Director: Mel Brooks

Having started as a stand up comedian, Mel Brooks has written and directed what are widely noted as comedy classics. His films are often based on farcical elements if not straight parodies. Also a composer, his movies often include musical numbers and other theatrical elements.

His most famous films were produced in the 70s, when he frequently collaborated with Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman. He later developed an interested in producing films, and in what seems like a strange pairing one of his first projects was with David Lynch. Realizing the publicity for the picture might mislead audiences, he set up “Brooksfilms,” which he later used to produce a number of movies.