Career Timeline of Mel Brooks: Major Achievements and Milestones
How Mel Brooks built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Mel Brooks is a highly acclaimed American actor, filmmaker, comedian, and songwriter, celebrated for his broad farces and parodies. His career has spanned over seven decades and has resulted in him becoming one of the few EGOT winners. He has also received other prestigious awards, including a Kennedy Center Honor, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the AFI Life Achievement Award, a British Film Institute Fellowship, a National Medal of Arts, a BAFTA Fellowship, and an Honorary Academy Award.
1939: Reference to Destry Rides Again
In 1974's Blazing Saddles, a satire on the Western film genre, references are made to the 1939 film Destry Rides Again.
1948: Reference to The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
In 1974's Blazing Saddles, a satire on the Western film genre, references are made to the 1948 film The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
1949: Writing for The Admiral Broadway Revue
In 1949, Mel Brooks began writing jokes for "The Admiral Broadway Revue" for DuMont/NBC, hired by Sid Caesar.
1950: Writing for Your Show of Shows
In 1950, Mel Brooks began his career as a comic and writer for Sid Caesar's variety show, "Your Show of Shows."
1952: Reference to High Noon
In 1974's Blazing Saddles, a satire on the Western film genre, references are made to the 1952 film High Noon.
1954: End of Your Show of Shows
In 1954, "Your Show of Shows" ended after Imogene Coca left to host her own show, marking the end of Mel Brooks's tenure there.
1954: Joining Caesar's Hour
In 1954, Mel Brooks joined "Caesar's Hour" as a writer, along with Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart.
1957: End of Caesar's Hour
In 1957, "Caesar's Hour," where Mel Brooks worked as a writer, concluded its run.
October 1959: Performance at Random House Book Launch
In October 1959, Mel Brooks and Mel Tolkin (standing in for Carl Reiner) performed at a Random House book launch, marking an early performance of their improvisational comedy.
1959: First 2000 Year Old Man Performance
In 1959, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's "2000 Year Old Man" routine gained popularity in New York City, after Kenneth Tynan saw them perform at a party.
1960: First 2000 Year Old Man Album
In 1960, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner released their first comedy album, "2000 Year Old Man".
1960: Move to Hollywood
In 1960, Mel Brooks moved from New York City to Hollywood, without his family, before returning in 1961.
1961: Release of 2000 Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks
In 1961, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner released the comedy album "2000 Years with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks", which sold over a million copies.
1962: More 2000 Year Old Man Albums
In 1962, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner expanded their "2000 Year Old Man" routine with more albums.
1962: All American Debut
In 1962, Mel Brooks was involved in the creation of the Broadway musical "All American" with lyrics by Lee Adams and music by Charles Strouse. It debuted on Broadway that year.
1963: Release of The Critic
In 1963, "The Critic", an animated short film conceived by Mel Brooks and directed by Ernest Pintoff, was released. It subsequently won the Academy Award for Animated Short Film.
1965: Creation of Get Smart
In 1965, Mel Brooks, along with Buck Henry, created the satirical spy comedy series "Get Smart".
November 22, 1967: The Producers Limited Premiere
On November 22, 1967, The Producers premiered to a limited audience in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1967: Academy Award for The Producers
In 1967, Mel Brooks won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for "The Producers".
1968: Emmy Award for Get Smart
In 1968, "Get Smart", the TV series co-created by Mel Brooks, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.
1968: Release of The Producers
In 1968, Mel Brooks's first feature film, The Producers, was released after being funded by Joseph E. Levine and Sidney Glazier.
1968: Wide Release and Success of The Producers
In 1968, The Producers achieved a wide release after a limited premiere in 1967. It became a smash underground hit and won Brooks the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
1968: Reference to Once Upon a Time in the West
In 1974's Blazing Saddles, a satire on the Western film genre, references are made to the 1968 film Once Upon a Time in the West.
1969: Emmy Award for Get Smart
In 1969, "Get Smart", co-created by Mel Brooks, won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series for the second consecutive year.
