Blazing Saddles (Exclusive Series) (HBO Max)
- Matt Palmer
- Feb 6, 2022
- 3 min read
Initial release date: February 7, 1974
Studio: Warner Brothers
Tagline: Never give a saga an even break!
Plot: In this satirical take on Westerns, crafty railroad worker Bart becomes the first black sheriff of Rock Ridge, a frontier town about to be destroyed in order to make way for a new railroad. Initially, the people of Rock Ridge harbor a racial bias toward their new leader. However, they warm to him after realizing that Bart and his perpetually drunk gunfighter friend are the only defense against a wave of thugs sent to rid the town of its population.
Cast
Cleavon Little - Bart
Gene Wilder - Jim
Slim Pickens - Taggart
Harvey Korman - Hedley Lamarr
Madeline Khan - Lili Von Shtupp
Mel Brooks - Gov. Lepetomane/Indian Chief
Burton Gilliam - Lyle
Alex Karras - Mongo
David Huddleston - Olson Johnson
Liam Dunn - Rev. Johnson
John Hillerman - Howard Johnson
George Furth - Van Johnson
Jack Starrett - Gabby Johnson
Carol Arthur - Harriet Johnson
Richard Collier - Dr. Sam Johnson
Writer(s): Mel Brooks (Dracula: Dead and Loving It; Robin Hood: Men in Tights)
Norman Steinberg
Andrew Bergman (Fletch; The Scout)
Richard Pryor
Alan Uger
Director: Mel Brooks
Rated R (93 min)
Mel Brooks has made some of the funniest comedies in film history. With the numerous comedies the filmmaker has created, I finally had the chance to check out his 1974 comedy classic ‘Blazing Saddles’ - and, yes, this WAS actually my first time watching it.
‘Blazing Saddles’ is without a doubt one of the funniest movies ever! There are several moments scattered throughout that are truly hysterical. Brooks’ Western satire is quite memorable and has several quotable moments as well.
Even though the movie can be really hysterical, the jokes and gags were bold when it was first released. Actors Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder worked really well together and their comedic timing was just perfect. A lot of their scenes are laugh out loud moments, including the part where Jim (Wilder) is giving a monologue and as soon as he says the line “you know, morons” you actually see Cleavon Little burst out laughing, breaking character.
So, yea the jokes are bold and this movie definitely wouldn’t be made today. But, ‘Blazing Saddles’ is still a comedy classic and is one of Mel Brooks’ best! Make sure to check it out on HBO Max!!
Here are some interesting tidbits for ‘Blazing Saddles’:
Cleavon Little wasn’t warned about the “you know … morons” line. His reaction was real.
Brooks never told Frankie Laine that the theme song “Blazing Saddles” was for a comedy. Laine thought it was a dramatic western. Brooks was worried that Laine wouldn’t sing it with conviction if he knew the truth.
When the film was first screened for Warner Bros. executives, almost none of them laughed, and the movie looked to be a disaster that the studio wouldn’t release. However, Brooks quickly set up a subsequent screening for the studio’s employees. When these regular folk laughed uproariously throughout the movie, WB finally agreed to take a chance on releasing it.
According to Brooks, when Wilder first came on set for this movie, he asked about Brooks’ next movie. Then suggested that he use an idea that Wilder himself had been writing. That idea turned out to be ‘Young Frankenstein.’
Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little quickly became friends on set. Since Little was a Broadway actor, Wilder would give him pointers for acting in front of the camera.
While ‘Blazing Saddles’ is now considered a comedy classic, critical reaction was mixed when the film was released.
During production of the film, retired longtime filmmaker Hedy Lamarr sued WB for $100,000, charging that the film’s running parody of her name infringed on her right to privacy. Brooks said that he was flattered and chose not to fight it in court; the studio settled out of court for a small sum and an apology for “almost using her name.”
The film earned theatrical rentals of $26.7 million in its initial release in the US and Canada. In its 1976 reissue, it earned a further $10.5 million and another $8 million in 1979.
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