Argyle Square

 

It’s hard to imagine an odder Hollywood couple than Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft. Anne was by every definition a serious actress. She won awards for her roles on stage and screen, in works like The Graduate and The Miracle Worker. Mel achieved fame for being anything but serious, with films like The Producers, Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, and TV shows like Get Smart. Mel attended a rehearsal for the Perry Como show in 1961, and Anne was guest star. She sang a solo, and he leapt to his feet, applauding wildly. He shouted, “Anne Bancroft, I LOVE YOU!” He was surprised to learn she was a fan of his work, too. He stalked her for weeks before he worked up the courage to ask her out. They were children of immigrant parents, raised in NYC. It was a second marriage for both of them, but it was also (most likely) their last.