Mel Brooks has worn many hats during his storied career in Hollywood, as the legendary comedian is known for his work as a director, producer, and writer. Many of Brooks' best films are spoofs, which were at the height of their popularity when the director was finding his comedic groove in Hollywood.
From Young Frankenstein to Blazing Saddles, Brooks' films allowed him to become a master of satire and helped him become an EGOT winner. Since the 1960s, the director has helmed 11 films, but which are the best of the best? And what film holds the title of fan-favorite on Rotten Tomatoes?
Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995) - 49%
Brooks wrote, directed, and produced 1995's Dracula: Dead and Loving It. A spoof on the numerous Dracula films stemming from Bram Stroker's novel, this is a gothic comedy horror film starring a post-Airplane! and The Naked Gun Leslie Nielsen.
Dracula: Dead and Loving It is the last film Brooks has directed, and one of the last the comedian co-wrote. Critical response to the film has been mostly negative, but audiences are a little more forgiving of the vampire film's lack of Brooks' usual sharp humor.
The Twelve Chairs (1970) - 63%
An adaptation of the 1928 Russian novel of the same name, The Twelve Chairs was a hit with critics. Following the Bolshevik Revolution, an ex-nobleman, a homeless beggar, and a local priest return to Moscow to find jewels sewn into the seat cushion of one of the family's twelve dining room chairs.
Starring Ron Moody as the aristocratic Vorobyaninov, Frank Langella as the conman Bender, and Dom DeLuise as Father Fyodor, The Twelve Chairs explores greed and is viewed as one of Brooks' top films. However, the satire didn't quite click with audiences the way Brooks' later work would.
High Anxiety (1977) - 67%
High Anxiety is a hilarious take on Alfred Hitchcock's filmography, specifically the psychological thriller Vertigo. The film marks Brooks' first producing credit and features his first speaking lead role. He stars as Dr. Richard Thorndyke, the new head of "The Psycho-Neurotic Institute For The Very, Very Nervous" who must face his fear of heights to save his patients from the institute's scheming staff.
High Anxiety features great performances from Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, and Cloris Leachman, three of Brooks' most regular collaborators. Leachman's BSDM-loving Nurse Charlotte Diesel is a highlight, and the film's dinner scene is one of the funniest moments of Brooks' filmography.
Silent Movie (1976) - 72%
Brooks has his first starring role in 1976's Silent Movie and, as the title implies, he doesn't speak. Brooks plays Mel Funn, a washed-up film director in need of inspiration and one of the best characters Brooks plays in his own films. Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman round of the film's leading trio who pitch an idea to make the first silent movie in 40 years.
The slapstick comedy is accompanied by great music and sound effects, making it feel like an inverted Singin' in the Rain. Featuring cameos from Hollywood legends like Sid Caesar, Burt Reynolds, James Caan, Paul Newman, Liza Minnelli, and Brooks' Academy Award-winning wife Anne Bancroft, Silent Movie might be Brooks' most star-studded film.
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993) - 81%
The adventures of Robin Hood have inspired and intrigued filmmakers for over a century. Brooks' adventure comedy features a post-The Princess Bride Cary Elwes as the legendary outlaw, and controversial comedian Dave Chappelle makes his film debut as Ahchoo. Robin Hood: Men in Tights consistently references prior films about the heroic figure, namely Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Adventures of Robin Hood, and Disney's Robin Hood.
A fun romp and some great jokes, Robin Hood: Men in Tights was a bigger hit with fans of Brooks than with movie critics. But the medieval adventure film still has a cult following nearly 30 years after its premiere, and Brooks and Elwes have one of the more entertaining characterizations of the legendary folk hero.
History of the World: Part I (1981) - 81%
With a Brooks-helmed sequel series coming to Hulu, the anthology comedy History of the World: Part I has proven its staying power as a classic after 40 years. Unlike many of the director's other films, History of the World: Part I parodied major events in human history instead of classic films or genres.
Brooks tackles everything from the Stone Age to the Spanish Inquisition to the French Revolution in History of the World: Part I. And while critics on Rotten Tomatoes feel the film is a little lacking, fans love the film's exploration of different time periods and fantastic musical numbers.
Spaceballs (1987) - 83%
Before Star Wars fans had the prequels and sequels, they had Spaceballs, a beloved spoof on the space opera. Spaceballs is one of Brooks' most quotable films and has some great performances from Bill Pullman, Rick Moranis, Daphne Zuniga, John Candy, and Brooks himself.
The story follows cosmic mercenary Lone Starr and his "mawg" companion Barf as they try to rescue Princess Vespa from the villainous Dark Helmet. Brooks hits the nail on the head with his Star Wars parody, and the characters are key to that success. Moranis is given enough funny one-liners to make Dark Helmet a hilarious equal to James Earl Jones's Darth Vader.
The Producers (1967) - 85%
In 1967, Brooks made his feature film directorial debut with The Producers, a black comedy centered around a Broadway producer and his accountant who stage the worst musical they can as part of a scam to make more money with a flop. The pair eventually decide to back a musical about Adolf Hitler written by an eccentric ex-Nazi, but it becomes a hit and ruins their scheme.
Zero Mostel stars as Max Bialystock, one of the titular producers, and Gene Wilder plays accountant Leo Bloom. Brooks received his only Academy Award for The Producers, winning in the Best Original Screenplay category. The film marks the first of three collaborations between the director and Wilder, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Brooks would later win a Tony for the 2001 musical adaption of the film.
Blazing Saddles (1974) - 91%
Brooks' ode to the western genre, Blazing Saddles earned the director an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. Along with his co-writers, including the late Richard Pryor, Brooks used Blazing Saddles as a means to deconstruct and evaluate the racism often found within the Western genre.
Cleavon Little plays Bart, a Black railroad worker who's named the sheriff of Rock Ridge by the crooked attorney general Hedley Lamarr, a devilish Harvey Korman. Bart befriends Jim, the alcoholic gunslinger played by Gene Wilder, and causes Madeline Kahn's seductive Lili Von Shtupp to fall in love with him. Blazing Saddles is not only one of Brooks' best movies but one of the best comedies of all time.
Young Frankenstein (1974) - 92%
According to both fans and critics, the cult classic comedy horror film Young Frankenstein puts on more than enough Ritz to become Brooks' best film. A finely-crafted spoof of the Universal Monster films and Mary Shelley's classic tale, the black-and-white film is filled to the brim with quotable lines, hilarious moments, and career-best performances from some comedy legends.
Starring the director's frequent collaborators Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Marty Feldman, and Cloris Leachman, Young Frankenstein also introduces Teri Garr and Peter Boyle to the zaniness Brooks often creates on screen. Wilder plays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a descendant of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, who tries and fails to avoid going down the same path as his grandfather. For the film, Wilder and Brooks received an Academy Award nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay.