I love this short excerpt from Conan O'Brien's occasional "Serious Jibber-Jabber" talk show, where Mel Brooks tells his story about dining at Chasen's with Alfred Hitchcock.
What a treasure Brooks is. Such a grand era he was from. Certainly entertainers don't come with the same class, charm and talent as he and his peers did back then.
I love these comments. Do you honestly believe there are no classy, charming, and talented entertainers out there today? I bet we could find some real assholes back in the day, too. Y'all gotta stop pretending that the past was somehow better than the present.
I got Mel's book "All About Me" on audio. It is read by Mel himself, and listening to it is like having him in your living room, in a big easy chair just regaling you with story after story! Great book, but best on audio for that reason!
That's why Mel Brooks is who he is ,A tale spinner ,and a comic genius. O'Brien gifted his audience with a gifted man talking about another gifted man.
@@zelmoziggy If you get a chance watch Blazing Saddles with the commentary on. Rye toast with butter, beef and broccoli with a Pepsi, Earl Grey tea with digestive biscuits that were sort of graham crackery. It goes on and on.
When I was a teenager, lo these long 4 decades ago, I stumbled across an anthology of short SF stories that was put together and edited by Issac Asimov. In the foreword, in which he catalogued the events of the year and the novels that were published, he used to include a line that said, "Mel Brooks was still known as Melvin Kaminsky." Then at some year in the anthology in the 50's, it changed when Mel changed his name. I always liked that.
When I was an exchange student in France, a buddy and I had an expression : "Go Orson." That meant going into a nice restaurant and ordering all we could afford to eat; we would imagine his chubby, beared head floating in the air, beaming down on us with approval.
This was beautiful. The background with Mel in a black suit, it creates such a beautiful mood. The story is so mundane but I was hanging on every word.
Mundane isn't the word for a story of dining with Alfred Hitchcock. Not this one anyway. Were it mundane, you wouldn't have hung on every word, by definition. (Oxford: "mundane: lacking interest of excitement; dull")
@@dixonpinfold2582 or maybe I was saying that, were it not for the mood and ambiance, the story would have been mundane, which is why I said it the way I did. You could rearrange the syntax like this: "The story was so mundane but I was hanging on every word because of the beautiful mood, etc." Ordinarily the story would be mundane and dull, "but" because the external factors, I was not bored by it. Glad we could have this chat about English grammar and its great versatility.
They say he was Anything but humble Kieran Behan. Pure comic genius, but his giant ego was nearly as legendary among those that knew him, as his talent
Yeah, I remember a period of 5 years in the 80's where I saw as many of his movies as I could. Made a lasting impression. He must have been inspired by Marx Brothers I recon. Perhaps you can find some of that weird comedy in some series today? Any suggestions?
@@YOURTECHFRIEND Mel's style is as near to comedy perfection as I can think just now. Near to him I guess is Jerry Zucker. Of Airplane and Naked Gun/Police Squad fame. Those were really funny too. Anyone modern, I have nothing.
That’s the exact attitude he was guarding against with that statement. I think Hunter Thompson said it best: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, what a ride!’l
I had the good fortune to be seated at the next table to Sir Alfred Hitchcock during lunch one Saturday afternoon in the mid 1970s at the old Autopub, in the then sunken front plaza of the General Motors Building on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. People familiar with the building in those days will know this is the space that has since been renovated into the iconic Apple store. My back was to the great director so I wasn't able to observe his entire menu but while coming and going from my seat I did see he had numerous dishes on his table. Needless to say everyone in the restaurant noticed Hollywood's most famous director sitting there having lunch by himself!
Fun fact: My parents owned a hardware store in a tiny town in Michigan. My mother, youngest daughter of an erudite and ironic Englishman, had posted near the cash register a sign that read: Eschew obfuscation. 😉
And with the Oscars coming up in March 2024, they actually said the female director was snubbed because she didn’t get an Oscar nomination for directing Barbie and Alfred Hitchcock never got awarded a Oscar,however later on awarded a honorary Oscar?
Alfred Hitchcock's favorite dining song: Do it Again by Steely Dan, partially for the encouragement for more gluttony in the title and the violence hinted at in the lyrics.
