I clothed my anger in comedy. It spared me a punch in the face
The 90-year-old writer, director, actor and producer is to be presented with the 2017 Bafta Fellowship by Prince William. Fans of hit films such as Blazing Saddles and The Producers will say the honour has been a long time coming. Mel called it “humbling”. And in typically wacky fashion he said: “I am not overwhelmed but I am definitely whelmed by this singular honour. “To be included among such iconic talents is absolutely humbling. “In choosing me for the 2017 Fellowship, I think Bafta has made a strangely surprising, yet ultimately wise, decision.” Mel’s life and astonishing career would make a good film in itself. He was born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York, in June 1926. His father James, a German Jew from Danzig – now Gdansk in Poland – died when he was two. Mel was brought up by his mother Kate, originally from Kiev in Ukraine. He was a sickly child who was regularly bullied. The tough childhood is reflected in his comedy. Mel once explained: “There’s an outrage there. I may be angry at God, or at the world. “I’m sure a lot of my comedy is based on anger and hostility. Growing up, I learned to clothe it in comedy to spare myself problems – like a punch in the face.” His life changed when top jazz drummer Buddy Rich taught him to play and by the age of 14 he was earning money working in nightclubs. Mel began studying pyschology at college but the Second World War intervened and he served in an engineer combat battalion, where the work included defusing landmines. After the war he worked as a drummer again before breaking into comedy on radio then TV. He wrote gags for variety programme Your Show of Shows wh togeth th 1. Blazing Saddles – 1974 – £437,347,747 2. Young Frankenstein – 1974 – £315,702,586 3. Silent Movie – 1976 – £117,365,492 4. High Anxiety – 1977 – £96,338,096 5. History of theWorld Part 1 – 1981 – £78,786,385 6. Spaceballs – 1987 – £67,418,350 7. Robin Hood: Men In Tights – 1993 – £59,650,057 8. Dracula – 1995 – £16,960,873 9. Life Stinks – 1991 – £6,731,543 10. The Producers – 1968 – £19,510,398