Mel Brooks, the 88 year-old comedy legend got to cross another Hollywood honor off of his bucket list. As reported by the Associated Press, Brooks got to join such tinsel town luminaries such as Humphrey Bogart and Jimmy Stewart by leaving prints of his feet and hands in the cement in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
But just like everything else Brooks does, he did things a little differently. Mel came to the ritual – one that is practically as old as Hollywood itself – wearing a prosthetic finger. As a justification, Brooks said that he pulled the stunt “just in case somebody from Des Moines, Iowa, says ‘Harry! Harry! Look, Mel Brooks has six fingers on his left hand!'”
Mel Brooks is the director, producer, writer, and actor responsible for films such as “Blazing Saddles” and “The Producers.” The ceremony was held on September 8, as a way of commemorating the 40th anniversary of “Young Frankenstein,” Brooks’ classic send up of classic black-and-white horror films. The film’s anniversary is also being commemorated with a Blu-ray re-release on September 9.
Mel Brooks began his career in show business in the 1950s working on Your Show of Shows with Sid Caesar. The show would also help to launch the careers of playwright Neil Simon, and frequent Brooks collaborator, Carl Reiner. Brooks made his film debut as a writer/director with 1968’s “The Producers.” He would go on to make 11 other films occupying that dual role, and serving as a supporting actor in the majority of them. Brooks would also experience great success as a producer, filling that role in David Cronenburg’s very successful remake of “The Fly” and helping to launch David Lynch’s career when he allowed the director to helm “The Elephant Man.”