Blazing Saddles (1974)

The railroad is heading west, but quicksand lies in it’s path. That means a detour through the town of Rock Ridge.

Hedley Lamar (Harvey Korman) plans to cash in by buying up the land in town, once he’s forced its citizens to leave.

And when brute force doesn’t accomplish that quickly enough, he decides to demoralize the town’s residents by appointing a black man (Cleavon Little as Bart) to be their new sheriff.

Indeed, the good folks of Rock Ridge don’t like the idea. For a while, Bart’s only friend is town drunk Jim (Gene Wilder), once the famed Waco Kid.

But those same folks warm to Bart once he tames a brute named Mongo (Alex Karras).

When songbird / whore Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahan) winds up charmed by Bart rather than wrapping his around her finger at Lamar’s request, Hedley decides drastic measures are needed.

He takes out an ad offering riff-raff of all sorts $100 per day to help destroy the town of Rock Ridge.

This time, the residents are ready to flee. Until Bart asks for 24 hours to come up with a plan, reminding them that they’d certainly give Randolph Scott 24 hours to do the same.

They agree. He comes up with a doozy.

Cleavon Little as Bart, getting a less than warm welcome as new sheriff of Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Gene Wilder as Jim explains how he went from famous gunfighter to town drunk in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Review:

Neither as bad as Western fans might expect from a Western parody or as good as its box office success would imply.

It will certainly help if you’re in the mood for silliness. Because the final gang that descends on Rock Ridge includes Nazis, Arabs on camels, bikers on horseback and even a couple of KKK members.

And the final brawl winds up breaking through the set designed for this film and interrupting a musical being filmed on an adjacent set.

Director Brooks plays two parts, a half-whit governor who does Lamar’s bidding and an Indian chief who allows Bart’s family to pass unharmed during an attack on a wagon train.

And, in his oddest Western role, Slim Pickens plays the bigoted Taggert, Lamar’s right-hand man.

Among the highlights, Madeline Kahn, the entertainer / lady of the night, singing “I’m Tired.” And that wonderful “Ballad of Rock Ridge.”

Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamar, scheming to scoop up Rock Ridge cheap in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Slim Pickens as Taggert, Hedley Lamar’s right-hand man in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Directed by:
Mel Brooks

Cast:
Cleavon Little … Bart
Gene Wilder … Jim
Slim Pickens … Taggert
Harvey Korman … Hedley Lamar
Madeline Kahn … 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
Robyn Hilton … Miss Stein
Richard Collier … Dr. Sam Johnson
Charles McGregor … Charlie

Runtime: 95 min.

Songs:
“I’m Tired,” “The French Mistake,” “The Ballad of Rock Ridge” by Mel Brooks’
“Blazing Saddles” sung by Frankie Lane

Mel Brooks as Gov. Lepetomane, listening to an urgent telegram from his secretary (Robyn Hilton as Miss Stein) in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp, the tired whore who’s charmed by Bart in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Memorable lines:

Taggert: “I know how we can run everybody out of Rock Ridge.'”
Hedley Lamar: “How?”
Taggert: “We’ll kill the first born male child in every household.”
Lamar, shaking his head no: “Too Jewish.”

Jim: “I must have shot more men that Cecil B. DeMille. It got pretty gritty. I started to hear the word ‘draw’ in my sleep. Then one day, I was just walking down the street, and I heard a voice behind me say, ‘Reach for it, mister.’ And I spun around, and there I was, face to face with a 6-year-old kid. Well, I just threw my guns down and walked away. Little bastard shot me in the ass. So I limped to the saloon, crawled into a whiskey bottle. And I’ve been there every since.”

Hedley Lamar: “My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivilets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”
Taggert: “Gal darnnit, Mr. Lamar, you use your tongue prettier than a $20 whore.”

Taggert: “Well, if that don’t beat all. Here we take the good time and trouble to slaughter every last Indian in the West. And for what? So we can appoint a sheriff who’s blacker than any Indian. I am depressed.”

Hadley Lamar, entering a taxi: “Drive me off this picture.”

Alex Karras as Mongo, the bull-riding strongman Lamar sends to Rock Ridge in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Liam Dunn as Rev. Johnson, rallying Rock Ridge residents against the new sheriff in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamar trying to convince Gov. Lepetomane (Mel Brooks) to make a historic appointment in Blazing Saddles (1975)

Cleavon Little as Bart and Gene Wilder as Jim (aka Waco Kid) watch Taggert’s men advance in Blazing Saddles (1974)