It wouldn't do to let the day pass without noting Mel Brooks' birthday. Born June 28, 1926, Mel turns 77 today. Woo-hoo!

It's tough to pick ONE funniest movie from his catalog. In the last couple of years his first movie, The Producers has been in the ascendency because of the Broadway version. Zero Mostel romancing the old women does rate pretty high. Most importantly, for pure comic wrongness, you really can't beat Springtime for Hitler.

On the other hand, for a farmboy raised on maybe one too damned many cheesy Westerns, I may have to pick Blazing Saddles. The de-construction at the end as they find themselves fighting their way out of the old West onto a Hollywood movie set was just brilliant.

Then, of course, there is Young Frankenstein. Thank god for "Abbie Normal" providing the brain. Mr. Brooks obviously is most Abbie Normal.

One thing we should all be able to agree on, however: Mel Brooks is the funniest sumbitch to ever make a movie. As Mel said, "It's good to be the king."