[ applause ] [ music ] [ applause ] we are back. we're talking with mel brooks. director, writer, producer, author. whatever. >> yes. >> we were talkin' about, uh, gene wilder. >> yes. i have a little film clip that i brought. >> right. >> to show that wilder is the one that holds this together.

paramount epitome of acting. he is a very good serious actor as well as comedian. >> the catalyst. >> yes. the catholic-- did you say "catalyst?" [ laughter ] >> catalyst. catalyst. >> whatever. yes. shut up, when i'm talking. [ laughter ] >> oh, you're rolling, there. real nice. >> i want you to see, in this film clip, that we-- we're all ready to break up and laugh, or-- we're biting our knuckles-- everybody on-on screen-- and wilder-wilder is the one you can hang-- you can lean on-- a rock. show, please. show gene wilder in action. >> watch the monitor. this is the rock. >> doctor! zere is that strange music again. >> it seems to have stopped the big fellow, in his tracks. >> that music. that quaint-- it's terrible, the price society demands, in the name of fidelity, isn't it? i mean, what is fidelity, after all? >> not fooling around?

[ laughter ] is that it? why, look. you haven't even touched your food! >> there! now i've-- [ laughter ] still smoldering. let me smell your breath. [ exhaling ] [ laughter ] god! [ laughter ] >> follow me, please. [ laughter ] now, listen to me very carefully. [ chuckling ] [ laughter ] >> all right.

to the laboratory? >> you mean the laboratory. >> mmm! [ laughter ] >> oh, gene, don't laugh! it's so -- >> uh, igor, would you give me a hand, with these bags? >> certainly. you take the blonde, and i'll take the one in the train. [ laughter ] [ applause ] [ growling ] >> ugh! stop that! >> master. [ laughter ] >> may i go in? [ laughter ] [ laughter ] [ applause ] [ cheering ] >> a rock. man is a rock. [ laughter ] man is really a rock. >> he is-- he's the greatest sucker for comedy. i mean, he can't-- >> see marty feldman go in? >> yes, marty went. marty--

it was hard. one-one day, when we were doing, uh-- in-in "the producers," kenny mars was doin' the crazy german, with the pigeon doody on his helmet. >> right. >> and, uh, he was-- he was making a speech, and i was behind the camera, eating a handkerchief, and there was the cameraman and the director of photography, and we all fell over ,with the camera, at the same time. [ laughter ] >> a lot of people-- >> we just went. we just-- and i cleared everybody away. you know, i cl-- i cleared the enti-- i said, "everybody out! if you-- this is professional! no laughing! let the audience laugh, for god's sake! we'll watch it! go ahead, kenny." [ farting noise ] [ laughter ] >> on the deck. >> down. >> why did you make this-- why did you make this in black and white? >> the crayons. we lost all the crayons in -- [ laughter ] we had such a big set. [ laughter ] >> no, we-- black and white, because james whale made-- >> yeah. >> made his pictures in black and white. we didn't wanna make one of those-- >> i see. >> dopey new ones. you know. >> think this is the second picture-- third picture, i guess, you direct. what's the hardest part about-- >> fourth.

>> "producers," "the 12 chairs," "blazing saddles," and "frankenstein-- young frankenstein." >> of course. [ applause ] >> thank you. thanks, mom. >> what's the hardest thing about makin' a film? >> the holes. >> what? >> the holes. >> the holes? >> the holes in the side of the-- of the-- of the celluloid. every day, a hole, a hole, a hole! [ laughter ] >> it's a million! it's a million! it's a billion! the acting's nothing, the writing is nothing, the-- >> making those little holes. >> but, every night-- pop! pop! pop! [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> then they're all over, and you don't know what to do. >> over. and then ya-- and then they're in your food, your potatoes. [ laughter ] >> you started out in the mountains, didn't ya? >> yes! >> filling in, for the comic who got sick one night, and you went out and didn't have an act. >> "good evening, ladies and germs. i just moved out to chicago, and boy, are my arms tired." >> that kinda stuff. >> "i met a girl in chicago. she was so skinny, the waiter said, "check your umbrella." [ rimshot ] [ laughter ] >> that kinda stuff. >> but one night-- one night, i really wanted to turn the jews around.

