Book Review: All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks (2021)

Synopsis: Getting his first big break in show business as a writer for comedian Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks has been entertaining people as a writer, director and actor for decades, winning Academy Awards and changing the comedy landscape with films like Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. In this autobiography, Brooks tells his story and talks about the people who impacted his life along the way.

Review: If I were to ever compile a list of my all-time favorite directors, I am confident the majority of them would be horror film directors. However, even if that did turn out to be the case, I think I can say with absolute (well maybe 99 percent) certainty Mel Brooks would probably wind up on the top. The man is a comedy legend, and I find myself quoting his movies practically daily.

As a result of this, when I was able to get a copy of his autobiography All About Me! through the local library, I did. And, since it was a holiday weekend, I was able to get through it over the course of just a little more than three days. 

I can honestly say I enjoyed every single one of those pages.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is how much it taught me, both about the man who was writing it and about the movies I've re-watched dozens of times. In fact, I was surprised by the information I probably should have already known. This included the story about how Gene Wilder became one of the stars of Blazing Saddles and the realization that, had it not been for a twist of fate involving an actor with a drinking problem, we may never have had Young Frankenstein.

I was also very impressed with Brooks' military experience. It honest never even occurred to me he was a World War II veteran. The fact he was overseas in a non-entertainment capacity, learning how to fire artillery, disarm landmines, etc. added a whole new layer of respect for the man. In fact, if he were to ever write a book solely on his military exploits, I probably would want to read it.

I especially liked how he told his story in chronological order. This isn't something that happens with all autobiographies and doesn't always work in the ones that do. In this case though, it really helped paint the picture of his life in a way that made it easy to relate to him. The thing that stood out for me personally was how he had two Academy Awards but was still barely getting by financially until Blazing Saddles became his first commercial success. His stories about how his girlfriend/future wife Anne Bancroft added to this, especially his description of how she would discreetly slip him money so he could pay for their dates, showing she cared for him as much as he clearly cared for her.

Another thing that made this book easy to read was how Brooks wrote it in a way that made it feel like he was sitting in the room and telling me his life story in person. This included his tendency to go off on a bit of a tangent at times, telling a story within his story, then getting back on track because he planned on elaborating more later. It just made his story more fun to read and the book harder to put down.

Final Opinion: This is a great example of an autobiography done right. Brooks tells a tale that is entertaining and informative and really made me appreciate the struggles he went through to become the household name he is today. I recommend reading this book.

My Grade: A

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Here are some reviews of other celebrity autobiographies:

Book Review: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed and Other Things I've Learned by Alan Alda (2006)

Book Review: I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy (2022)

Book Review: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry (2022)

Book Review: Kiss Me Like a Stranger by Gene Wilder (2005)