Mel Brooks

Yiddish may be a language in decline, but some Yiddish words are more popular than ever. Reporter Julia Simon takes us on a tour that includes Kenya, Egypt and the Netherlands.

It began as a time-filler during a lull in the writer’s room; became a favorite party gag; then was captured on a 1961 album – “the comedian’s Bible,” says Billy Crystal.

Mel Brooks still writes comedy, but his main business is collecting awards. He’s an “EGOT,” one of only a dozen or so people to win an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony, and he’s had no trouble settling into a stream of never-ending accolades,

As technology drops in price, computer-generated imagery (CGI) is trickling down, and low-budget films now have an opportunity to compete with Hollywood on its own turf.

Every year the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings to be preserved for all time. One of this year’s selections is the famous 1961 comedy routine by Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner about a man so old, he once knew Jesus – personally – and dated Joan of Arc. Billy […]