In the annals of film history, few directors are as closely associated with comedy as Mel Brooks. Throughout his career, he has shown a keen understanding of the conventions of genre, which is why so many of his most well-regarded films are themselves spoofs of genre, whether it’s the Western in Blazing Saddles or science fiction in Spaceballs.
The cast and crew of the latter - including the late, great John Candy - have been particularly vocal in their recollections about the film, sharing many behind-the-scenes tales that help enrich and deepen viewers’ appreciation of its zanily funny comedy and the unique genius of Brooks.
- Photo:
The mark of a truly great comedy film is the ability of its cast to make everything appear intentional. In some ways, comedy is more difficult to master than drama, for a comedic actor must always be mindful of performing in a way that engenders laughter in the audience. The humor of Spaceballs is all the more extraordinary considering the extent to which the cast was often encouraged to improvise their lines.
Michael Winslow, who portrayed a radar technician, had this to say about the process of filming:
Improvisation was the rule of the day... If a line didn’t work, we would attack it head on and create something else. If the writers couldn’t come up with it in reasonable time, Mel and cast would hash it out in real time. There’s no time to wait when it comes to comedy timing.
Cool story?- Photo:
John Candy was among the most talented comedic actors of his generation. He was already a rising star by the time he appeared in Spaceballs as the character Barf, and he brought his own lovable, almost frantic, comedic touch to the role. In his own telling, he also worked well with Mel Brooks, in particular because the latter was very willing to let actors give input on the making of the film:
He’s very approachable in a work situation and he listens to your suggestions and guides you through a scene. He gives you directions you wouldn't normally think of. It’s what makes him Mel Brooks.
The smooth and functional relationship between Brooks and his cast contributed to the film’s success as a ribald comedy and sci-fi spoof.
Cool story?- Photo:
Although she is now most famous for her role on the TV series Melrose Place, for much of the 1980s, Daphne Zuniga was a staple in a variety of films of many genres, ranging from science fiction to horror to comedy. In Spaceballs, she plays Princess Vespa, a sendup of Princess Leia from Star Wars. In the years since, Zuniga has spoken positively about her experience working on the film, and in particular of Brooks’s comedic vision.
Referring to his childlike approach to the film and its comedy, she remarked: “His humor is like that. It’s very silly. It’s very… remedial in many ways… It brings that out in all of you, in all of us… I think there’s something that’s so sort of you, it’s not cerebral.”
Zuniga went on to explain how Brooks helped the cast get into a healthier headspace: “He’s not cerebral, where we as adults can get so in our heads about things.”
Cool story?- Photo:
Throughout her career, Joan Rivers showed herself to be a giant of comedy. She's also demonstrated an ability to perform in a wide variety of genres. In Spaceballs, she provides the voice for Dot Matrix, a send-up of the classic droid C-3PO from Star Wars. In fact, her voicework is a key part of the character’s appeal.
In subsequent interviews, Rivers shed light on the process behind bringing this character to life. While at first she wasn’t asked to appear in the film, she recalled:
Suddenly one day I get a call and they say, “would you come in and do some voice-overs for Mel Brooks?” And I said, “sure.” I walked in and there is the whole movie, done. And I had to move my voice and dub in to the lips. But again, let me tell you why he's wonderful, because he gave me my script and we did the whole thing exactly as was written. And then he said, “go back and do anything you want.” And he encouraged that. And that's so great.
The two professionals clearly worked well together, and Rivers deserves recognition for not only being willing to appear in the film after the fact, but also for giving her all to the role.
Cool story?- Photo:
5Bill Pullman Said John Candy Had His Back So Much That Candy Even Gave Him Some Extra Lines
Working on a film set can often bring out the worst in people, particularly because making a movie often involves big egos. While there was some of this on the set of Spaceballs, there was also an undeniable bond between actors Bill Pullman and John Candy. In fact, as Pullman has noted in several interviews, Candy was one of the people who most had his back, to such an extent he was actually willing to go to bat for Pullman, even if doing so meant coming into conflict with Brooks himself:
John was feeling that, as scripted, most of the funny lines were being given to Barf, and he suggested I might take one of the wisecracks. A certain silence suddenly dominated the sound stage. Mel paused. Now Mel had been, and would continue to be, as generous as any director that I’ve ever worked with. But something about the circumstances made him want to use his metaphorical light saber.
Though there were a few subsequent tense moments, it ultimately worked out: Brooks forgave the infringement on his authority, and Pullman never forgot his debt to Candy.
