Blogspot #15

Good morning, friends! This week's show is a tribute to one of comedy's most versatile performers. He was born Melvin Kaminsky, but you know him best as Mel Brooks. In honor of his birthday, we'll hear some of his funniest TV appearances as the 2000 Year Old Man.

Despite what Wikipedia says here, the 2000 Year Old Man was was created in 1950 when Carl Reiner brought a portable reel-to-reel tape recorder to the offices of "Your Show Of Shows". Carl had just seen an interview on "We, The People" with a woman who claimed to have overheard the evil dictator Joseph Stalin planning to bomb America while in the toilet. The interview inspired him to interview Mel as an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jesus 2000 years ago. Read more about the creation of the character at TalkingComedy.com.

The 2000 Year Old Man first appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" with Carl on February 12, 1961. The entire sketch was released on CD back in 1990, but it's no longer available. You can watch a clip from that appearance on YouTube. Carl and Mel appeared on a prime-time special with Johnny Carson back in 1962, and that appearance is included in the Time-Life DVD collection "The Golden Age Of Comedy" along with a 1965 appearance on "The Andy Williams Show". You can find used copies at Amazon.com. There's also a complete 30 minute interview with Mel Brooks on Dick Cavett's DVD box set "Comic Legends", and Amazon.com carries that as well.

Most of the appearances featured on my Mel Brooks birthday tribute are available on CD or DVD, but one of them is only available on LP. The appearance with Steve Allen comes from a 1963 LP titled "Funny Fone Calls", and a copy is available on Ebay if you're desperate to add it to your collection. Next week's show is a special hour-long montage of 150 historic soundbites from America's history in honor of our nation's birthday. A detailed listing will be posted, so don't forget to check in here next week for all the information you need.