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Blazing Saddles

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Blazing Saddles
File:Blazingsaddlesdvdcover.gif
Blazing Saddles DVD Cover
Directed byMel Brooks
Written byAndrew Bergman (story)
Mel Brooks
Norman Steinberg
Andrew Bergman
Richard Pryor
Alan Uger (screenplay)
Produced byMichael Hertzberg
StarringCleavon Little
Gene Wilder
Harvey Korman
CinematographyJoseph F. Biroc
Edited byDanford B. Greene
John C. Howard
Music byMel Brooks
John Morris
Distributed byWarner Bros.
Release dates
February 7, 1974
LanguagesEnglish
Yiddish
Budget$2.6 million USD

Blazing Saddles is a Warner Bros. 1974 comedy directed by Mel Brooks and starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. The film was written (in what Brooks called Your Show of Shows-style) by a team of writers, namely Brooks, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger; it was based on Bergman's story and draft. Brooks appears in multiple supporting roles, including Governor Le Petomane and a Yiddish-speaking Indian Chief. Slim Pickens, Alex Karras, David Huddleston, and Brooks regulars Dom DeLuise, Madeline Kahn and Harvey Korman are also featured. Musician Count Basie has a cameo.

The film is an over-the-top parody of the Western film genre, in addition to being an intelligent satire about racism. It is also considered as one of the forerunners of gross-out films that proliferated since the success of Animal House.

Plot summary

Template:Spoiler The story is set in the Southwest United States in 1874 (though it is filled with deliberately anachronistic references to the 1970s). Construction on a new railroad runs into quicksand; the route has to be changed, which will cause it to be built near Rock Ridge, a frontier town where everyone has the last name of "Johnson". State Attorney General Hedley Lamarr (played by Korman) — not to be confused, as he often is in the film, with Hedy Lamarr — wants to buy the land along the new railroad route cheaply, but first has to cause the townspeople to leave. He sends a gang of thugs, led by Pickens's character, to scare them away, prompting the townsfolk to demand that the Governor appoint a new sheriff. The Attorney General convinces the dim-witted governor (Brooks) to appoint Bart (Little), an African American railroad worker, as the new sheriff. He believes that this will so offend the townspeople they will either abandon the town or lynch the new sheriff.

With his quick wits and the assistance of an alcoholic former gunslinger Jim (Wilder), "The Waco Kid" ("I must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille!"), Bart begins to overcome the hostile reception. He defeats Mongo (Karras), an immensely strong subhuman sent by Pickens, then resists the seductions of wily temptress-for-hire Lili von Shtupp (Kahn), before inspiring the townfolk to lure Lamarr's small army of thugs into an ambush.

The resulting fight between the townsfolk and the gunfighters is so devastating that it even breaks the fourth wall; the fight spills out from the westerns lot in the Warner Brothers Studios and manages to destroy a musical set before culminating in a cream pie fight in the studio canteen. As with all westerns, however, it cheerfully ends with the good guys defeating the bad guy, rescuing the town, catching the end of the movie, persuading people of all colors and creeds to live in harmony and, finally, riding off into a beautiful sunset (although Bart and Jim quickly swap their horses for a limousine) – in that order.

Template:Endspoiler

Themes and motifs

The movie uses some outrageously racist themes, but in a self-aware manner that successfully manages to mock racism itself. The racist individuals in the movie are quite possibly the dumbest people on earth; stupid enough, for instance, to fall for Bart holding himself hostage until he gets to safety. No ethnic group is spared from satirical barbs. At one point, David Huddleston's character grudgingly concedes to some railroad workers: "All right, we'll give some land to the niggers and the chinks. But we don't want the Irish!" Although to be fair, he did not use a racial epithet to refer to the Irish. After a vocal outcry, he then lets everyone, including the Irish, have land.

One of the film's most famous scenes is of a group of cowboys sitting round a fire eating plates of beans; for the entire scene the soundtrack plays loud evidence of the most notorious side effect of beans.

