Movies I Love, Part XXV: “Blazing Saddles”
I came across Mel Brooks’ classic “Blazing Saddles” the other night on cable. Several things struck me.
The first was that the channel showing it always — I mean always — bleeps out words in the dialog it deems objectionable. Like “fuck” and “nigger” and all the other terms of slang that make the movie so salient, so . . . right. How ironic that the method being used to ridicule hypocrisy is censored by the networks.
What then thunderstruck me was that this film — one guy’s opinion, the funniest of all time — has never been listed here in “Movies I Love.” Geesh. I went through 24 other gems before getting here. My apologies.
And, hearkening back to my first moment of clarity, the sad truth is that this marvelous gem could never be made today. I think I read somewhere that Brooks has even acknowledged that. The movie is so politically incorrect. It is so irreverent. It is so even-handed in its scathing satire.
Its type will never be seen again. As the irrepressible Lily Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn), the Bavarian Bombshell, the Teutonic Titillow, says “It’s twu, it’s twu.”
It’s at this point that I’d love to share my favorite dialog from the film And I might soon enough. But first, here is a main reason why the film works so well: Casting. It’s an often overlooked craft that can make or break a movie. Assigning the right actors for the right characters is an art. So let’s give props to Nessa Hyams who gets the credit. I’m sure Brooks himself had a major hand in it. Many of the actors are his cronies.
How brilliant is the casting? Take Burton Gilliam for example. He’s a character actor you’ve seen lots of times, plenty of them in westerns. His look is indelible, even if he’s never been a star. Here he plays Lyle, the bad guy sidekick of Taggart, who is rendered by the only actor who could carry the role, Slim Pickens. God bless his bombastic soul.
Madeline Kahn may be the great female comedic actor of film, Lily Von Shtupp her greatest role.
Cleavon Little as the sheriff, Gene Wilder as the gunslinger, Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamar, Dom DeLuise as Buddy Bizarre and Brooks himself in several roles, one an Indian chief who speaks Yiddish (The band on his headdress reads “Kosher for Passover” in Hebrew.) — they’re all brilliant choices for the roles, brilliantly portrayed. It is obvious that these people had fun making this film. The joy is palpable in every scene.
The storyline is of little consequence. There’s a new sheriff in the town filled with Johnsons. Gabby Johnson. Howard Johnson. Olson Johnson. Van Johnson. Etc, etc. The sheriff saves it from the bad guys, then rides off into the sunset. In a limo.
I loved the way the movie ends. It sort of falls apart as if Brooks didn’t know where to go with the western aspect, then rights itself.
Did I mention there’s a cameo by Count Basie? Sweet.
Okay, because I know you want it. Here’a one more seen, this one with Taggert and Hedley no Heddie Lamar.
Now I’m at the point where I could go on and on. Even if you saw this film when it was released in 1974, you want to see it again. I’m tellin’ ya. Even if you’ve seen it recently on cable, it doesn’t work nearly as well with dialog censored. Look for Gilda Radner, sitting in a pew in the church scene.
Okay, one more scene, then we all gotta get outtahere:
Oh, enough already. Go rent it.
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It’s been ages since I’ve seen “Blazing Saddles,” but your post has inspired me to spend a couple of quality hours on the couch sometime this weekend.
I have this on Blu Ray and watch it at least once or twice a month!
Mr. McCubbin, you are obviously someone with your priorities in life straight.