>> to do something insane. so i did everything, but no punch line. "good evening, ladies and gentlemen. i just flew in from chicago. it was-- a little nauseous." they looked-- they looked-- "all right." "i met a girl in chicago. she was so skinny, i was worried." [ laughter ] >> "a little worried about her. went to a doctor, doctor-- 'she's all right.'" [ laughter ] "i got a room in chicago. the room was so small, i called up, i said, 'change the room.'" [ laughter ] i mean, i did every single joke known to man, but no punch, just straight. >> just-- "this is a bad room. i don't like the room. they changed it." >> and they looked-- they said, "there's a some where here." [ laughter ] then, i did-- then, i did-- you know, in the mountains, everybody was over-- like, over 60. they didn't-- they didn't get things right away. right away, they didn't. like, i'd say, "ladies and gentlemen, man of 1000 faces." [ laughter ] they waited! they waited, for 1000 faces!

[ applause ] >> all right. after five-- >> they wanted to see a thousand faces. >> but how much-- no, i-i-- i was up-- i swear i was up to about 30. [ laughter ] i mean, how many faces can ya-- i said, "when are they gonna laugh?" oh. [ laughter ] i mean, i don't-- i don't know. >> then you went with sid caesar, the old "show of shows," with, uh, that mad, crazy group. >> he was the best. i woulda been a comic, 10 years earlier, but he was such a great vehicle-- >> yeah. >> for my passion. he could do anything. he mimicked people. i mean, he didn't do bogard, he didn't do cagni. he just did people-- recognizable types. he really was incredibly talented. >> he did everything phonetically. sid's been on the show. you know, he did great phonetic german-- french, uh, spanish, japanese-- whatever. >> he's great. he's rea-- he's really-- and he's still great. and the problem with television is that it eats you up, like little link sausages, every week, so-- >> right. >> it's difficult to stay alive, when you're high-powered. if you're a low-key comic-- >> right. >> you can stay alive a li-- a little longer, you know. but sid was too much.

human being. the strongest-- >> physically. he didn't like a joke, he lifted the metal desk and the tarp, "i okay." "no. no. it don't have to be in." >> you feel it. >> very early on, when we did "the show of shows," we went to chicago, uh, and i was riding with sid. we played the palmer house-- the empire of the palm house. and sid rented a car, and we were driving in the car-- cab cut us off. cab driver said things you cannot say on television. sid said, "moment! moment, sir! moment." got outta the car, went to the cab driver-- cab driver wearing a yellow hat and a little leather bow tie. he's-- and the-- and the cab driver is looking through this little clipper window-- remember those? they had little clip-- and he says, to sid, more invectives, very bad cursing. and sid just said to him, >> "do you remember birth?" he says, "what?" "do you remember being born? birth?" he said, "no-- what--" he said, "we're gonna reenact it." [ laughter ]

by the leather bow tie, and began pulling him. [ laugher ] [ applause ] [ laughter ] >> pulled him through the little window. >> and i-i-i promise you, sid coulda got him through, but i bit his hand. [ laughter ] >> somewhere, there's a very long cab driver, back in chicago, to this day. >> yes, a very long, skinny cab driver. he is very, very -- >> yes, i remember. >> in the beginning, i was the-- hired only by sid. >> right. >> max liebman didn't-- [ coughing ] >> i wasn't a human person, yet. before, i was the one to run out and got sid coffee. "light coffee?" but he didn't think i was a writer. so, the only things i could do were the l-litt-little things, like, uh, they let me write "the german professor." >> oh, well, that's good. >> yeah. and-and-- so, i wrote that, for a while. and sid was terrific, at "the german professor."

he was whatever you said. we-- he-- and he could adlib, a lot. i mean, you could write with sid on that. he was so great. we did one on sleep. >> sleep? >> ugh. on tha-- he was-- i can't do that-- i'll just do a little of it. he did-- said, uh, uh, "how-how does-- what is sleep? how d-- you can put the body to sleep. you cannot altogether-- put the body to sleep altogether would be-- it got-- gonna get scared and get up. [ laughter ] you-you gotta put the body to sleep, in little sections, that one section should and all the others gonna sleep. first, you start with the toes. the toes, they drop off. then, you stay with the knees. they put a knee cap -- then, you say to the belly, 'don't burble and burble so much. [ laughter ] then you say to the heart, 'just a nap. don't nod all the way. just a nap. [ laughter ] nap and then, the hardest part is the brain. to put the brain-- the brain don't wanna go to sleep. 'don't worry. there's other pebbles on the beach. you'll find them. [ laughter ] so you'll get another job. don't complain, you're