1970: Release of The Twelve Chairs
In 1970, Mel Brooks directed and released the comedy film "The Twelve Chairs".
1970: End of Get Smart
In 1970, the series "Get Smart", co-created by Mel Brooks, ended its run after being highly rated and winning seven Primetime Emmy Awards.
1972: Brooks Hired as Script Doctor for Tex-X
In 1972, Mel Brooks met agent David Begelman, who helped him secure a deal with Warner Bros. to work as a script doctor for an unproduced script called Tex-X.
1973: 2000 Year Old Man Revival
In 1973, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner revived their "2000 Year Old Man" routine after over a decade of not performing it on albums.
1973: Release of 2000 and Thirteen Album
In 1973, some earlier recordings of Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's "2000 Year Old Man" routine served as the basis for one side of the "2000 and Thirteen with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks" album.
1974: Writing and Shooting of Young Frankenstein
After filming of Blazing Saddles was completed in 1974, Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks began writing the script for Young Frankenstein, and they shot the film in the spring of the same year.
1974: Release and Success of Blazing Saddles
In 1974, Blazing Saddles was released and became the second-highest-grossing US film of the year. It earned $119.5 million and received several Academy Award nominations.
1974: Release of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein
In 1974, Mel Brooks directed and released two successful comedy films: "Blazing Saddles" and "Young Frankenstein".
1974: Brooks Directs Blazing Saddles
In 1974, Mel Brooks was hired as the director for what became Blazing Saddles, his third film, after initially being brought on as a script doctor.
1974: Release and Success of Young Frankenstein
In 1974, Young Frankenstein was released and became the third-highest-grossing film domestically, just behind Blazing Saddles. It received two Academy Award nominations.
1975: Animated TV Special
In 1975, an animated TV special based on Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner's "2000 Year Old Man" was released.
1975: Brooks' TV Show When Things Were Rotten
In 1975, at the height of his movie career, Mel Brooks created When Things Were Rotten, a Robin Hood parody TV show that lasted 13 episodes.
1976: Release of Silent Movie
In 1976, Mel Brooks directed and released the comedy film "Silent Movie".
1977: Release of High Anxiety
In 1977, Mel Brooks directed and released the comedy film "High Anxiety".
1980: Brooksfilms and The Elephant Man
In 1980, Mel Brooks produced the dramatic film The Elephant Man, directed by David Lynch, under his newly established company, Brooksfilms. Brooks also produced the comedy Fatso, which was directed by Anne Bancroft in 1980.
1981: Release of History of the World, Part I
In 1981, Mel Brooks directed and released the comedy film "History of the World, Part I".
1983: Brooks Releases To Be or Not to Be Remake
In 1983, Mel Brooks released his remake of Ernst Lubitsch's 1942 film To Be or Not to Be, directed by Alan Johnson. It featured the controversial song 'To Be or Not to Be (The Hitler Rap)'.
1987: Release of Spaceballs
In 1987, Mel Brooks directed Spaceballs, a parody of science fiction, mainly Star Wars, starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis.
1989: The Nutt House Airs on NBC
In 1989, Mel Brooks's sitcom The Nutt House, co-executive produced by Alan Spencer and featuring Harvey Korman and Cloris Leachman, aired on NBC before being canceled after five episodes.
1991: Release of Life Stinks
In 1991, Mel Brooks directed Life Stinks, which was a financial and critical failure, and it is notable for not being a parody or about films/theatre.
1993: Release of Robin Hood: Men in Tights
In 1993, Mel Brooks directed Robin Hood: Men in Tights, a parody of Robin Hood, filled with one-liners and breaking the fourth wall.
1995: Release of Dracula: Dead and Loving It
In 1995, Mel Brooks directed Dracula: Dead and Loving It.
1998: Reunion Album
In 1998, Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner released a reunion album for their "2000 Year Old Man" routine.
2000: The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 recording
In 2000, Mel Brooks recorded The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 with Carl Reiner.
2001: The Producers Musical on Broadway
In 2001, Mel Brooks created the musical adaptation of his film The Producers on Broadway. The production starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick received critical acclaim and was a significant box office success, winning a record 12 Tony Awards.
