{"product_id":"funny-man-paperback","title":"Funny Man: Mel Brooks - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePatrick McGilligan\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA deeply textured and compelling biography of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, films, and theater, from Patrick McGilligan, the acclaimed author of \u003cem\u003eYoung Orson: The Years of Luck and Genius on the Path to Citizen Kane\u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eAlfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy award-winner Mel Brooks was behind (and sometimes in front the camera too) of some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including \u003cem\u003eThe 2,000 Year Old Man, Get Smart, The Producers, Blazing Saddles, \u003c\/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eYoung Frankenstein\u003c\/em\u003e. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fourth and last child of Max and Kitty Kaminsky, Mel Brooks was born on his family's kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926, and was not quite three-years-old when his father died of tuberculosis. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was short and homely, a mischievous child whose birth role was to make the family laugh. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBeyond boyhood, after transforming himself into Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky family proved more elusive. His lifelong crusade to transform himself into a brand name of popular humor is at the center of master biographer Patrick McGilligan's \u003cem\u003eFunny Man\u003c\/em\u003e. In this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks' personal and professional life, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks' psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMcGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funnyman's life story, from Brooks's childhood in Williamsburg tenements and breakthrough in early television--working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner--to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). His book offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind the scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks' troubled first marriage. Engrossing, nuanced and ultimately poignant, \u003cem\u003eFunny Man\u003c\/em\u003e delivers a great man's unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunny Man\u003c\/em\u003e includes a 16-page black-and-white photo insert.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eFront Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA deeply textured and compelling portrait of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, film, and theater, from one of our greatest film biographers, Patrick McGilligan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winner Mel Brooks was behind the camera (and sometimes in front of it) on some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including \u003cem\u003eThe 2000 Year Old Man\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGet Smart\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Producers\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBlazing Saddles\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eYoung Frankenstein\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSpaceballs\u003c\/em\u003e. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on his family's kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was a mischievous child whose role was to make the family laugh. But beyond boyhood, and after he reinvented himself as Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky home proved more elusive. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrooks's lifelong crusade to become a brand name of popular humor is at the center of this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks's personal and professional life. McGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funny-man's life story, from his childhood in Williamsburg tenements to his breakthrough in early television--working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner--to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunny Man\u003c\/em\u003e offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind-the-scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks's troubled first marriage. \u003cem\u003eIn Funny Man\u003c\/em\u003e, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks's psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy, delivering to us a great man's unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success.\u003c\/p\u003e--\u003cem\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/em\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA deeply textured and compelling portrait of comedy giant Mel Brooks, covering his rags-to-riches life and triumphant career in television, film, and theater, from one of our greatest film biographers, Patrick McGilligan\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy Award-winner Mel Brooks was behind the camera (and sometimes in front of it) on some of the most influential comedy hits of our time, including \u003cem\u003eThe 2000 Year Old Man\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eGet Smart\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Producers\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eBlazing Saddles\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eYoung Frankenstein\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eSpaceballs\u003c\/em\u003e. But before this actor, writer, director, comedian, and composer entertained the world, his first audience was his family.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMel Brooks was born Melvin Kaminsky on his family's kitchen table in Brooklyn, New York, in 1926. Growing up in a household too poor to own a radio, Mel was a mischievous child whose role was to make the family laugh. But beyond boyhood, and after he reinvented himself as Mel Brooks, the laughs that came easily inside the Kaminsky home proved more elusive. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBrooks's lifelong crusade to become a brand name of popular humor is at the center of this exhaustively researched and wonderfully novelistic look at Brooks's personal and professional life. McGilligan insightfully navigates the epic ride that has been the famous funny-man's life story, from his childhood in Williamsburg tenements to his breakthrough in early television--working alongside Sid Caesar and Carl Reiner--to Hollywood and Broadway peaks (and valleys). \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFunny Man\u003c\/em\u003e offers a meditation on the Jewish immigrant culture that influenced Brooks, snapshots of the golden age of comedy, behind-the-scenes revelations about the celebrated shows and films, and a telling look at the four-decade romantic partnership with actress Anne Bancroft that superseded Brooks's troubled first marriage. \u003cem\u003eIn Funny Man\u003c\/em\u003e, McGilligan lays bare the strengths and drawbacks that shaped Brooks's psychology, his willpower, his persona, and his comedy, delivering to us a great man's unforgettable life story and an anatomy of the American dream of success.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 656\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5 x 7.2 x 5.8 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 17, 2020\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":41963687706759,"sku":"9780062560957","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/bf142c2f1a0c44b5daa1c8834b17f4d7.webp?v=1734073183","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/funny-man-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}