[ laughter ] come on. [ singing ] rock-a-bye brain in the skull-- all right everybody up. see? you woke everybody up! [ laughter ] [ applause ] >> yeah. >> i am-- i am insulting it, because he really-- i mean, sid was a genius. >> no, you do it. i wanna come back, and talk about your meeting with general sarnoff, 'cause that was a strange-- >> i can't talk about that on television. >> well, you can maybe work around it. >> no, we ca-- nothing. >> i see. >> we won't talk about it. >> okay. we'll go to s-- >> okay. >> go to somethin' else. >> ah, we're not gonna go to something else, either. [ laughter ] what if you got a nut like that on the show? "no, we're not gonna talk about anything. we're just gonna be here." [ laughter ] "what do you mean, we're just gonna be--" "we're just gonna be here, and they'll be here, and the cameras, and we'll just be here." >> sometimes you get-- >> "but we're not gonna talk. we don't have to talk. they'll know, and we'll know." [ laughter ] >> once in a while, you get that. you can say to a guy-- some actors say-- "i understand an amusing thing happened to you in chicago." >> "i don't remember."

[ laughter ] >> and then, ya look-- he looks to fred. he's-- "why did you book him? why did you bring him? [ laughter ] why is he here? get the hook and --" >> we-- we'll be back. we're comin' right back. [ applause ]

>> the king lives! [ music ] [ applause ] >> i guess we can't talk about the late general sarnoff. >> sure. you wanna hear that story? [ laughter ] sure. i don't-- i-- i'm very -- >> general sarnoff-- these people don't know, but he was the father of robert sarnoff, who's the-- he's now deceased, but he was the grand man who formed the whole radio >> yes. and i think he, together with you know, the-the -- they were responsible for everything happening. >> he was a giant of a man. and-and, when i was a little kid, working on "the show of shows," the general himself, general sarnoff-- and pat weaver, who was then running the nbc network-- and max liebman, the producer of "the show of shows--" terrific

a private meeting, in sid caesar's office. and i felt-- i just wanted to be-- i wanted to be part of the meeting. i wanted-- [ laughter ] i wanted-- you know how you want-- you want-- you know, there were all the big shots, and i just-- i said, "look, i won't make noise. i just-- i'll sit in the corner. i won't--" "you can't be! it's a meeting with big sh-- you're nothing! you're dirt. get out!" [ laughter ] i said, please-- so, they wouldn't let me in. i ra-- i went nuts. i ran around. i look-- i saw a derby, a straw-- 'member those had wonderful-- with-- had a little wire on it. big straw-- and i s-- and a-- and a white duster. you know a duster? >> yeah. >> from one of the sketches. carl ronnie used to wear a white duster a lot. so i took the white duster-- he was that way. [ laughter ] i took the white duster and the straw boater, and i burst through into the-- it's a-- had a big network meeting. i burst through, i jumped on the desk. i jumped up on the desk, and i said, "lyndie london! he's embarrassed! he made it." [ laughter ] and i throw my hat out the window. and the general-- you know, pat weaver and-- they're-- "who is this crazy kid?

30 years ago. [ laughter ] what happened?" and-and so, liebman said, "mel, please." and i said, "he's -- he's embarrassed. the spirit of st. louis, down the borg. landed. lyndie." so they threw me out. they took all. they threw me out. [ laughter ] two years later, i'm walking in the top floor of the rca building, and general sarnoff was walking with another guy, with vests, and-and then-- chains and everything. and they're walking and talking. and he nods to me, i nod to him. we walk-- the end of the corridor, he turns-- i stop. i turn around. he turns around. i-- and i see him do-- "lyndie london! [ laughter ] >> he was in the -- he did the whole-- [ chuckling ] he was explaining me. >> he's a grand old man. >> he never forgot, you know. >> how would you forget that? >> yeah. >> lyndie. >> nice man like that, and you on the desk. >> yeah, h-- well, what about the person in the street, when a straw hat came by? [ laughter ] >> know what i mean? walking by. >> may i ask you what this is? >> this-- >> since is obviously just a piece of board. >> yeah. yeah. it's-- >> you're not just hocking a piece of board, are ya? >> it's a-- >> i know when you're successful you can sell anything, but a piece of board with a thing on it? >> no, it's-- that's a record-- it's a new concept. >> there's no record in here.

