95， finally published his memoir， and while it's fairly straightforward， not a ton of introspection， it's a fascinating story of a kid who grew up in Brooklyn in the Depression and through talent， hard work， and a wonderful sense of humor， rose to the top of the show business world。 Lots and lots of good stories within。I read this one for an interview with Mel。 That story is here: https://www。ocregister。com/2021/12/02。。。 The comedy legend， at 95， finally published his memoir， and while it's fairly straightforward， not a ton of introspection， it's a fascinating story of a kid who grew up in Brooklyn in the Depression and through talent， hard work， and a wonderful sense of humor， rose to the top of the show business world。 Lots and lots of good stories within。I read this one for an interview with Mel。 That story is here: https://www。ocregister。com/2021/12/02。。。 。。。more
Stephanie Goldsmith
，
I grew up loving Mel Brooks and reading his memoir was such an incredible treat。 Because I listened to this on audiobook， and Mel Brooks narrated it himself， you could hear the delight and glee in his voice as he recounted some of his favorite stories。 I struggled between giving my review four and five stars。 Here is why I settled on four。 The book is primarily a recounting of his professional life。 I found myself hungry to know a little bit more about the man himself and his personal experience I grew up loving Mel Brooks and reading his memoir was such an incredible treat。 Because I listened to this on audiobook， and Mel Brooks narrated it himself， you could hear the delight and glee in his voice as he recounted some of his favorite stories。 I struggled between giving my review four and five stars。 Here is why I settled on four。 The book is primarily a recounting of his professional life。 I found myself hungry to know a little bit more about the man himself and his personal experiences。 My favorite parts of the book are him discussing his childhood and his time in the military。 About three-quarters of the way through the book he also shared a little bit about the fun he and Anne Bancroft had with their closest friends while vacationing together。 Those were delicious little gems in the narrative。 I loved hearing about his movies and his plays， but I wish there was more balance。 Mel Brooks is one of my all-time favorite artists and even though I wish he would have shared more， I was delighted and entertained the whole time I was listening to this audiobook。 I was sad when it was over。 。。。more
Michael Gordon
，
If for some reason， you do not know how funny Mel Brooks is， don’t worry - he lets you know every other page of his autobiography。 He’s allowed。 Few folks have made so many others laugh for over seven decades。 This book is full of hilarious stories of growing up in Brooklyn， his service in WWII， writing for Your Show of Shows， and every one of his movies。 He also expresses his appreciation for everyone who helped him throughout his career。 This was a great Christmas gift from a great friend （who If for some reason， you do not know how funny Mel Brooks is， don’t worry - he lets you know every other page of his autobiography。 He’s allowed。 Few folks have made so many others laugh for over seven decades。 This book is full of hilarious stories of growing up in Brooklyn， his service in WWII， writing for Your Show of Shows， and every one of his movies。 He also expresses his appreciation for everyone who helped him throughout his career。 This was a great Christmas gift from a great friend （who also makes me laugh） and a fun first read of the new year。 。。。more
Kate
，
The audiobook of this is everything。 Mel sings！ He acts， he laughs。 It was wonderful learning more about his incredible career。 I。 Loved。 This。
Joe
，
Hoped for Brooks' humor to show through。 Not often happened。 This is an ego trip with large parts written by sycophants。 On the other hand， some of the biographical details will be of interest to readers keen to know about show-biz。 Not recommended。 Hoped for Brooks' humor to show through。 Not often happened。 This is an ego trip with large parts written by sycophants。 On the other hand， some of the biographical details will be of interest to readers keen to know about show-biz。 Not recommended。 。。。more
Scott Degraff
，
Funny， warm and charming， what a life he has enjoyed。
Katherine
，