An honest-to-God silent movie from co-writer-director-star Mel Brooks, who mugs like a rubber man throughout and encourages his co-stars to mug outrageously, too. Once Brooks got a taste of success (via the western parody "Blazing Saddles" and his monster-movie homage "Young Frankenstein", both in 1974), he couldn't help trying to top himself. This slapstick shtick, propelled by John Morris' insanely jolly score, has enough funny jokes (on title cards) and celebrity cameos to make it just tolerable, but portions of it are deadly (and when a visual joke bombs, the accompanying title card follows suit). The plot has Brooks, Marty Feldman and Dom DeLuise casting movie stars for their next film project, a silent movie. Burt Reynolds has the best segment (and gets the biggest laugh with a shower gag), but Paul Newman, Liza Minnelli and James Caan have lousy material. Anne Bancroft (Mrs. Mel Brooks) survives, as does the famous mime, Marcel Marceau, who gets a witty chuckle by uttering the film's one line of dialogue: "No!" Bernadette Peters (perhaps standing in for Brooks stable-player Madeline Kahn) gives the proceedings some bounce, but 'scene stealer' Mel is all waving hands and toothy grins. You can't escape him--not that the co-writer-director-star would want you to. ** from ****
Review of Silent Movie
