Tanya Gold Tanya Gold

The complex genius of Mel Brooks

Jeremy Dauber highlights the tension within Brooks of warring Jewish archetypes, personified by Max and Leo in the masterpiece The Producers

Kenneth Mars and Gene Wilder in The Producers. [Bridgeman Images]

  • Mel Brooks: Disobedient Jew

    Jeremy Dauber

    Yale, pp. 272, £16

Already a subscriber? Log in

This article is for subscribers only

Subscribe today to get 3 months' delivery of the magazine, as well as online and app access, for only £3.

  • Weekly delivery of the magazine
  • Unlimited access to our website and app
  • Enjoy Spectator newsletters and podcasts
  • Explore our online archive, going back to 1828

Read next

Trending

Owen Matthews

The deepening unpopularity of Zelensky

From the magazine
Perhaps all political careers must end, inevitably, in failure. But few politicians have had careers as meteoric, as surprising, as consequential or as heroic as that of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky. In just five years he has gone from TV comedian to victor of the biggest presidential landslide in his country’s history to inspiring wartime

Also in Book Reviews

Also by Tanya Gold

Latest

Comments

Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.

Already a subscriber? Log in