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doomonfilm · 6 years ago

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Screenings : Blazing Saddles (1974)

It’s not secret that Blazing Saddles is one of my all-time favorite movies. I have an ongoing debate about what the most quotable movie ever is, and Blazing Saddles is often very prominent in that conversation. My parents were huge fans, and raised me on the film, so imagine my delight when the reward for my dedication to Alamo Drafthouse New Braunfels was an invite to a private screening of the movie, complete with a special appearance by Burton Gilliam, who played Lyle in the film. Needless to say, i was all in.

The railroad is expanding rapidly through the west of 1874, and the latest town to potentially fall victim of its progress is Rock Ridge. In an effort to facilitate this, Attorney General Hedley Lamar (Harvey Korman) decides to send his ‘right hand man’ Taggart (Slim Pickens), along with a gang of thugs, to rough up the town and kill the sheriff in hopes of running them out. The citizens of Rock Ridge, despite their bad luck, remain steadfast in their stubbornness to stay put, and in response to the attacks, they implor Governor William J. Le Petomane (Mel Brooks) to appoint a new sheriff to the town. Lamar and Le Petomane, equally stubborn, decide to try and one-up the town by appointing black railroad worker (and near hanging victim) Bart (Cleavon Little) as the new sheriff of Rock Ridge, much to the horror of the townspeople. Despite the towns’ objections, and with the help of inmate turned deputy The Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), Bart manages to turn things in the right direction for the town, eventually winning the citizens over. With a newfound resolve, Bart, The Waco Kid and the citizens of Rock Ridge decide to stand up for their town and divert the railroad, with immensely hilarious results.

As it was stated prior to the screening, this film is a classic that would be impossible to make today. Not only is it a perfect execution of two genres that have not been tops for ages (the Western and the Slapstick Comedy, respectively), but the humor based squarely in racism would easily be labelled as problematic today. It’s the care for each of these aspects, however, that makes this film so great. Nod after nod is given to the Western, it’s old heroes, and Hollywood in general. As with any Mel Brooks affair, the visual humor is on par (if not sharper than) the wit-based humor and verbal sparring that takes place. And, last but not least, films like these serve as palette cleansers that allow us to laugh at our differences and discuss topics like race on an equal playing field.

As perfect as this film is already, I couldn’t help but ask Burton Gilliam the what if in regards to Richard Pryor and the original idea as him to play Sheriff Bart. Gilliam spoke on how, despite Pryor’s already concrete stature as a comedic giant and a burgeoning career as a writer, the studios did not believe in his abilities as a leading man. By no means do I intend to disparage Cleavon Little, as he is infinitely memorable in the role he ultimately was cast in and owned, but with the history between Pryor and Gene Wilder in their eventual film pairings, one can only imagine how side-splittingly funny their interactions would have been under the insane tutelage of Mel Brooks.

Even with racism being a main focus of the humor, the distribution of targets is fair, and nobody is safe : Blacks, Whites, Asains, Europeans, Native Americans all take their time on the chopping block. Many allusions to homosexuality are hilariously placed throughout, though many do play in bad taste as the times have changed. Classics aspects are given new spins, like cartoonish solutions to serious problems, or Bart’s classic Gucci getup on his first day as setup. The final portion of the film that spills into the backlot of the studio prior to barreling into Hollywood-proper raises the already over-the-top comedy to new heights. The humor throughout also manages to be equal parts intelligent and lowbrow, making its appeal wider and it’s replay value richer.

The marquee cast on this film is standout, with Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Khan and Harvey Korman all trading time hopping between memorably perfect comedic moments. Supporting cast like Slim Pickens, Mel Brooks, Burton Gilliam and Alex Karras help carry the comedic weight with no drop in quality. The town of Rock Ridge, made up entirely of Johnsons, is loaded with talent : Liam Dunn, George Furth, John Hillerman, David Huddleston, Carol Arthur and Jack Starrett, among a number of others, all shine. Special appearances by Count Basie, Robert Ridgely, Anne Bancroft, Dom DeLuise and a very young Rodney Allen Rippy round out the affair.

I often get into debates with other filmlovers about what is the most quotable film in existence. I have a small handful of candidates I always include in my debates, and chief among them is Blazing Saddles. Despite it’s surface level crudeness, I don’t believe this film will ever cease to be the classic that it is, and a must-see film for anyone who enjoys a laugh.

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