Actor Role
Mel Brooks Gov. William J. Le Petomane / Indian chief
Carol DeLuise Harriett Johnson
Dom DeLuise Buddy Bizarre
Liam Dunn Rev. Johnson
George Furth Van Johnson
Burton Gilliam Lyle
John Hillerman Howard Johnson
David Huddleston Olson Johnson
Madeline Kahn Lili Von Shtupp
Alex Karras Mongo
Harvey Korman Hedley Lamarr
Cleavon Little Bart
Slim Pickens Taggart
Jack Starrett Gabby Johnson
Gene Wilder Jim "The Waco Kid"

Awards

The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, including one for Kahn for a Dietrich-like portrayal of the "Teutonic Titwillow" and one for the film's title song, co-written by Brooks and performed with complete sincerity by Frankie Laine. (There was no nomination for Harvey Korman) In 2000, the American Film Institute listed Blazing Saddles as #6 on its list of the all-time funniest American films. Also in 2000, readers of Total Film magazine voted it the 9th greatest comedy film of all time.

1975 Academy Awards (Oscars)

1975 BAFTA Film Awards

1975 Writers Guild of America Awards

Trivia

  • Brooks wanted Richard Pryor to play the sheriff's role given to Little, but the studio objected because of Pryor's perceived vulgarity (Pryor's comedy routines contained numerous obscenities, sexist remarks, and comments which some thought would be perceived as outright racist if they had come from a white man). Warner execs also expressed concern about Pryor's reliability, because of his heavy drug use at the time. Pryor was, however, hired as one of the film's screenwriters.
  • When the original title (Tex X) was turned down by the studio because it sounded like the title of a blaxploitation film, Brooks next choice was Black Bart. Although that name also was not used, it became name of a television pilot based on the film (produced without Brooks's participation). That pilot is included on the 30th anniversary DVD release of Blazing Saddles.
  • Hedy Lamarr sued Warner Bros. for the unauthorized use of her name; an out-of-court settlement was reached. Prophetically, in the movie, the Governor calls his right-hand man "Hedy" to his face, and Lamarr sheepishly corrects him: "Hed-LEY". He answers, "What the hell are you worried about? This is 1874, you'll be able to sue her!"
  • Brooks didn't tell Laine that the movie was planned as a comedy, and was frankly embarrassed by how much heart Laine put into singing the title song, which was nominated for a "Best Song" Oscar (music by John Morris, with lyrics by Brooks). After that, Brooks couldn't bear to tell Laine the truth.
  • Gene Wilder's future wife Gilda Radner appears as a townswoman in the church scene.
  • Blazing Saddles also offers a rare look into the Warner backlot, with scenes spilling off the Laramie Street set into various stages and eventually out of Gate 3 onto Olive Blvd. in Burbank, CA.
  • The film contained two notable alumni of the University of Iowa: accomplished actor Gene Wilder as Jim (The Waco Kid), and Alex Karras, the NFL lineman playing Mongo.
  • Dom Deluise has a bit part as a Busby Berkeley-esque director, as does his wife, making one of her only film appreances as one of the townsfolk.
  • The movie was the first Hollywood film to have a character apparently pass wind on-screen.
  • Legendary Western star John Wayne was approached by Mel Brooks to be in the film, for the role played by Slim Pickens. After reading the script he said "I can't be in this picture, it's too dirty...but I'll be the first in line to see it."
  • The film was popular enough to warrant the development of a television series pilot, available on the DVD edition of the film.
  • Mel Brooks originally wanted Gene Wilder to play the role of Hedley Lamarr. Wilder expressed a preference for playing the Waco Kid, but Brooks had already cast veteran actor Gig Young in the role. However, the first day of shooting was the scene where the new sheriff Bart first meets the Waco Kid in jail. This scene involves the Kid being suspended upside down for a considerable time, and Young reacted adversely to this position, becoming violently sick, and was unable to finish the scene. In desperation, Brooks called Wilder, who agreed on the spot to play the Waco Kid, flying across country the same night to reshoot the scene immediately on his arrival. Supposedly, Cleavon Little's half of the scene is mostly from the takes he did with Young.
  • There is a fair amount of profanity in the film, but in the scene where Lamarr slaps Lili he calls her a "Teutonic twat!". This is highly unusual in that twat is scarcely used in U.S. films. (Nor, for that matter, is Teutonic). However, this alliteration dovetails nicely with his earlier comment to Taggart, "You provincial putz!"

