It's tough to beat as an outrageously phlegmy deposit in Hollywood's spittoon.
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:45
Fresh:40
Rotten:5
Average Rating:8.1/10
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: A madcap spoof of the classic Hollywood Western, BLAZING SADDLES is also one of the most gleefully anti-P.C. films ever produced by a major studio. When the sheriff of a small frontier town is... A madcap spoof of the classic Hollywood Western, BLAZING SADDLES is also one of the most gleefully anti-P.C. films ever produced by a major studio. When the sheriff of a small frontier town is killed, convict Bart (Cleavon Little) is appointed the first black sheriff of all-white Rock Ridge by the evil Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), who hopes this will chase the townspeople from their homes. The naive Sheriff Bart soon catches on, realizing from the less than cheery welcome that the townspeople (who all seem to be named Johnson) aren't prepared for a black sheriff and that he was never meant to succeed at all. Enlisting the help of the sensitive town drunk (Gene Wilder), formerly the Waco Kid, Bart embarks on a plan to save Rock Ridge. A scathing spoof that deals with racism, sexism, and bodily functions, BLAZING SADDLES offers a contrast between picture and words that is shocking, subversive, and hilarious. Director Mel Brooks makes two memorable appearances--as both the sleazy governor and a Yiddish-speaking Sioux Indian chief--while Madeline Kahn does a sidesplitting Marlene Dietrich imitation as the town floozy. Featuring fabulous comic turns by Alex Karras and Slim Pickens, BLAZING SADDLES is raunchy, lovable, and uproarious. [More]
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman
Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks, Slim Pickens, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras
Director: Mel Brooks
Director: Mel Brooks
Screenwriter: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Unger
Producer: Michael Hertzberg
Composer: John Morris
Reviews for Blazing Saddles
The screenplay is credited to five writers, and it shows in the confused melange of styles.
Brooks' wholehearted embracing of rank vulgarity, together with his innovative quickfire sketch structure, titillated crowds more used to sophisticated Hollywood humour.
Goldarned if the whole fool enterprise is not worth the attention of any moviegoer with a penchant for what one actor, commenting on another's Gabby Hayes imitation, calls 'authentic western gibberish.'
A lewd spoof of westerns and racial prejudice; enough laughs to cover the fact that it is, essentially, a stupid movie.
Although Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder head a uniformly competent cast, pic is handily stolen by Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn. Kahn is simply terrific doing a Marlene Dietrich lampoon.
I laughed and laughed while viewing this again. Maybe part of it was nostalgia, but part of it came from a refreshing feeling of being shocked once more.
...at once a parody of old Western movies and a social satire on race and prejudice.
Madeline Kahn was nominated for the Supporting Actress Oscar for her wonderful parody of all the cabaret singers that Dietrich used to play, including the comedy-Western Destry Rides Again.
Chalk up Blazing Saddles as only a lampoon of Hollywood westerns and you miss the point by a Texas mile.... Its humor is the palliative that lets Brooks mock prejudices and, with gloves off, prejudiced people.
The funniest Mel Brooks film, Clevevon Little, who died far too young, is a comic genius. With the success of The Producers on Broadway maybe we can expect a stage version of Saddles which I'd pay good money to see.
It's a crazed grabbag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken.
Latest News for Blazing Saddles
August 27, 2008:
Certified Fresh Picks from the WB Vault
It's the third-oldest American movie studio: the company that brought us Rin Tin Tin, convinced the world that the talkies were here to stay, and eventually grew into one of the... More...
May 29, 2008:
Blazing Saddles' Harvey Korman dies at age 81 ![]()
Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to The Carol Burnett Show and on the big screen in Blazing Saddles, died... More...
December 28, 2006:
25 New Films Enter National Film Registry ... Good Ones, Too!
Every year another 25 films are chosen for "National Film Registry" designation, and it's a pretty big honor to be on that list. I suppose one could look at it like... More...
December 12, 2005:
Richard Pryor Passes Away at 65
Richard Pryor passed away yesterday morning, and while he's probably best remembered for his incendiary stand-up material (as evidenced in 1979's "Live in Concert,"... More...
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