I just watched the Mel Brooks tells Carson the Cary Grant story. He remembered every single thing Cary Grant ate too. I think Mel must always be hungry.
I could watch *Vertigo* again on the big screen but I keep wondering what it would have been like with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, who were Hitch's first choice.
@Ubiquitary Audrey Hepburn is #2. She was somewhat competent, at best, in My Fair Lady, had as many cringe-y moments in Roman Holiday as decent ones (mostly because she was adorable, not because her acting got better), was an utter embarrassment in Charade, and then it just gets entirely forgettable after that. During filming of Roman Holiday, William Wyler was upset that she couldn't cry during the last scene so he yelled at her about wasting all of those takes--and THAT'S what got her to cry. And think of the irony of My Fair Lady, someone who doesn't know how to act being instructed by an expert. The one exception might have been Breakfast At Tiffany's, where she plays a woman going through life hiding her emotions. So in that way she was right for that role, although she didn't have the other qualities necessary to play a hooker. Lucille Ball is #1. Unattractive, scratchy (without being sexy) voice, got through I Love Lucy with one mug. Yours, Mine, and Ours is a particular awful-fest. World-wide fame and a solid C- at the Actor's Academy. Remember, this is relative to their fame--there are certainly worse actresses out there overall.
Hey Mike, old boy. They might not have been Shakespearean-level actresses, but you're certainly accomplished at being a douche! Perhaps you should try watching Audrey in Wait Until Dark. She holds her own opposite Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna. Or even Sabrina w/Bogie & Bill Holden. Might help your disposition, along with a bitch slap. Bye..
I heard this story before with other interviewers. Conan, do your damn job and MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!!! Interject, cajole, commiserate, anything to fill the dead space. Be like Johnny, not like Ed.
Try being around a person who is morbidly obese and you will see that there are great costs to pay for overindulging your appetites. A really fat person is physically impaired. They can barely walk, and forget about climbing more than a couple of steps. A vacation to Disneyland for a morbidly obese person is nearly a nightmare. And then there's the cost paid in living fewer years, possibly decades less. Enjoy your meals, by all means. But think about the costs of eating seconds before you do it.
Interesting how certain people remember details so emphatically. Artur Rubenstein, the great pianist, was also quite taken with remembering details, particularly meals eaten, and of course piano music. Sorry, I digressed.
focuspull.in/join
One of the best things about this interview, Conan let's Mel talk. Unlike Colbert, or Fallon or Kimmel...Conan gives his guest the spotlight.
Yet all I want is more Conan
Conan is well known for his modesty and generosity to colleagues.
If it was on his talk show or podcast he'd be acting like a clown interrupting every 10 seconds.
Let us?
There are no good American talk shows any more. The only good on is from Britain, the Graham Norton Show.
Mel Brooks is a brilliant story teller.
He's really attentive to details, and has a terrific memory
I memorized Spaceballs.
@@oscarsalesgirl296 he know what ppl need, just a story, doesn't matter at all if it all made up
Or he's telling a tall story.
@@vova47 Tall, it's a big FAT lie....call it a skyscraper story ! Mel is an old fool.
He’s a wonderful story teller. Catch the Cary Grant story he told Johnny Carson.
What a treasure Brooks is. Such a grand era he was from. Certainly entertainers don't come with the same class, charm and talent as he and his peers did back then.
Absolutely. Also an authentic comedic genius. One of perhaps only a dozen or so throughout the 120 odd years of cinematic history. Cheers!
Yes but they worked hard. Jack Benny was one of the hardest workers in Hollywood. Mel Brooks, the same!
I love these comments.
Do you honestly believe there are no classy, charming, and talented entertainers out there today? I bet we could find some real assholes back in the day, too.
Y'all gotta stop pretending that the past was somehow better than the present.
I got Mel's book "All About Me" on audio. It is read by Mel himself, and listening to it is like having him in your living room, in a big easy chair just regaling you with story after story! Great book, but best on audio for that reason!
Thanks for the recommendation, that's my Audible credit pick for the month now!
That's why Mel Brooks is who he is ,A tale spinner ,and a comic genius. O'Brien gifted his audience with a gifted man talking about another gifted man.
I would love to spend a day talking to mel . God what stories this man has to tell .
All of Brooks' anecdotes relate to food, and he always remembers what everyone had.