Quotes

  • Sheriff Bart: Are we awake?
Jim (Waco Kid): We're not sure... are we black?
Sheriff Bart: Yes, we are.
Jim (Waco Kid): Then we're awake... but we're very puzzled.
  • Jim (Waco Kid): My name is Jim, but most people call me... Jim.
  • Sheriff Bart: Mornin', ma'am! And isn't it a lovely mornin'?
Old Woman: Up yours, nigger!
Jim (Waco Kid): (consoling Bart after the above exchange) What did you expect? "Welcome, sonny"? "Make yourself at home"? "Marry my daughter"? You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers... these are people of the land... the common clay of the New West. You know – morons.
  • Le Petomane: Work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work...

(La Petomane leans over to his busty secretary and talks into her exposed cleavage.)

Hello, boys! Have a good night's rest? I missed you!
  • Mongo: Sheriff first man ever whip Mongo. Mongo impressed! Have deep feelings for Sheriff Bart!
Jim (Waco Kid): (to Bart) Aww, I think Mongo's taken a little fancy to you!
Mongo: (laughing and giving both a bashful look) Nawww! Mongo straight!
  • Mongo: Mongo only pawn in game of life...
  • Lili von Shtupp: (in pitch black room with Sheriff Bart) So...is it twue what they say about how you people are... gifted? (noise of zipper being undone) Oh, it's twue...it's twue...it's TWUE!

(Portion deleted from script) Bart: Begging your pardon, Ms, Shtupp... but you're sucking on my elbow.

Bart: (hours later) Baby, please! I am not from Havana!
  • Hedley Lamarr: I want rustlers, cutthroats, murderers, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswagglers, horse thieves, bull dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, shit-kickers and Methodists!
Taggart: *finally gets a notebook and pen* Can you repeat that again, sir?
  • Lamarr: (interviewing a thug) Qualifications?
Thug: Rape, murder, arson, and rape.
Lamarr: You said "rape" twice.
Thug: I like rape!
  • Lamarr: Chewing gum in line? I hope you brought enough for everybody!
Thug: I didn't know there was gonna be so many...

(Lamarr promptly shoots him dead.)

Jim (Waco Kid): Boy, is he strict!
  • Jim (Waco Kid): (antagonizing Klansmen) Hey, boys! Look what I got here!
Bart: Hey, where are the white women at?
  • Lamarr: Qualifications?
Bart (disguised as Klansman): Stampeding cattle.
Lamarr: That's not much of a crime.
Thug: Through the Vatican?
Lamarr: Kinky! Sign here.
  • Taggart: I got it! We'll work up a Number Six!
Lamarr: I'm afraid I'm not familiar with that one.
Taggart: Well, that's where we go a-ridin' inta town, a-whompin' an' a-whumpin' every living thing that moves within an inch of its life – 'cept the womenfolks, o' course.
Lamarr: You spare the women?
Taggart: Naw, we rape the shit outta them at the Number Six Dance later on!
  • Theme song Refrain: He rode a blazing saddle! He wore a shining star... His job to offer battle, to bad men near and far! He conquered fear, and he conquered hate; He turned dark night into day! He made his blazing saddle a torch to light the way!
  • Taggart:(to Dom Deluise) Man, piss on you! I'm workin' for Mel Brooks!!
Buddy: Not in the face!!!

(Taggart punches Buddy in the stomach.)

Buddy: Thank you.
  • (Hedley introduces Bart to Gov. Le Petomane; Le Petomane reaches for Bart's hand, only to realize he's black.)
Le Petomane: Wow! (whistles and gestures to Lamarr) I've got to talk to you, c'mere...
(walks away, taking Bart instead)
Le Petomane: Have you gone berserk?!? Can't you see that that man is a ni...
(Le Petomane realizes he's talking to Bart)
Le Petomane: Sorry. Wrong person.
(Le Petomane walks Bart back, and grabs Hedley)
Le Petomane: Have you gone berserk?!? Can't you see that that man is a ni?

Yiddish-speaking Indian

Speaking to young Bart and his parents, who were in "the back of the wagon train" during the attack of "the entire Sioux nation" – transcription and translation:

Shvartzers! (Blacks!)
(To Indian raising tomahawk): No, no, zayt nisht meshuge! (Don't be crazy!)
(Raising arms to the heavens in stereotypical Indian pose): Loz im geyn! (Let him go!)
Cop a walk, it's alright. Abi gezunt! (As long as you're healthy!) Take off!
(To other Indians): Hast du gezehen in dayne lebn? (Have you ever seen such a thing?) They darker than us! Woof!

See also

Wikiquote has quotations related to Blazing Saddles.
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