Gene Wilder

That was just improvised.

It wasn't improvised.

He just said, say what, knockers.

And it worked.

What knockers.

Now, I'm thinking you and Mel Brooks, you're both Jewish, but you're from very different parts of the United States and probably had different experiences growing up because he's very East Coast, very New York, very Borscht Belt.

And you grew up, was it Milwaukee?

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Yeah, so, I mean, didn't have the Borscht Belt.

No, no, no.

Probably didn't know vaudeville as well as he did.

No, and don't say as well.

I didn't know it at all.

I'd read about a few things, but that's all.

So what were some of the points of commonality and difference between the two of you and your sense of theater and showbiz?

Well, when I was still in school and I saw your show of shows, which was my favorite television show with Sid Caesar, Mel Brooks was one of the writers.

At first, he started out as...

low man on the totem pole until he advanced to head writer.

But I had a feeling for what he had written.

I wasn't sure if I was right.