Or he makes it up as he goes along.
@@zelmoziggy If you get a chance watch Blazing Saddles with the commentary on. Rye toast with butter, beef and broccoli with a Pepsi, Earl Grey tea with digestive biscuits that were sort of graham crackery. It goes on and on.
In this case, I can understand why. There he is eating his sole and just watching this man put away enough food for a party of 6.
MB is a national treasure...
High Anxiety was a great Hitchcock homage.
When I was a teenager, lo these long 4 decades ago, I stumbled across an anthology of short SF stories that was put together and edited by Issac Asimov.
In the foreword, in which he catalogued the events of the year and the novels that were published, he used to include a line that said, "Mel Brooks was still known as Melvin Kaminsky." Then at some year in the anthology in the 50's, it changed when Mel changed his name. I always liked that.
I came to this story after hearing his hilarious recounting to Johnny Carson of having lunch with Cary Grant.
YES! the Cary Grant lunch story is hysterical...
I’m hooked! All I want are more
Mel Brooks stories!
When I was an exchange student in France, a buddy and I had an expression : "Go Orson." That meant going into a nice restaurant and ordering all we could afford to eat; we would imagine his chubby, beared head floating in the air, beaming down on us with approval.
Mel Brooks is better at memorizing food orders, than the waitress I spoke to the last time I went out to eat!
All you have to remember is your order. How many orders do you think the waitress is expected to remember because of guys like you?
You’re no Alfred Hitchcock
This should have been titled watching Alfred Hitchcock eat.
This was beautiful. The background with Mel in a black suit, it creates such a beautiful mood. The story is so mundane but I was hanging on every word.
Mundane isn't the word for a story of dining with Alfred Hitchcock. Not this one anyway. Were it mundane, you wouldn't have hung on every word, by definition. (Oxford: "mundane: lacking interest of excitement; dull")
@@dixonpinfold2582 or maybe I was saying that, were it not for the mood and ambiance, the story would have been mundane, which is why I said it the way I did. You could rearrange the syntax like this:
"The story was so mundane but I was hanging on every word because of the beautiful mood, etc."
Ordinarily the story would be mundane and dull, "but" because the external factors, I was not bored by it.
Glad we could have this chat about English grammar and its great versatility.
Best story teller in the world we miss new movies we never saw. Stay well
Two of the best comedians ever in the same room. Wowie.
A comedy genius. I salute you sir.
Heard this before some years ago, it was great to hear it again.
He had lunch with Cary Grant and Hitchcock, truly amazing lunches 👍👍👍👍
Mel seems like a really down to earth humble guy.
They say he was Anything but humble Kieran Behan. Pure comic genius, but his giant ego was nearly as legendary among those that knew him, as his talent
Mel is amazing
Such an engaging raconteur, I could listen to him for a long time.
I wish there was a Mel 2.0 for today. A disciple of Mel's that will carry his comedic torch through the 21st century.
Yeah, I remember a period of 5 years in the 80's where I saw as many of his movies as I could. Made a lasting impression. He must have been inspired by Marx Brothers I recon. Perhaps you can find some of that weird comedy in some series today? Any suggestions?
@@YOURTECHFRIEND Mel's style is as near to comedy perfection as I can think just now. Near to him I guess is Jerry Zucker. Of Airplane and Naked Gun/Police Squad fame. Those were really funny too. Anyone modern, I have nothing.
We need to clone Mel Brooks. We cannot have a world without Mel Brooks. Genius.
I love how he pronounces "guillotine" perfectly.
"You only live once." And eating like that, not as long.
I'll take quality over quantity.
I'm not here for a long time. I'm here for a good time.
@@nutbastard You sound like the drummer in Spinal Tap.
You and me, sure. Hitch ate like that and made it to 80!
Made it to 80
That’s the exact attitude he was guarding against with that statement. I think Hunter Thompson said it best:
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow, what a ride!’l
“You only live once and you take a shot.” I interpreted it as keep taking a shot at life. Good advice.
Great story. Thanks
Love it.
I love this story.
The great Mel Brooks😊, yes we only live once but you lived a lot longer! But you are both immortal as artists
He must be missing Carl Reiner ever very much
They used to watch Jeopardy every day together.
