mel brook write this base on his experience work a a junior comedy writer on sid caesar your show of show . the first time i saw this movie i laugh from begin to end . mark lynn baker play the benji stone ( the young brook ) whose real name be stoneberg . he have the right innocence for role . he give a great performance . but this movie be peter otoole . he play a large then life earol flynn character . he be drunk and about to be throw out of the country by the irs . he teach young stone the difference between the man and the star and and how stardom sometimes overtake the man own identity . one of high point of the movie be when baker take otoole have dinner in his mother apartment in brooklyn . otoole also coach baker on get the girl of his dream and play by jessica harper . one of the great scene have mark lynn baker try to teach harper how to tell a joke . all this take place with the backdrop of late 1950 television . a time where tv be still a novelty . every scene make you at least smile and and most make you laugh out loud . richard benjiman show great skill a a director even though this one of his early film . i guess all those year a an actor pay off behind the camera as well .