Known for his hilarious, bumptious and vulgar movies, Mel Brooks does not advertise his more serious side. Even the silliest of his movies make brilliant use of music and songs (many written by Brooks himself). He also created Brooksfilms, a production company that is responsible for 84 Charing Cross Road and The Elephant Man, among other films. This talk will focus on Brooks’ life as a (very Jewish) clown and on his brilliant use of music in his movies and shows.
Since retiring from a career teaching English, Linda Beck has directed her energies to the study of Broadway musicals and American-Jewish comedy. Linda has studied, and teaches about, Cole Porter, Fred Astaire, Rodgers & Hart, and Shakespeare on Broadway, among other topics. She has taught courses for Later Life Learning at the University of Toronto and for the Life Institute at Ryerson University, and has lectured for George Brown College Seniors Association and Lifelong Learning Mississauga.