Mel Brooks brings his one-of-a-kind comic touch to the history of mankind covering events from the Old Testament to the French Revolution in a series of episodic comedy vignettes.
Director: Mel Brooks
Stars: Mel Brooks, Gregory Hines, Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn.
Alan Johnson ... choreographer
Charlene Painter ... assistant choreographer
7 songs in the Soundtracks.
Watched because I remembered GH dancing as a Roman slave. It was just a humorous shuffle; didn't need him for that. He was featured well in the film for comedy, not dance.
Dancing was prominent in the Spanish Inquisition number, with many dancers and even an aquacade. But it was dancing for comedy, not to showcase the dancers.
To "preview" HOTW, Part 2, we got short clips, one of which was Hitler on Ice, with Adolf ice skating. Would have liked to see that. The "Jews in Space" tease he turned into its own film; oy vey.
"It's good to be the king" is oft repeated in the French Revolution segment. I wonder if that would be filmed today in light of #MeToo, or how might it be modified.
More evenly funny than some MB films.
distr. Fox, dir. Brooks; 7
