After a Blazing Saddles post in June and another one in August, I wouldn't be surprised if some of you readers groaned at the title of this blog post. But I assure you, this one is worth the quick read.
You see, I was admiring the signature that Mr. Burton Gilliam had put on a few of the multi-player Blazing Saddles custom cards I'd created. . .
. . . And I figured I'd try sending one of the copies back out for a second autograph.
Sadly, Slim Pickens passed away in 1983, and Harvey Korman left us in 2008. However, the one and only Melvin James Kaminsky (a.k.a. Mel Brooks) is still going at 97 years young!
I found a fairly reliable business address, chose a card that already contained an extra-sharp Burton Gilliam signature, and put together an envelope with the following:
- A copy of the card
- A receipt for a small donation I made to a charity Mr. Brooks has been known to support
- A self-addressed stamped envelope
- A brief note of thanks
And then I waited. Based on other intel, it seemed like I might be waiting for a long time. And it made sense. You'd have to wonder if Mr. Brooks was spending much time signing autographs from day to day.
Fast-forward about three months, and I received my answer:
The self-addressed stamped envelope appeared in my mailbox!
The question was, would the card even be inside? And if so, would it reveal a Mel Brooks autograph? Or would the envelope perhaps only contain a note saying that Mr. Brooks doesn't sign through the mail?
Knowing that the photo of Brooks playing Gov. William J. Le Petomane was at the top right, I opened the envelope and slowly revealed the card, from bottom to top.
Halfway up the card, I had my answer.
It was an autograph! And a sharp one at that. Here's a close-up.
I'm hopeful that it's authentic. Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not sure how much time Mr. Brooks is spending on a typical day to sign photos and other memorabilia. There are various versions of his signature posted online too, so it's hard to know what really appears on this card. There's also the possibility that some of his autograph signing has been delegated to a signature machine, or something like that.
Regardless, even the smallest chance that a legend of film like Mr. Brooks actually read my note, saw the custom card, and signed it (and maybe even got a kick out of it!) is good enough for me.
As for the man himself, Mel Brooks has certainly led an incredible life. Actor, director, producer, entertainer. History of the World Part I, Blazing Saddles, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights are probably my top three Mel Brooks films. Young Frankenstein is great, too.
But most impressive to me is that Mr. Brooks enlisted in the US Army when he was 17 years old, became a Combat Engineer, was sent to Europe, and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. There are a couple of great interviews and documentaries about him available, if you'd like to learn more.
So that's that. Another autograph on the custom card. Safe to say it's become my most prized custom so far. Thanks for reading, everyone.
PS: For an extra laugh, look up Joseph Pujol, the original Mr. Le Petomane, and discover what peculiar talent he had.
No comments:
Post a Comment