‘Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!’ chronicles the comedic genius of a living legend

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A new four-hour documentary about comedy legend Mel Brooks, titled “Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!,” will debut Thursday on HBO and HBO Max. It’s the latest in a series of comic biographies created by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, following their films on Garry Shandling and George Carlin, with another documentary about Norm Macdonald currently in production.

This is a mostly straightforward account of the life and career of a comedian who greatly impacted comedy from the 1950s through the 1970s, and continues to inspire films today – movies like “Airplane!” and “Austin Powers” likely wouldn’t exist without the groundwork laid by films such as “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.” When I shared with my 33-year-old friend, Jack, that Mel Brooks is involved in a sequel to “Spaceballs,” he was thrilled.

At its heart, this is a story about love – the love between Mel Brooks and his second wife, Anne Bancroft; his deep friendship with Carl Reiner; the affection audiences have for his work; and the love found within his characters, even when it’s not immediately apparent. As Richard Pryor, a writer on “Blazing Saddles,” put it, “He’s a loving man. It’s about love with him.” The documentary has a gentle sweetness that’s genuinely touching, particularly if you’re already a fan. Growing up, I was immersed in Brooks’ work, from his iconic “2000 Year Old Man” routines to the dialogue-rich soundtrack of “The Producers.” I know the rhythms and nuances of his comedy as well as I know the lyrics to a favorite song – it’s pure music to my ears.

I found myself laughing a lot, even at things that wouldn’t normally make me laugh, which made me want to watch everything again.

Brooks began his career performing as a teenager in the Catskills and later served in World War II. Soon after, comedian Sid Caesar personally hired him to write for “Your Show of Shows.” There, he worked alongside a remarkably talented group of Jewish comedy writers, including Mel Tolkin (who grew up in a small Ukrainian village), Neil Simon, Norman Lear, Larry Gelbart, Lucille Kallen, Selma Diamond, and Carl Reiner, who also performed on the show. Woody Allen later joined the writing team for “The Sid Caesar Show” and its follow-up, “Caesar’s Hour.”

Brooks tried to persuade Caesar to switch from television to filmmaking, believing movies had more staying power, but Caesar wasn’t interested. Undeterred, Brooks pursued his own path, even though it meant his income dropped drastically from $5,000 to just $85 a week. He was always driven, yet anxious, and his luck began to change with the 1965 sitcom “Get Smart!,” which he created with Buck Henry. While his next project, “The Producers,” didn’t immediately succeed with critics or financially (as some reviews showed), it did earn Brooks an Academy Award for writing and marked the beginning of a successful career. He even playfully poked fun at critics in his film “History of the World, Part I,” featuring a caveman critic dismissing art with urine.

Mel Brooks followed his breakthrough western comedy, “Blazing Saddles” – a film that tackled racism with plenty of slapstick – with “The Twelve Chairs,” a more subtle and overlooked comedy. “Blazing Saddles” was a massive hit – director Peter Farrelly remembers audiences treating it like a concert – and really defined Brooks’ comedic style: a mix of clever writing, silly gags, surreal moments, self-aware humor, satire, and a playfully rebellious spirit. He then followed it up with another big success, “Young Frankenstein,” and continued to parody genres with films like “Silent Movie,” “High Anxiety,” “History of the World” (complete with a lavish musical number about the Spanish Inquisition), “Spaceballs,” “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” and “Dracula: Dead and Loving It.” Later, Brooks adapted two of his films into Broadway musicals – “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein” – both with music and lyrics written by Brooks himself. “The Producers” was particularly successful, winning a record 12 Tony Awards and later becoming a film.

Mel Brooks is a great interview subject because he’s naturally talkative, witty, and intelligent. Producer Max Liebman famously described him as someone who constantly interjected, and Bert Gelbart joked that Brooks has been performing since the moment he was born, mistaking the doctor’s spank at birth for applause.

“The 99 Year Old Man!” uses interviews and clips from decades of talk show appearances to piece together stories about Mel Brooks – like his famous “Cary Grant” tale – and show how he’s changed over time. The film naturally touches on the theme of time, and it’s poignant to see that many of the people featured are now deceased, including Brooks’ colleagues, his wife Anne Bancroft, and even those he worked with like David Lynch and Rob Reiner, who shares a charming childhood memory of meeting Brooks.

A 1967 on-set photo shows Mel Brooks and actor Gene Wilder during the filming of “The Producers.” (Photo by Sam Falk for The New York Times)

A photo shows Bill Pullman, Mel Brooks, and Rick Moranis together on the set of the movie “Spaceballs.”

Mel Brooks is honest about the difficult times he’s faced both personally and professionally. He recounts a particularly broke period in 1961, when he first met his future wife, Anne Bancroft. He famously interrupted her rehearsal, shouting his name, and then spent days following her around. Bancroft often paid for their dates but would discreetly give him money to let him maintain his pride. Bancroft said she fell in love with him immediately, explaining that he reminded her of both her father in appearance and her mother in how he behaved.

I just adore their relationship! You can really see how happy they are together, and it’s so heartwarming. Even though Brooks jokes about not being traditionally handsome compared to Bancroft’s lifelong beauty, they looked fantastic as a couple – the photos are just lovely. It’s amazing to see them together in old TV appearances, playfully riffing on songs like “For Me and My Gal” and even singing “Sweet Georgia Brown” in Polish, just like in their remake of “To Be or Not To Be.” And that episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” where they basically recreate the plot of “The Producers” with Larry David as a replacement Max? Genius! It really shows their playful dynamic and shared history.

The documentary features interviews with a wide range of comedic talents, including Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, Nick Kroll, Patton Oswalt, Dave Chappelle (who first worked with Brooks at age 19 on “Robin Hood”), Cary Elwes (who does an impressive impression of Brooks), Conan O’Brien, Josh Gad, Robert Townsend, the Zucker brothers (Jerry and David), Barry Levinson, Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, and members of Brooks’ own family – his four children and granddaughter Samantha.

As a lifelong movie fan, I always find it fascinating to hear filmmakers talk shop, and this conversation was no different. Adam Sandler mentioned how proud people his age and older were to see Mel Brooks, a fellow Jewish filmmaker, succeed. They also dove into trickier territory – like whether it’s ever okay to make jokes about Hitler, with one of them pointing out that comedy can really strip away someone’s power. But the biggest takeaway for me was Mel Brooks’ belief that anything can be funny, and that comedy itself is a surprisingly powerful tool – even a political one!

He believes his studio, Brooksfilms – responsible for films like “The Elephant Man,” “The Fly,” “Frances,” and “My Favorite Year” – provides a valuable service by sharing meaningful stories through art. He jokingly adds that he expects substantial financial compensation for this contribution. But beyond profit, he truly cherishes the moment when an audience lets go of its inhibitions and bursts into laughter.

“You give them a little sweetness,” he says, “you get it back.”

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2026-01-22 14:01