Mel Brooks is a person.
Melvin Brooks ( né Kaminsky , born June 28 , 1926 ) is an American filmmaker , comedian , actor and composer . He received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2009 , the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 , the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award in June 2013 , a British Film Institute Fellowship in March 2015 , a National Medal of Arts in September 2016 , and a BAFTA Fellowship in February 2017 . Three of his films ranked in the American Film Institute 's list of the top 100 comedy films of the past 100 years ( 1900 -- 2000 ) , all of which ranked in the top 15 of the list : Blazing Saddles at number 6 , The Producers at number 11 , and Young Frankenstein at number 13 . Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks and starring Gene Wilder as the title character , a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein .