Review: In memoir, it's good to be comedy king Mel Brooks

“All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business” by Mel Brooks (Ballantine)

Bagels and Nova Scotia lox for the writing team’s breakfast while punching up the script for “Blazing Saddles.” Earl Grey tea and English digestive biscuits while developing Gene Wilder’s idea for “Young Frankenstein.” Cottage cheese topped with fruit while hashing out yet another writer’s pitch for “Silent Movie.”

Besides an uncanny memory for food, Mel Brooks has the skill of an alchemist turning the base metal of others’ ideas into comedy treasure. But the lead comes before the gold. With the notable exception of “The Producers,” Brooks’ greatest hits have been a team effort that usually began as a nugget in someone else’s mind.

In his new memoir “All About Me!” the unmatched self-promoter, now 95, generously shares the credit... most of the time. Look elsewhere to hear a different side of the Mel Brooks story — some of his collaborators have grumbled about being elbowed aside as he grabbed all the glory he could. The same goes for his personal life — his first marriage is barely noted in spite of three children and years of litigation — and anything else that might cast a shadow on the beloved funny man.

As advertised, “All About Me!” is a narrowly focused celebration of a poor Jewish kid who grew up from Brooklyn street corner jokester to become synonymous with hearty laughter and naughty chuckles. It’s a surprisingly gentle remembrance from a comedian known for mocking anything considered sacred in America.

The entertainment world was an escape for Melvin Kaminsky, the youngest of four brothers whose father died when Melvin was 2 and whose mother worked hard to get enough pennies for a movie ticket. His stint at a Catskills resort as a clownish teen (contrasted with harrowing months...