Mel Brooks: Hollywood Honours Star Producer

Robert DeNiro and Morgan Freeman were among a host of Hollywood stars who paid tribute to veteran film maker Mel Brooks at a special dinner.

DeNiro and Freeman - who jokingly pointed out they had not been lucky enough to work with the great producer - were among the stars at the American Film Institute's 41st Life Achievement Awards, held in Los Angeles.

Actor and comedian Martin Short opened the programme with a song-and-dance routine set to a string of melodies from Brooks' films, which included Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein and The Producers.

"The word genius is used a lot in Hollywood, so I might as well call Mel one," Short said.

Billy Crystal, Amy Poehler, Sarah Silverman, Conan O'Brien, Jimmy Kimmel, Cloris Leachman, David Lynch, Larry David and Carl Reiner were at the good-humoured private dinner at the Dolby Theatre for the 86-year-old.

"We are going to miss you so much, Mel," Kimmel joked. "You were one of the greats. Rest in peace, my friend."

David blamed Brooks for his idle years as an aspiring comedian.

"Mel Brooks didn't get me into comedy, he kept me away from it," David said, recalling how he was intimidated by Brooks' talent. "I spent years doing nothing because of him."

Past recipients of the AFI honour include Elizabeth Taylor, Kirk Douglas, Clint Eastwood, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese, who presented Brooks with his award.

Scorsese put the Oscar and Tony-winning talent in the same category as the Marx Brothers, Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello.

"Mel has made his own tradition of greatness, and it's that tradition - drawing from the past, honouring it, toying with it, vamping on it, extending it to places wise men, very funny men previously feared to go - that's what we're celebrating here and honouring tonight," Scorsese said.

"Mel has always made his own way, and he brought us all along for the joyride."

Brooks was almost all comedy as he claimed his prize insisting: "I'm not gonna die."

But he also showed his serious side as he thanked the institute for the award and for sharing his lifelong love of film.

"Movies saved my life," he said. "They rescued my soul. No matter what was bad or wrong, it could be wiped out on Saturday morning."