Aw, exactly. What broke my heart when Carl Reiner died was thinking of Mel Brooks.
There are probably quite a few people important in his life that are now gone. That just happens unless you avoid it by dying young.
It's crazy that he could remember every food item like it was last week.
Adrenaline.
Or like it just happened.
Phil O'Malley no he didn’t.
Mel has been dining out.... on this story for years.
My grandfather used to tell stories about his life where he could recall every detail that way.
Mel - you are the Greatest ❤️💕💞
MB is a trip. A good one! He's great 👍!
Great stuff from Mel, what a guy
"Little green things in the sour cream." LOL
Hitchcock was once asked Why don't you make comedies ? To which he replied But
I do .
Please live forever 🤞
National treasure right there
I had the good fortune to be seated at the next table to Sir Alfred Hitchcock during lunch one Saturday afternoon in the mid 1970s at the old Autopub, in the then sunken front plaza of the General Motors Building on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. People familiar with the building in those days will know this is the space that has since been renovated into the iconic Apple store. My back was to the great director so I wasn't able to observe his entire menu but while coming and going from my seat I did see he had numerous dishes on his table. Needless to say everyone in the restaurant noticed Hollywood's most famous director sitting there having lunch by himself!
No you didnt
@@sorryrocco no I didn't what?
@@johnscanlan9335 you didn't wentith thy walk no thie tales one squire
@@sorryrocco could you re-write your answer so I can read it? Thanks
@@johnscanlan9335 dont thy understand english Saxon
I was going to say He's a National Treasure but in reality Mel's an International Treasure!
Lovely man...❤
He just told his #GiveMeTwo-story about Alfred Hitchcock.
Fun fact: My parents owned a hardware store in a tiny town in Michigan. My mother, youngest daughter of an erudite and ironic Englishman, had posted near the cash register a sign that read: Eschew obfuscation. 😉
Eschew Obfuscation = no Bullshit
What a lovely, charmed story, from mel,,TELLING IT NATURALLY !
Google the Cary Grant story Mel tells Johnny Carson, the man is a comedy genius, hilarious
I just watched it, very funny. I'm craving a hard boiled egg now.😊.
Bet my azz Brooks as hilarious as he is could a made one scary thriller suspense flick...loves 🎥
how great old storys are
He seems to remember every detail about every meal he's had, including what everyone else ate. Or he's just making up menu items on the spot.
He's a writer; he's "embellishing."
He could be b*llshitting- nobody left alive to contradict him...
It is the latter, Sally.
Wow!
I've watched this many times and I'm still as gobsmacked as Melvin clearly was! 🤔
There’s great directors and then Hitch.
This made me hungry
Mel Brooks what a life.
Melvin!
I can almost hear Hitchcock calling him Melvin... of course he would.
Mel might've called him Alfred Schwarz, and he trusted him.
I want to hear Mel’s WW2 experiences!
And with the Oscars coming up in March 2024, they actually said the female director was snubbed because she didn’t get an Oscar nomination for directing Barbie and Alfred Hitchcock never got awarded a Oscar,however later on awarded a honorary Oscar?
Yolo, Melvin Brooks!
I hope to keep a memory as detailed as his.
Mel Brooks movies keep getting funnier every time I see them.
For me it's the same, but with The Exorcist.
@@MandleRoss Yeah, I've seen Beetlejuice too, but I was being serious.
@@mikehughes4969 Hehehe
Alfred Hitchcock's favorite dining song: Do it Again by Steely Dan, partially for the encouragement for more gluttony in the title and the violence hinted at in the lyrics.
Mel brooks is so funny
My Grandmother always remembered everything she ate, and everything all others ate.
Mel’s dined out on that dining out story for many years
Lol the original foodie
You only live once....but Hitchcock, much like the postman, dines twice!
Wow, Hitchcock invented the “Bang Bang”!
Mel Brooks remembers food like I remember food.
Love to Mel, Hitch and Conan.
But, not all at once.
"You only live once." So eat twice?
Yeah, yeah, that's the ticket, yeah.
I just watched the Mel Brooks tells Carson the Cary Grant story.
He remembered every single thing Cary Grant ate too.
I think Mel must always be hungry.
