Mel Brooks served as an uncredited producer on David Lynch's film 'The Elephant Man' because he didn't want people to assume it was a lighthearted comedy.

Mel Brooks got his start in comedy by accidentally flubbing a scene in a play and turning it into a fourth-wall-breaking joke, something that would later become a hallmark of his humor.

Check out a list of some of the best Mel Brooks films, from 'The Producers' and 'History of the World' to 'Spaceballs' and 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights.'

Watch some of the best scenes from Mel Brooks' films, including 'Young Frankenstein,' 'Spaceballs,' 'Robin Hood: Men in Tights,' and more.

Mel Brooks became an EGOT winner in 2001, meaning he's been awarded an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar, and a Tony.

Mel Brooks got his first big break in 1950 as a writer on Sid Caesar's 'Your Show of Shows,' a pioneering TV variety show.

George Lucas gave Mel Brooks his blessing to release his 'Star Wars' parody 'Spaceballs,' though he had one condition: 'Spaceballs' could not sell merchandise.

What it means to call something 'Lynchian'

David Lynch was one of American cinema's most influential directors. He brought a singular, unsettling vision to the silver screen. Critics, however, have trouble pinning down what it means when other artists try to recreate that vision. This essay untangles his influence, tracing the word "Lynchian" back to its earliest utterances and attempting to define a notoriously slippery term.

Mel Brooks served in World War II, including a stint clearing landmines at the Battle of the Bulge.

Mel Brooks wanted Richard Pryor, then a relatively fresh stand-up comic, to star in 1974's 'Blazing Saddles,' but Warner Bros worried that he was not reliable enough for a leading role.

‘Twin Peaks’ was David Lynch’s ode to the soap opera

In the 1980s, David Lynch was primarily known as the director of art films like “Eraserhead” and “Blue Velvet.” But “Twin Peaks,” his primetime ABC show with writer Mark Frost, was a take on the soap opera, leaning into the genre’s tropes: stilted dialogue, affairs, missing person, and melodrama.

Jim Henson's 1986 film 'Labyrinth,' an attempt to break out of children's entertainment, was initially a commercial failure in the US, though it slowly gained an audience that now considers it a cult classic.

Mel Brooks said that learning how to drum as a kid taught him important rules about comedy, including how to structure a joke.

Brooks' Broadway adaptation of 'The Producers' was a massive hit when it debuted in 2001, and broke a record for most Tony wins.

B-movie king Roger Corman mentored many of the star directors of 1970s Hollywood, including Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, and Ron Howard.

Watch the 1956 film adaptation of 'Moby-Dick,' cowritten by sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury.

An original review of the 1987 parody 'Spaceballs'

On June 24, 1987, Mel Brooks launched "Spaceballs" in theaters—a comedy starring Bill Pullman, John Candy, and Rick Moranis that spoofed the "Star Wars" trilogy and sci-fi tropes in general. The movie has remained a cult classic ever since. Read the Hollywood Reporter's original review of the film here.

'Labyrinth' initially flopped

The fantasy movie, directed by Henson and starring David Bowie, exited theaters less than a month after its release. Later, though, the movie would become a cult classic and would inspire many writers and artists to create similarly whimsical worlds.

Hitchcock regularly made cameos in his own films

Long before Tarantino was born, Hitchcock was casting himself in his movies’ bit parts, allowing careful audience members to find the director walking through the fictional world he’d created. The history behind that decision was an accident.

Joaquin Phoenix's bizarre 2009 interview on Letterman was part of an elaborate performance

The actor appeared humorless and pouty in the late-night appearance. Host Dave Letterman seemed put off by his guest's behavior, but poked fun at him throughout the interview. Phoenix later returned and revealed he was playing a part in a mockumentary called "I’m Still Here," which satirized celebrity culture.

The Coen brothers imagined 'O Brother Where Art Thou?' as a retelling of 'The Odyssey,' though neither had actually read Homer's epic.

Watch 'Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse,' the documentary about Francis Ford Coppola's notorious production behind 'Apocalypse Now,' shot by Coppola's wife, Eleanor.

Jim Henson and his Muppets were part of the first season of 'Saturday Night Live' because NBC was hoping to tamp down Lorne Michaels' countercultural plans for the show.

Before 'SNL,' producer Lorne Michaels was a performer

Michaels was a costar on "The Hart and Lorne Terrific Hour," a popular show on the Canadian network CBC. As these clips show, it was a standard variety show, something Michaels would intentionally react against with "SNL."

The FBI was thrilled with 'The Silence of the Lambs' and its portrayal of the agency

The film's ultimate purpose was to terrify, but the FBI made it clear that they appreciated the accurate, professional portrayals of its agents. "It never hurts to see the organization we all care about and know to be good well-depicted on the big screen," special agent Walter B. Stowe, Jr., wrote in a letter to director Jonathan Demme.

The Beatles tried to get the rights to make a 'Lord of the Rings' film starring the band members as Gollum, Frodo, Gandalf, and Samwise.

Stephen King is drawn to horror's childish power

This 1986 appearance promoting King's directorial debut finds him reflecting on what makes horror, which he says is its ability to strip away pretense, reducing supposedly sophisticated people to terrified children. He also seems to have already soured on the movie business, calling filmmaking "a primitive way to create," a not-so-subtle dig at Stanley Kubrick's adaptation of "The Shining," which notoriously disappointed King.

Jim Henson and his creative team constructed several optical illusions to make the Muppets appear as though they walked through the real world.

10 films that influenced Alfred Hitchcock

Hitchcock influenced generations of filmmakers who came after him, but this article focuses on the films that influenced the master himself. Among the titles on the list are Lyman Howe’s “A Ride on a Runaway Train,” which allegedly inspired the sexually charged ending of “North by Northwest,” and Henri-Georges Clouzot’s “Les Diaboliques,” which many people believe is responsible for the pivotal shower scene from “Psycho.”

Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 film 'Spellbound,' starring Ingrid Bergman, features a surreal scene designed by Salvador Dalí.

Francis Ford Coppola spent years trying to adapt Jack Kerouac's Beat Generation novel 'On the Road' but ultimately handed it off to another filmmaker.

Eddie Murphy saved ‘SNL’ from getting canceled in the early '80s

A young Eddie Murphy kept "Saturday Night Live" afloat during the years Lorne Michaels left the show by turning even the most pedestrian material into something revelatory. Eventually, he pursued a wildly successful acting and stand-up career.

'Moby-Dick' was inspired by a real whale named Mocha Dick.

The studio behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled its promotion before the film's national release, looking to cut its losses.

Francis Ford Coppola once directed an episode of 'SNL' featuring experimental composer Philip Glass as musical guest.

Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, the stars of 'Casablanca,' bonded over how little they thought of 'Casablanca.'

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1896 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered special effects.

'The Empire Strikes Back' was influenced by Francis Ford Coppola's 'Apocalypse Now,' a movie George Lucas was originally supposed to direct.

Watch Francis Ford Coppola's debut feature film, the low-budget horror movie 'Dementia 13.'