History of the World, Part 1

Harvey Korman (left) and Mel Brooks as King Louis XVI in 1981's "History of the World, Part 1." (COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY)

In honor of Arts in Motion Theater Co.’s upcoming production of Mel Brooks’ musical version of his film “Young Frankenstein,” which opens Friday, Oct. 21, at the Majestic Theatre in Conway, I wanted to look back at the films of Brooks.

As a child growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, my first introduction to Brooks was either 1987’s “Star Wars” parody “Spaceballs” or 1993’s “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.”

Robin Hood: Men in Tights

Cary Elwes stars in Mel Brooks' "Robin Hood: Men in Tights."
Spaceballs

Mel Brooks as Yogurt in "Spaceballs," his 1987 "Star Wars" parody. (COURTESY OF MGM)
Young Frankenstein

From left: Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Teri Garr and Gene Wilder in Mel Brooks' "Young Frankenstein." (COURTESY OF 20TH CENTURY)
Silent Movie

Mel Brooks starred in, co-wrote and directed "Silent Movie," an homage to silent film comedy. (COURTESY OF 20 CENTURY)
The Producers

Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder in director Mel Brooks' first film, "The Producers." (COURTESY OF MGM)
Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks' Western parody "Blazing Saddles" was a massive hit in 1974 and jumped star his lagging directing career. (COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.)

Tags

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.

Post a comment
Stop watching this discussion.