the record. >> why's that? >> no. you play-- you put this down, and you-- [ laughter ] it plays. actually-- >> at any speed you choose, i suppose, yes. >> i'm glad -- i'm glad you're plugging, 'cau-- this is coming out, this week. people are interested in whether [ chuckling ] >> am i holding it wrong? >> yeah. people -- [ laughter ] >> what is this, all of a sudden? where-where're you going? >> i'm-i'm really crazy about it but, you know, i can't really communicate, you know. [ laughter ] >> hi, gorgeous. is this-- is this a musical album from-from "young frankenstein?" >> the only thing-- >> i don't remember any music, in "young frankenstein?" >> yes. there's a lot-- there's a-- >> very little. >> well, there isn't too much music, but there's a lot of funny dialogue, and that's the only point i want to make. >> oh, i see. >> it's music and dialogue. >> and dialogue. >> it's on abc records. >> so you get, really, two for the price of one. >> it's very good. it's like a little radio show. >> i see. >> you play that at home, and then you get very excited to see the movie or to see murray the freak. either one. [ laughter ] i'm not sure. >> whatever does it to you. >> he's in apartment 3a, in wilshire boulevard. >> yeah. [ laughter ] how-how do you answer people who said-- now, you've gotten comments

"mel brooks's humor is crass." right? >> yes. i go -- >> it's vulgar. [ laughter ] it's vulgar. >> i usually [ deleted ] [ laughter ] [ cheering ] [ applause ] >> well. >> i tell-- >> you've always been a master-- >> i deny-- i always deny. >> you've been a master of innuendo, all your life. [ laughter ] >> you don't think he's clever, huh? [ laughter ] huh? don't think that's genius, folks? i'll tell ya-- show ya genius. [ chuckling ] >> innuendo. >> man knows what he's talkin' about. >> i like subtle. i don't like any right-up-front, you know what i mean? i like to lay back and play it purple, you know what i mean? >> that's right. >> soft colors. >> that's right. >> there's nothing yellow and orange about me, ya know? [ spitting ] never. >> right. right to the point. >> the bean sequence in "blazing saddles--" quiet. you know what i mean? [ laughter ] >> that's right. >> it's communication, on the prairie. you have to look at it intellectually. can't look at things with your nose, you know what i mean? [ laughter ] >> how-- how

comedy is subjective-- right? you'd agree to that. how do you know what's funny? >> you-- >> when you put something together. you-you know, you could do a symposium on comedy, which usually turn out to be terribly dull. >> well-- >> any time you try to explain why something is funny, it's dull. right? >> you want me to-- seriously? >> no. >> oh, okay. oh! [ laughter ] >> those oughta be up, by april. [ laughter ] >> that's right. >> serious though, i want to give a serious answer. >> well, i'll do-- i'd like a serious answer, tonight. [ laughter ] [ cheering ] [ applause ] >> mr. brooks cleverly retorted. >> yes. >> all right. >> you know comedy is funny when they laughin'. when it's quiet, and you see a little forest fire of cigarettes-- mmm [ mouth popping ] in the middle of a good comedy, ya know? >> that's wrong. >> lot people lighting up, ya know? you know something is wrong on the silver screen. >> right, so-- >> and you have missed the comic target by a mile. >> so, when you hear laughter-- >> when you hear laughter, you go, "ah!" >> funny. >> "they got it." >> right. >> "they got the joke." right. >> well, that-- >> but i'll tell ya,

"blazing saddles" was a very big private joke for me and the writers. >> mmm. >> we did it with richard pryor and norman steinberg and alan uger and andrew bergman, and we thought, "let's do one movie to please ourselves." >> i understand when you first showed it, though, to the executives, in a screening room, they sat there like mount rushmore. it was-- >> i tell you, i don't know why my heart is beating today. [ laughter ] i-- i mean, i-- all-- the-the blood left me, and went into my friend benji. [ laughter ] that's how scared i was. we played "blazing saddles" for the executives of warner brothers, who shall be nameless-- ted ashley, jack. [ laughter ] >> easy, easy. easy. e-easy, there. easy, there. >> as a matter of fact, i-i loved them both, and they both-- >> love you. >> saved the picture, 'cause there were big fights. and they pushed it through. and-- but they watched-- you know, these-these are clinicians. these are professional people. they're not laughing like-like jews for happiness. >> right. >> you know what i mean? they're not-- or germans,

know what i mean? they're just enjoying-- they're just enjoying their craft. >> right. >> so, it's not important for them to laugh. they're saying, "will this make money? should we release it? should we put advertising--" ya know? >> tomorrow's tuesday. >> and this is "blazing saddles." and they're saying to cleavon little, "how about a... work song?" ya know? and he sings, "i get no kick--" you know, and no lau-- no laugh. no laugh. the bean scene, on the-- nothing, and-- "mmm. interesting, interesting. bent over a little too much. mmm." and then-- and the-- and the whole-- the whole fight, when we pulled back and revealed the world, you know what. go into the fire, the-- i saw johnny carson at the fox-- wilshire theater, sitting with a very strange-- no, it was your wife. >> it was my wife. joanna. >> and, he left his seat, and went under two aisles , uh, when that monologue went to the fire. really like it. >> leaned over, to light the cigar , in the fire. >> in that screening, i-i t-- there was no lau-- and it was-- i was just, you know, ice. >> so, it shows you it's all right. >> no, i said to mike hertzberg, the producer, "let's try a human being." so, that night, we got--

