#45 Blazing Saddles

February 12, 2021
Blazing Saddles (1974) ****
TCM
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“Are we awake?”
“We’re not sure…Are we…black?”
“Yes, we are.”
“Then we’re awake, but we’re very puzzled…”

Blazing Saddles I have seen one meellion times and will never get tired of it. You’d think that after 47 years, the razor sharp satire might seem quaint, but everything hits just as hard, maybe harder, than it did back in the olden days.

This was Mel Brooks’ third film, after The Producers and The Twelve Chairs, which is mostly forgotten, but contains Ron Moody from Oliver and an extremely young and hot Frank Langella, and I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the whole thing. I should rectify it if only for the Langella situation.

Mel wrote the script with several people, including Richard Pryor, who apparently liked writing for Mongo the best. Mel wanted Richard to play Sheriff Bart as well, but the studio didn’t want him because his drug use was known, and then Richard said that he wasn’t right for the role anyway, he was so light-skinned, and Mel definitely should cast someone much darker than him. They cast the wonderful Cleavon Little, who is just completely perfect.

Speaking of casting, The Waco Kid was originally supposed to be played by Gig Young, but it turned out that you really can’t hire an alcoholic to play an alcoholic, so Mel called Gene Wilder after they already started filming, and Gene was on set shooting within a couple of days, and ended up giving my favourite of all of his performances, it was so subtle. So, the Richard Pryor/Gig Young version was not to be, though I’m sure it would have been interesting!

My dad is actually in this movie, though his scenes were cut. He is visible in the background of one scene, and he got teensy little residuals for many years. It’s the hangman scenes, there used to be more of them, or they were longer, I don’t know. But it’s nice to glimpse him!

Anyway, this is a splendid movie, it has a lot to say about race and racism, while still being hilarious. And remember, Mongo only pawn in game of life.