Mel Brooks’ brilliantly funny Cary Grant story remains one of the best chat show clips of all time

Poke Staff. Updated February 11th, 2025

98-year-old comedian, writer, director and actor Mel Brooks has been responsible for some genuine classics of the comedy world, such as Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and the hilarious Hitchcock spoof, High Anxiety.

He’s also one of the best chat show guests a presenter could wish to book, and this 1991 clip from an episode of Saturday Night Clive, with Clive James, shows why.

Even Cary Grant was probably starstruck meeting Mel Brooks, to be fair.

When James Leighton shared the story, back in 2023, it went down a storm.

1.

THIS IS HOW YOU TELL A STORY! https://t.co/uT5t4ZuWEb

— David W. Eisen (@IsraelTechLaw) February 6, 2023

2.

Good morning! Great way to start your day: the great #MelBrooks telling a long and delicious story about doing lunch with the most unforgettable elegant movie star ever #CaryGrant EnJOY! https://t.co/jYs4OYJ1Lt

— Robin Strasser (@robinstrasser) February 5, 2023

3.

Great story from a very funny man https://t.co/b7GxwPZATg

— Grantlee Kieza OAM (@Grantlee_Kieza) January 25, 2023

4.

🤣🤣🤣👍 pic.twitter.com/UzB2t2y5ZR

— Gidgit VonLaRue (@GidgitVonLaRue) January 26, 2023

5.

Even Mel Brooks skipping is hilarious.

— StephenCH 🇺🇦💉 (@harlamb) January 26, 2023

6.

Brilliant yarn https://t.co/PL2pqTHzlj

— Jarvis (@JarvoB) January 26, 2023

7.

Good for Mel bro. Miss the homie pic.twitter.com/xFIeKSaVoV

— Shawn Cook (@RealShawnCook) February 5, 2023

We’d all love to have been a fly on the wall of any Mel Brooks film set, but these bloopers from Young Frankenstein make us think that was the place to be.