2005: Brooks voices Bigweld in Robots
In 2005, Mel Brooks voiced Bigweld in the animated film Robots.
2005: Release of The Producers Movie Remake
In 2005, a big-screen version of the Broadway adaptation/remake of The Producers was released, with Lane, Broderick, Gary Beach, and Roger Bart reprising their stage roles and new cast members Uma Thurman and Will Ferrell joining.
2005: Musical Film Remake of The Producers
In 2005, the musical adaptation of The Producers was remade into a musical film.
April 2006: Brooks begins composing Young Frankenstein score
In April 2006, Mel Brooks started composing the score for the Broadway musical adaptation of his movie Young Frankenstein.
August 7, 2007: Young Frankenstein world premiere
On August 7, 2007, the world premiere of the Broadway musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein, composed by Mel Brooks, took place at Seattle's Paramount Theater.
September 1, 2007: End of Young Frankenstein showing in Seattle
On September 1, 2007, the showing of the Broadway musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein ended its run at Seattle's Paramount Theater.
October 11, 2007: Young Frankenstein opens on Broadway
On October 11, 2007, Mel Brooks's Broadway musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein opened at the former Lyric Theater (then the Hilton Theatre) in New York, receiving mixed reviews from critics.
2007: The Producers Closes on Broadway
In 2007, the Broadway musical adaptation of "The Producers", with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, ended its run.
September 21, 2008: Spaceballs: The Animated Series premiere
On September 21, 2008, Spaceballs: The Animated Series, a sequel to Spaceballs created by Mel Brooks, premiered on G4 TV.
2010: Brooks confirms Blazing Saddles musical adaptation
In 2010, Mel Brooks confirmed plans to adapt Blazing Saddles into a musical, suggesting it could be finished within a year.
2010: Bancroft credited for musical theatre development
In 2010, Mel Brooks credited Anne Bancroft as the "guiding force" behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theater.
May 2013: American Masters biography premiere
In May 2013, a biography on Mel Brooks produced by American Masters premiered on PBS.
2013: AFI Life Achievement Award
In 2013, Mel Brooks was honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award, celebrating his significant contributions to the art of filmmaking.
2014: Cameo in Mr. Peabody & Sherman
In 2014, Mel Brooks made a cameo appearance as Albert Einstein in the animated film Mr. Peabody & Sherman.
2015: British Film Institute Fellowship
In 2015, Mel Brooks received a British Film Institute Fellowship, an honor acknowledging his outstanding contributions to film culture.
2015: Voices Vlad in Hotel Transylvania 2
In 2015, Mel Brooks voiced Dracula's father, Vlad, in the film Hotel Transylvania 2.
2016: National Medal of Arts
In 2016, Mel Brooks was awarded the National Medal of Arts, recognizing his profound impact on the American artistic landscape.
2017: BAFTA Fellowship
In 2017, Mel Brooks received the BAFTA Fellowship, an accolade celebrating his remarkable achievements in film and television.
2018: Voices Vlad in Hotel Transylvania 3
In 2018, Mel Brooks voiced Dracula's father, Vlad, in Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation.
October 18, 2021: History of the World, Part II announced
On October 18, 2021, it was announced that Mel Brooks would write and produce History of the World, Part II, a follow-up TV series on Hulu to his 1981 movie.
2021: Publication of All About Me!
In 2021, Mel Brooks published his memoir, "All About Me!".
2023: Release of History of the World, Part II
In 2023, Mel Brooks wrote and produced the Hulu series "History of the World, Part II".
2024: Honorary Academy Award
In 2024, Mel Brooks was awarded an Honorary Academy Award, recognizing his exceptional contributions to the world of cinema throughout his career.
June 2025: Sequel to Spaceballs announced
In June 2025, Mel Brooks announced a sequel to Spaceballs, titled Spaceballs: The New One, with a targeted release date of 2027.
2027: Targeted Release Date For Spaceballs Sequel
In 2027, the sequel to Spaceballs, titled Spaceballs: The New One, is expected to be released.
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