Mel Brooks on Film: The Spoof is in the Pudding

A Free Summer Film Series

at the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

New York, NY—Summer in the city means dining al fresco, and scores of free outdoor film offerings which can be ruined by rain, sweltering heat, or bugs. Luckily, starting on Wednesday, June 27^th, the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present Mel Brooks on Film: The Spoof is in the Pudding, featuring six uproarious award-winning films from the 1970s and 80s, all in the air-conditioned and acoustically fabulous Edmond J. Safra Hall.  The series will run through Wednesday, August 8. All films will start at 6:30 p.m. Those who are tardy get no fruit cup.*

Before he took Broadway by storm, Mel Brooks’ parodies and satires were both cult favorites and box office gems. Don’t believe us? Brooks is one of only a handful of performers that have won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony award. It’s good to be king.**

You don’t need no stinkin’ badges. ***All films are free with suggested donation. Tickets will be available at the box office on a first-come first served basis starting at 3 P.M. on the day of each screening. To reserve a ticket in advance and guarantee a seat, there is a minimum donation of $5 per ticket. Call 646.437.4202 or visit www.mjhnyc.org to reserve.

About the Films

Wednesday, June 27, 6:30 P.M.

Blazing Saddles (1974, 93 min.)

Series introduction by film critic Leonard Quart

Starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, and Slim Pickens

To ruin a western town, a corrupt political boss appoints a black sheriff, who promptly becomes his most formidable adversary.

Wednesday, July 11, 6:30 P.M.

Young Frankenstein (1974, 106 min.)

Starring Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, and Marty Feldman

Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson, after years of living down the family reputation, inherits granddad’s castle and repeats the experiments.

Wednesday, July 18, 6:30 P.M.

Silent Movie (1976, 87 min.)

Starring Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Dom DeLuise

A film director and his strange friends struggle to produce the first major silent feature film in 40 years. This film also features several cameos by stars including Paul Newman and Burt Reynolds who play themselves.

Wednesday, July 25, 6:30 P.M.

High Anxiety (1977, 94 min.)

Starring Mel Brooks, Madeline Kahn, and Cloris Leachman

Dr. Richard Thorndyke arrives as the new administrator of the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous to discover some suspicious goings-on in this homage to the films of Alfred Hitchcock.

Wednesday, August 1, 6:30 P.M.

History of the World Part I (1981, 92 min.)

Starring Mel Brooks, Gregory Hines, and Dom DeLuise

Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from Biblical times to the French Revolution.

Wednesday, August 8, 6:30 P.M.

To Be or Not to Be (1984, 107 min.)

Starring Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, and Ronny Graham

In Poland during WWII, a bad Polish actor, his unfaithful wife, and their madcap acting troupe come to the aid of the underground to thwart the Gestapo.

* Quote from High Anxiety; **Quote from History of the World Part I; ***Quote from Blazing Saddles.