Chapter 16: Brooksfilms – Summary and Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

After producing High Anxiety, Mel Brooks decides to formalize his role as a producer. His wife, Anne Bancroft, recommends Stuart Cornfeld, whom she met while working with the American Film Institute’s Directing Workshop for Women. Cornfeld becomes Brooks’s assistant producer on High Anxiety and later helps produce Bancroft’s first film as writer-director, Fatso. The film stars Dom DeLuise as an overweight Italian man trying to lose weight, with Bancroft playing his sister. Brooks loves the script but realizes that putting his own name on a non-comedy film would mislead audiences pavlovianly expecting laughs. He therefore creates a new production company, Brooksfilms, and keeps his name off the screen. Fatso becomes the company’s first release.

Brooks staffs Brooksfilms with key people: Leah Zappy, who starts as Bancroft’s assistant and later becomes a longtime post-production supervisor, and Randy Auerbach, who moves from assistant to development executive. The company’s next project arrives through Jonathan Sanger, whose babysitter’s boyfriend, Christopher De Vore, co-wrote a script with Eric Bergren about the true story of Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man. Brooks is deeply moved by the script and decides Brooksfilms must produce it. Again, he refuses to attach his name to avoid a comedy expectation.

To direct The Elephant Man, Brooks follows Stuart Cornfeld’s recommendation and screens David Lynch’s Eraserhead. Impressed by Lynch’s black-and-white vision, Brooks meets Lynch at a Bob’s Big Boy restaurant. Lynch’s focus on the outsider aspect of the story resonates with Brooks. After story conferences with the writers confirm a good working dynamic, Brooks hires Lynch despite his lack of commercial experience. Studio after studio rejects the project, but Paramount Pictures head Michael Eisner reads the script overnight, is moved to tears, and agrees to distribute.

Lynch assembles a distinguished cast: John Hurt as Joseph Merrick, Anthony Hopkins as Dr. Frederick Treves, Wendy Hiller as the head nurse, Freddie Jones as the cruel Bytes, and Sir John Gielgud as the hospital governor. Brooks persuades his wife, Anne Bancroft, to play the actress Mrs. Kendal, who reads Shakespeare with Merrick. Filming begins in October 1979 on the South Bank of the Thames. Brooks buys Lynch a blue woolen overcoat from Harrods, which Lynch wears every day as a kind of good-luck charm.

The Elephant Man premieres on October 2, 1980, and receives eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It wins BAFTA awards for Best Film and Best Actor for John Hurt. Brooks takes pride in the film’s success while remaining uncredited—a choice that still surprises people.

Key Events

Brooks produces High Anxiety, taking on the producer role for the first time, and hires Stuart Cornfeld as his assistant producer.
Anne Bancroft writes, directs, and stars in Fatso, which becomes the first Brooksfilms release; Brooks keeps his name off the credits.
Brooks forms Brooksfilms with a mission to give talented filmmakers room to express their vision, allowing him to produce serious dramas.
The screenplay for The Elephant Man is brought to Brooksfilms by Jonathan Sanger; Brooks is moved by the story and green-lights the project.
Brooks hires David Lynch as director after seeing Eraserhead and meeting Lynch, bonding over the theme of outsiders.
Paramount Pictures (Michael Eisner) agrees to distribute The Elephant Man after most studios pass.
Principal photography begins in October 1979; Brooks buys Lynch a blue coat from Harrods that Lynch wears daily.
The film premieres October 2, 1980, garnering eight Oscar nominations and winning three BAFTAs.
Brooks deliberately remains uncredited as producer to preserve the film’s dramatic impact.

Character Development

Mel Brooks: Transitions from comedy auteur to producer of serious films. Shows self-awareness about his brand and willingness to step back from the spotlight. Learns to balance hands-on involvement with allowing directors creative freedom.
Anne Bancroft: Takes a major creative leap by writing, directing, and starring in Fatso. Supports Brooks’s new company and later contributes a celebrated cameo in The Elephant Man.
Stuart Cornfeld: Moves from assistant producer on High Anxiety to executive producer on The Elephant Man, demonstrating his ability to spot talent (e.g., David Lynch).
David Lynch: Initially an unknown director with only Eraserhead to his credit; Brooks trusts his outsider vision and gives him his first major studio film.
John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, and others: Cast with care by Lynch and Brooks, each bringing depth to the true story.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Brand vs. Artistic Range: Brooks describes his name as a Pavlovian trigger for comedy. Brooksfilms becomes a vehicle to break that association and produce work with a full emotional spectrum.
The Outsider: Both Brooks and Lynch connect over stories of underdogs who prevail against odds—a theme central to The Elephant Man.
The Producer as Enabler: Brooks’s motto—“Give talented people room to express their vision”—reflects his philosophy of non-micromanaging production, informed by his own experiences as a director.
Symbol of the Blue Coat: The coat Brooks buys for Lynch becomes a physical token of trust, support, and friendship, later returned emotionally at a Life Achievement ceremony.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a pivotal shift in Mel Brooks’s career from primarily a comedian and director to a serious film producer. The creation of Brooksfilms allows him to produce dramas and character-driven stories without audience preconceptions. The Elephant Man demonstrates that Brooks’s instincts extend far beyond comedy, earning critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations. The chapter also illuminates his collaborative management style and his willingness to champion unknown talent like David Lynch. It solidifies Brooks’s legacy as a multifaceted show-business figure.

Study Questions and Answers

Why did Mel Brooks create Brooksfilms instead of producing Fatso and The Elephant Man under his own name?
Brooks believed that the name “Mel Brooks” on a film would automatically make audiences expect comedy, a Pavlovian response. To avoid misleading viewers and to allow serious, dramatic stories to be received on their own terms, he formed Brooksfilms and kept his name off the screen.
How did Brooks select David Lynch to direct The Elephant Man, and what convinced him Lynch was the right choice?
Stuart Cornfeld urged Brooks to see Lynch’s film Eraserhead. Brooks was impressed by its beautiful, black-and-white style. Meeting Lynch at Bob’s Big Boy, Brooks found him genuine and savvy. Lynch’s understanding of the outsider theme matched Brooks’s own interests, and after story conferences where Lynch bonded with the writers, Brooks hired him despite his lack of commercial experience.
What was Brooks’s philosophy as a producer, and how did it affect the making of The Elephant Man?
Brooks’s philosophy was to give talented people room to express their vision without micromanaging. He wanted to create a space where writers and directors could thrive, drawing on his own negative experiences with heavy-handed producers. For The Elephant Man, this meant supporting David Lynch’s creative choices, such as casting and script changes, even when the director was unproven.

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