>> person. >> 200-200 secretaries came with their husbands and their girlfriends, their boyfriends, and they all packed in, together, to a room at warner brothers, and we played "blazing saddles," and it was a chagall painting. they left their seats, they swam, they turned over sideways. they laughed, they were screamin'. i said, "ah! oh! we-we did not make a mistake. we-we-- it is funny." you know what i mean? >> right. >> but it was very scary, at the beginning. and then, little by little, you know, it turned ou-- turned out to be a very big-- when they play music, next time, he's finished. [ chuckling ] >> he's finished, 'cause he has to do that with pencils. >> we have to-- we have to leave. but we're coming right back. >> okay.

[ applause ] [ music ] [ applause ] [ cheers ] [ applause ] >> when you were a kid-- >> the-the skinny ends are better. the fat ends, you save the sticks, you know what i mean?

>> yeah, okay. >> we were-- >> you play the front ends, you take a big chance, you know? >> right. we're talking about drumming, 'cause you took lessons, when you were a kid, from buddy rich. >> oh, yes. >> you lived in the same neighborhood. >> in brighton beach. h-- oh, he-- the best. buddy-- right? buddy. tops and taps. >> tops and taps. >> and you're a very good drummer. >> oh, no, i just fool around. >> you have time, you have tempo. you just have very weak wrists. no offense. [ laughter ] >> i found out, when i was very young-- i did. yes. >> and no timing. but that's all right. [ laughter ] >> but i make up for it, because i have a-- my drum lights up-- bass drum, with a mount on it. >> the only thing you make up for is that you know mel lewis. otherwise, forget about it. >> true. [ laughter ] >> yeah. just for the band. i'm still working in the mountains for the band, right? sorry, folks. they give me no inside shtick, from now on. just our stuff, you know what i mean? [ laughter ] >> you ever see-- you see carl, all the time, don't you? carl reiner? >> anybody have a green dodge? wait. uh. carl-- i see carl-- >> you see all the guys from the old show? howie morris? >> howie mo-- ugh. how i miss him! howie morris is directing some of the best commercials on television-- the mcdonald commercials. >> does he do those? >> that's howie morris, right. he's terrific.

you know. he's my-- god made pigeons, he made little doves, and he made howie mars. [ laughter ] >> and he said, "they shall be called prey." >> prey? >> p-r-e-y. >> right. >> yes. "they shall be called prey." and then he made wolves and foxes and tigers-- "and they shall be called melvin." [ laughter ] and i went in-- the minute i saw howie, on "the show of shows" they introduced me to-- i-i went for his neck. you know, i-i couldn't help it. he's just-- you have to go for him. anyway, i met howie, and we went out, and we had lunch, and we were walking down in the village near mcdougal -- i said, my mind, i said, "this would be a splendid place for a robbery." bang! i hit him. i smacked him against a yellow buick. i said, "gimme your wallet, gimme your-your ring, your watch-- every-- your mon--" he didn't know me that well. he said, "wait, a minute. are you kid--" "i'm not kidding. i want everything! [ laughter ] "gimme--" "all right!" he gave me his watch, his wallet-- [ laughter ] "okay, don't hit. don't hit." gave me his wedding ring-- every-- i went back. i got a call from sid-- "howie just called me. why did ya--" i said, "i robbed him." he said, "well-well--"

little nervous, not to mention it, because i act even more angry." one month-- [ laughter ] >> don't bring it up. >> for a month, he didn't bring it up. he was afraid. a month later, he said, "mel, do you remember, uh, we were walking down mcdougal alley, and you-you gave me a whack! you know, you hurt me, and you took my wedding ring and my-- i can't drive my car. i leave my license--" "oh! i'm sorry, howie." hey, i gave him ev-- uh, everything back. he was a cute guy. every-- i gave everything back. two years later, we're rolling in central park, late, under a-- i s-- under a bridge-- i said, "this is a perfect--" [ laughter ] pow! [ laughter ] [ applause ] [ laughter ] >> he gave me his watch, his wedding ring. [ laughter ] >> he walked-- he put his shoes around his neck and he walked to shore. [ laughter ] when-- i love him. he's a won-wonderful guy. i can't-- he doesn't-- if he's not watching this show, tonight, i will rob him, in six months. [ laughter ] >> we're coming right back.