Academy Pays Tribute to Oscar and Tony Winner Mel Brooks July 24

By Andrew Gans
24 Jul 2009

Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will present a tribute to Tony Award winner Mel Brooks July 24 at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, CA.

Film historian Leonard Maltin hosts the evening, which begins at 8 PM. The tribute, which will be attended by Brooks, will feature numerous film clips as well as stories from his collaborators and friends, including Richard Benjamin, Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Carl Reiner, Tracey Ullman and Lesley Ann Warren.

A noted comedian, writer, producer, director, composer and actor, Brooks won an Academy Award for the original story and screenplay of the 1968 version of "The Producers." He also earned nominations for the adapted screenplay of "Young Frankenstein," with Gene Wilder, and for the lyrics to the title song from "Blazing Saddles." "The Critic," for which Brooks provided the narration, won an Oscar for Cartoon Short Subject in 1963.

Brooks won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical (with Thomas Meehan) for The Producers. He is one of only 12 individuals to have won all four major show business awards – the Oscar, Emmy, Grammy and Tony.

Tickets for A Tribute to Mel Brooks are sold out; however, standby tickets will be available on the day of the event. The Samuel Goldwyn Theater is located at 8949 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. For more information call (310) 247-3600 or visit www.oscars.org.