Cool story?- Photo:
Film sets can often be difficult places to work, given the enormous pressures inherent in the craft of filmmaking and, of course, the amount of money involved. The latter was of particular concern to actor George Wyner, who noted in an interview how much fun the cast and crew had:
I thought Mel was gonna get mad. I thought, you know, costing a lot of film here. We keep ruining takes. But Mel was laughing harder than anybody… and that’s why I think Spaceballs works. We laughed more making that film than people laugh watching it - as much as they laugh!
In fact, as Brooks himself remarked in the same documentary, he's the type of director who truly enjoys laughter on the set. In fact, the obvious joy the cast and crew experienced during the process makes its way into the final product. As a film, Spaceballs demonstrates how much fun comedy can be to both make and watch.
Cool story?- Photo:
Throughout his decades-long career in Hollywood, Mel Brooks has shown a distinctive comedic sensibility. In fact, his willingness to court controversy has become a key part of his directorial vision. He has also been open about the extent to which he enjoyed working on his various projects, including Spaceballs.
“It was a joy to come to the set on Spaceballs. In addition to the fun I had with John Candy and Rick Moranis I got to once again work with my friend Dom DeLuise,” Brooks said. He also spoke in glowing terms about Joan Rivers (calling her “incomparable”) and was particularly pleased about getting John Hurt to make a cameo in the film, a fitting homage to his appearance in Alien.
Cool story?- Photo:
Like so many of Mel Brooks’s films, Spaceballs often possesses a sort of ludic energy, with characters who exhibit the broad sort of comedy for which the writer/director is rightly famous. In Spaceballs, for example, there's the unsubtly named Prince Valium, a royal who happens to be a narcoleptic. However, there's a certain irony here, because Jim J. Bullock, who portrayed Valium, was a bundle of energy during filming:
People thought I was on drugs. And I really wasn't on drugs. I just had this energy. It was unbridled. And I couldn’t control it, and it worked, and I managed, but oftentimes it worked to my disadvantage in the fact that I couldn’t focus and I couldn’t land and I couldn’t ground myself. I would just be bouncing all over the walls.
Cool story?- Photo:
Throughout the 1980s and into the '90s, Rick Moranis demonstrated his considerable comedic talents. He had an uncanny knack for capturing the absurdity of life, particularly through his everyman persona. In Spaceballs, he plays the bratty villain Dark Helmet. As humorous as he could be on-screen, however, he was also well-known for his antics behind the camera.
On the last day of shooting, he told a joke to George Wyner - who portrayed Colonel Sandurz - which broke his attention and messed up the shoot. In Moranis's own telling, when Wyner asked him if he was going to take the helmet home with him, he waited until right before the cameras were rolling to say, “Yes, I’ll have to reserve the bulkhead.”
In his typical self-deprecating fashion, Moranis went on to say, “Of course the take was completely messed up and poor George - I mean it was an OK joke, pretty mediocre joke - but the cruelty of my putting it right before the action call. It was a wonderful way to end the shoot.” As is often the case with Mel Brooks flicks, the filming was often as funny as the film itself.
Cool story?- Photo:
10Nick McLean Said The Only Thing He Disliked Was The Time Of Day Filming Began
While actors are often the source of the best behind-the-scenes commentary, cinematographers and other talent can also shed important light on the making of a particular film. In an interview with Newsweek, cinematographer Nick McLean (at right, center) spoke about many things, including his friendship with John Candy and the fact he had never actually watched Star Wars all the way through (even though Spaceballs was in part a parody of George Lucas’s iconic movie).
McLean enjoyed working on Spaceballs, but he did have some complaints about Mel Brooks’s sense of time. In the same interview, McLean stated: “The only thing I didn't like was that Mel, being from the East Coast, liked to come in late and work late. I like to get up early and shoot and get out of there as quickly as possible. He changed stuff at the drop of a hat.”
Cool story?- Photo:
It wasn’t a tremendous success at the time of its release, but Spaceballs is still notable for bringing actor Bill Pullman to a larger audience. In subsequent interviews, he has shown himself full of interesting anecdotes about the filming of the irreverent space flick. In particular, he noted the struggles some of the cast had in the face of a prevalent belief in the supposed danger of the blue screen.
In fact, cast members often wore sunglasses to protect their eyes. However, this practice soon proved too difficult to sustain, because, as Pullman related, “it was so hard to work the comedy in between takes when everybody was wearing sunglasses." As is often the case, filming carries some challenges that need to be overcome through on-the-ground experience.
Cool story?
