Mel Brooks On Sid Caesar's Masterful Gibberish | CONAN on TBS

Sid didn't actually speak French, German or any other language but English, but he definitely faked it like a pro.

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Mel Brooks On Sid Caesar's Masterful Gibberish | CONAN on TBS

[chrisgross]

Dude- the Sid Caesar show was LEGENDARY. His writers were Mel Brooks, Woody Allen, Carl Reiner, Neil Simon, and more. Awesome show.

[kingsleyzissou]

Mel Brooks will go down in history (already had really) as one of the greatest comedians of his time. Glad he's still around, appreciate every minute he's still with us.

[aslanmane]

I love Conan for often paying tribute to the past.

[Subparanon]

Ever year Mel Brooks is still with us is another year I feel fortunate to be alive.

[Stevo]

"We don't wait 'til someone dies, to do that!" The way that caught Brooks off guard, makes me laugh every time, lol

[MasonicKryptonite]

As a German myself: Damn, he absolutely nailed the way we sound, without sounding like he's ragging on the language (which is rarer than you might think)

[jamesfeldman]

For those who might not know film history, as Mel Brooks admitted, the ending for his sketch with the German "general" was basically taken from the great German silent movie, The Last Laugh, made in 1924. That movie--a tragic drama--was written by Carl Mayer, who also co-wrote another German silent masterpiece, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. As a child I owned an 8mm print of the movie and watched it many, many times. The movie was directed by F.W. Murnau, one of the greatest silent movie directors. Sid Caesar's character was based very loosely on the character that Emil Jannings played in The Last Laugh. Obviously, Mel Brooks was a big fan of the great silent movies to not only know this film, but to find a way to incorporate one of its ideas with a theme of pathos into a brilliant comic and surprise ending.

[amcc]

I'm 19, that German general skit was the funniest thing I've ever seen!! Thanks Conan 4real for showing some of the greatness of the past

[thejuiceweasel]

Man, I'm German and even I couldn't say if he was talking the real deal or not. It's total gibberish, but it *sounds* so weirdly familiar.

[kenchristie]

Mel Brooks the master: insults everybody - offends no one.

[JimmyDaKoik]

Sid's brilliant gibberish was following in the footsteps of Chaplin, who did the same when he mocked Hitler in the 1940's in "The Great Dictator".

[ConanTheLibrarianUHF]

Man they just don't make comedy like that anymore...simple yet brilliant. 

[iconocrat]

I sense a genuine mutual respect between Conan and Mel, and that makes me feel good.

[joannilson]

Classic Mel Brooks line: You have to know where to steal   

[GlitchMonki]

Blazing Saddles! Mel Brooks is a walking legend.

[tuxguys]

This is Multi-leveled Gold:
Brooks is Genius; the Sid Caesar/Howard Morris clip is Genius; the reference to Emil Jannings, by Brooks, is cultural Genius (and accurate); and Conan gets to show that he's a Genius-in-Training.

[Vyselink]

A laugh, a handshake, and a "That was good!" from Mel Brooks. Yup. That's a career highlight right there.

[walterkoziol]

Conan has way more talent than any of the talk shows out there now. He also truly shows how much love, respect, and admiration of the ones who literally built-up Hollywood's glitz & glamor and his guests know that he's truly sincere with his passion. I am just really glad that TBS picked him up.

[tombranch]

Mel Brooks is still sharp as a tack, like Betty White, they dont make em like they used to.

[neil]

loved Sid Caesar in It's a Mad, Mad Mad World.