The funniest part to me is when Hitchcock said: "George, I still feel a bit peckish." I guess because I didn't know that peckish meant hungry.
I could watch *Vertigo* again on the big screen but I keep wondering what it would have been like with Grace Kelly and Cary Grant, who were Hitch's first choice.
Jimmy Stewart was OK but Kim Novak is the third worst actress in Hollywood history, relative to her fame.
Can't see Cary playing a Flatfoot Detective! .... But Kelly in that Role I can see!
@Ubiquitary Audrey Hepburn is #2. She was somewhat competent, at best, in My Fair Lady, had as many cringe-y moments in Roman Holiday as decent ones (mostly because she was adorable, not because her acting got better), was an utter embarrassment in Charade, and then it just gets entirely forgettable after that. During filming of Roman Holiday, William Wyler was upset that she couldn't cry during the last scene so he yelled at her about wasting all of those takes--and THAT'S what got her to cry. And think of the irony of My Fair Lady, someone who doesn't know how to act being instructed by an expert. The one exception might have been Breakfast At Tiffany's, where she plays a woman going through life hiding her emotions. So in that way she was right for that role, although she didn't have the other qualities necessary to play a hooker.
Lucille Ball is #1. Unattractive, scratchy (without being sexy) voice, got through I Love Lucy with one mug. Yours, Mine, and Ours is a particular awful-fest. World-wide fame and a solid C- at the Actor's Academy.
Remember, this is relative to their fame--there are certainly worse actresses out there overall.
Hey Mike, old boy. They might not have been Shakespearean-level actresses, but you're certainly accomplished at being a douche! Perhaps you should try watching Audrey in Wait Until Dark. She holds her own opposite Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna. Or even Sabrina w/Bogie & Bill Holden. Might help your disposition, along with a bitch slap. Bye..
@@garyspence2128 They WERE Shakespearean-level actresses. The kind that are told they can mend the costumes, but are never getting on stage.
🤤Melvin remembers how much sour cream he had with the potato.
Man, can he tell a story!
Hitchcock was known at certain times in his life for eating TWO complete meals.
This is not a surprise to anyone who has seen Alfred Hitchcock.
@@IoEstasCedonta Hitch had a big and expensive wine cellar in his house...
and Liked to cook . ! ...and Tons of. $$$ .
A frimp cocktail? (0:23) Must be when you can't decide between fruit and shrimp.
He either has the greatest memory known to man, or is improvising much of this.
You tell a story once a month, you only need a one-month memory...
Maybe the sight of someone putting away that much food in one sitting was so traumatic he cannot forget, and possibly even has flashbacks XD.
I heard this story before with other interviewers. Conan, do your damn job and MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!!!
Interject, cajole, commiserate, anything to fill the dead space. Be like Johnny, not like Ed.
Why drag it out?
You only live once..................................
You only live once. In Hitchcock's case, maybe twice.
Ostrich leather?
If you are Bond you only live twice.
that was funny; fruit cocktail became shrimp cocktail
Try being around a person who is morbidly obese and you will see that there are great costs to pay for overindulging your appetites.
A really fat person is physically impaired. They can barely walk, and forget about climbing more than a couple of steps. A vacation to Disneyland for a morbidly obese person is nearly a nightmare. And then there's the cost paid in living fewer years, possibly decades less.
Enjoy your meals, by all means. But think about the costs of eating seconds before you do it.
Interesting how certain people remember details so emphatically. Artur Rubenstein, the great pianist, was also quite taken with remembering details, particularly meals eaten, and of course piano music. Sorry, I digressed.
He goes into a bar , say what are you doing later, and he hits himself,
:) Nice.
@@happybirthday146 i didn't quite get that bit actually
@@Bootrosgali My best guess is that it's supposed to be him trying to pick up a random woman at a bar and her slapping him.
Kyle lafferty talk about devenish college
...so what did Hitchcock have to say about the movie High Anxiety?
I wonder what Alfred Hitchcock would think of the Psycho remake with Vince Vaughn. I was laughing. I thought it was comical. Sorry, Vince.
Now this was fine, but I think they should've told us before that there was a bomb under the table with 3:45 minutes to go.
Let's not be coy- the only reason Mel remembers everything Hitchcock ordered was because HE foot the bill! 🤣