Mel Brooks directs himself, Dom DeLuise and Marty Feldman in this Hollywood slapstick satire about a washed up director trying to make a silent movie. 

A torrent of visual jokes – some inspired, some reverential, some in bad taste, some dated cameos. About 20% land, which isn’t a bad hit rate, better than any comedy released this summer and none of those are this ambitious. The enjoyment picks up when Bernadette Peters arrives in the last act, her nightclub honeytrap with a secret heart of gold is captivating.

5