Miscellaneous

Walk This Way

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Written for Jim Adams’ Thursday Inspiration #293
where the these is “Walk This Way” Here’s my take.

Mel Brooks
© NPR

In my opinion, Mel Brooks is one of the funniest people to grace this planet. He is a comedic genius; any time I’m in the mood for a guaranteed good laugh, I’ll turn on a Mel Brooks movie. One of my favorites is Young Frankenstein where you’ll hear Igor say “Walk this way” … and he really means it.

Born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, in Brooklyn, New York, Mel Brooks is an acclaimed American filmmaker, actor, comedian, and songwriter. He began his career in the entertainment industry after serving in World War II. He worked as a drummer and comedian in the Catskills before becoming a writer for television programs like “Your Show of Shows” (1950–1954) and “Caesar’s Hour” (1954). Mel collaborated with Carl Reiner on the Grammy-winning “2000 Year Old Man” comedy albums and also co-created (with Buck Henry) the popular spy spoof television series “Get Smart“. 

Brooks achieved Broadway success with his musical adaptation of The Producers, earning him multiple Tony Awards. He founded Brooksfilms, a production company responsible for dramatic films such as The Elephant Man (1980). He published a memoir titled “All About Me!” and created a follow-up television series to History of the World, Part I.

One of a handful of entertainers, Mel has won an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony Award, making him an EGOT winner. He has received a Kennedy Center Honor, a Hollywood Walk of Fame star, the AFI Life Achievement Award, a British Film Institute Fellowship, and a National Medal of Arts. In 2024, he was honored with an Honorary Academy Award for Lifetime Achievement. 

In 1964 Mel married actress Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Robinson); they remained together for 41 years until her death in 2005. Their son, Max Brooks, was born in 1972. In 2010, Brooks credited Bancroft as “the guiding force” behind his involvement in developing The Producers and Young Frankenstein for the musical theater, saying of an early meeting with her: “From that day, until her death … we were glued together.” He has remained single since she died, stating in 2023 that “Once you’re married to Anne Bancroft, others don’t seem to be appealing“. Mel Brooks’ comedic genius, spanning over seven decades, has left a significant and lasting mark on the world of entertainment.

Mel is now 99-years-old; the day we lose Mel Brooks will be a sad day indeed.

From Young Frankenstein, this is “Walk This Way” with the incomparable Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman.

Many thanks to Jim Adams for this inspiration. Thanks to you all for stopping by for a look and a listen.

That’s all she wrote, kids. See you on the flip side. 😎

NAR©2025

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy Richy and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

45 thoughts on “Walk This Way”

  8. Ah Nancy. How can anyone not love Mel Brooks and this movie “Young Frankenstein”? Seems we were both on the same track when we read Jim’s “Walk This Way” post, but I merely related the anecdote about how Aerosmith used that bit with Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman as inspiration for the song title, while you took the opportunity to pay homage to the comedic genius of Mel Brooks. Bravo!

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    1. Thanks for a very nice comment, Fan. We’ve both previously mentioned our love of Mel and Young Frankenstein in particular. I’ve seen all his movies and I can’t imagine a world without them.

      For some reason I can’t explain, I don’t always get notifications for your posts. I haven’t yet seen your response to Jim’s Thursday Inspiration so I’ll be sure to check it out.

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    1. So happy to know you’re a fan, dear Ivor! 🥳 Anyone who enjoys the parodies of Weird Al will love the works of Mel Brooks. He wrote the song in the High Anxiety clip you sent me and he does a funny impersonation of singers like Sinatra. I just love the look on Madeline Kahn’s face when she hears the sound of a whip smacking the floor. Thank you, my dear friend! 🥰🎥🎬🎶♡😂

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        1. Well, that answered my next question! Sorry you’re still not feeling up to snuff, dear Ivor. The meds will help, for sure. Your big trip will be here before you know it. Get this cold taken care of and you can enjoy yourself completely in Canada. Take good care, dear friend. 🥰💊🌏✈️🌎🇨🇦🥳

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  12. Love Mel Brooks…Blazing Saddles I still watch yearly. He is about to release Space Balls 2 due out in 2027…I hope he is still here to see it!

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      1. The hole in the movie will be no John Candy…I loved that man. Yea Brooks was one of a kind and he did exactly what he wanted to do and I admire him for that. Great post Nancy!

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