Blazing Saddles - Special Edition

This is too bad because Blazing Saddles shows that such language, given the right context, can actually combat bigotry by showing how stupid it really is. Cleavon Little, as Sheriff Bart, and Gene Wilder, as The Waco Kid, are presented as islands of sanity in a sea of ignorant, racist townspeople. The 'n' word is thrown out repeatedly, but is intended as an insult to the people who say it rather than a slur against blacks. Mel Brooks, a very liberal Democrat, recognized that racism is offensive and nasty in nature and showed it in its true light in Blazing Saddles. As a result, the film does more to ridicule racism and bigotry than most serious "message films" on the same subject ever could.

Unfortunately, the corporate suits who now run the big studios are more worried about image and profits than producing quality movies. As long as a film offends as few people as possible and appeals to as many members of the general public as possible (preferably between the ages of 18 and 35), the executives like it -- even if the film has no originality or artistic merit at all. As a result, films like Blazing Saddles and TV shows like All in the Family are taboo these days. Hollywood has lost a lot of daring and courage since 1974. See Blazing Saddles and you will realize just how much.


"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets..."   June 26, 2004
M. Hart (USA)
57 out of 70 found this review helpful

"...of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Thus spoke Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), the State Procurer, Attorney General and Assistant to the Governor as he plotted against the residents of Rock Ridge in Mel Brooks' hilarious western spoof "Blazing Saddles", which was first released to theaters in 1974. With the meager budget of only $2.6-million, the film grossed over $119.5-million, making it the highest grossing western of all time until the release of "Dances with Wolves" in 1990, which grossed over $184-million. The success of "Blazing Saddles" is attributable in large part to the superb direction and writing (in conjunction with several other writers) of Mel Brooks, who (of course) also acted in the film in three separate roles: as Gov. William J. LePetomaine, an Indian chief and a World War I aviator. Equally important are the many very talented comedic actors who brought the film to life.

The plot of "Blazing Saddles", as I eluded to in my review opening, takes place primarily in the fictional old-west town of Rock Ridge, whose residents seemingly all have the same last name and who have been mercilessly besieged by a group of thugs who are lead by a man named Taggart (Slim Pickens, 1919-1983). After the thugs kill the sheriff of Rock Ridge, the residents send an urgent plea to Gov. LePetomaine to immediately appoint a new sheriff. Gov. LePetomaine delegates the appointment to his assistant Hedley Lamarr, whose nefarious secret agenda is the destruction of Rock Ridge to make way for a new railroad line. Lamarr devises what he believes will be the final, unconscionable inducement to the residents of Rock Ridge for them to vacate: the appointment of a black sheriff, Black Bart (Cleavon Little, 1939-1992). Most of the residents of Rock Ridge are aghast when Sheriff Bart rides into town. However, he quickly acquires a sidekick in Jim 'The Waco Kid' (Gene Wilder) and some unsolicited attentions from the heavily accented visiting stage performer Lili Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn, 1942-1999), whose passions include the consumption of schnitzengruben. The story continues to entertain as it builds to a climax that only the twisted comedic genius of Mel Brooks could devise. Also, in classic Mel Brooks fashion, the film includes several musical interludes that include the film's title song (sung by Frankie Laine), "The Ballad of Rock Ridge", "I'm Tired" (sung by Madeline Kahn), "The French Mistake" and "April in Paris". Other memorable characters include Olson Johnson (David Huddleston), Rev. Johnson (Liam Dunn, 1916-1976), Mongo (Alex Karras in his first big-screen role), Howard Johnson (John Hillerman), Van Johnson (George Furth), Gabby Johnson (Jack Starrett, 1936-1989), Harriett Johnson (Carol DeLuise, a.k.a. Carol Arthur), Dr. Sam Johnson (Richard Collier, 1919-2000), Buddy Bizarre (Dom DeLuise) and a cameo by Count Basie (1904-1984). There were also several brief uncredited appearances by Anne Bancroft, Gilda Radner (1946-1989) and Rodney Allen Rippy who played Bart at age 5.

Overall, I rate "Blazing Saddles" with a resounding 5 out of 5 stars. It is a hysterically funny film that I can highly recommend to everyone. Though none of Mel Brooks' other films were as financially successful as "Blazing Saddles", many are noteworthy of mention, including "The Producers" (1968), "Young Frankenstein" (1974), "High Anxiety" (1978), "The History of the World, Part 1" (1981) and "Spaceballs" (1987).


Funnest Mel Brooks Film EVER!   April 21, 2007
Bennet Pomerantz (Seabrook, Maryland)
48 out of 49 found this review helpful

Its TRWUE, Its TRWUE..Blazing Saddles is over 30 years old!

In 1974, Mel Brooks & his group of madcap writers (which included Richard Pryor-who was in the running for the rolr of Bart) stole from elements from John Ford, John Wayne, Howard Hawks and RANDOLPH SCOTT to create the greatest UN-politically correct Western satire EVER.

It took everything western ideal from eating beans around the camnpfire, washed out gunfighter (Gene Wilder), to the campy over-the-top villain (played with a aplome by Harvey Korman) and a saloon singer (Madeline Kahn) and played with the audience and made them laugh.

The story of a railroad worker who is made a black Sheriff by an evil attorney General bend on power, sent to a town of Rock Ridge where the railroad is going thru is funny. It does not stop being politically incorrect.

This black comedy does not just spoof the western genre, it makes you laugh at what we love about westerns. Brooks and his comedy staff (Ricahrd Pryor, Norman Steinman, Allan Uger, and Andrew Bergman)meshed tbis comedy into a masterwork, the best film Brooks did..and I loved the classic The Producers (the non musical one!)

With such class comedy talents as Cleavon Little (as Bart), Alex Karas (as Mongo), Veteran western actors Slim Pickens and David Huddleston combine with Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn and Brooks himself to make this spoof piece that the AFI listed this as the sixth greatest film comedies of all time

On this edition is Mel Brooks comentary, deleted scenes, two documentary and the pilot of Black Bart (the TV spinoff that never when to series) with Louis Gossett as Bart.

So dont make the French Mistake..BUY THIS NOW

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWOTLD






Great Movie, Just not up to DVD   August 17, 2001
Bruce A. (San Jose, CA United States)
45 out of 62 found this review helpful

I have to start this by saying that this is one of the funniest movies of all time. The problem is with the packaging of the DVD. First, the box is cheap. Not a hard plastic case, but one made out of cardboard. Secondly, where are the Mongo scenes? Those who seen this on network TV remember scenes where Mongo has an anvil dropped on his head, is dropped down a well, and all other sorts of Warner Brother foolery a la Bugs Bunny. The only bit you get is the "Candygram for Mongo." (Track 12). The other missing scene (at least the only other I can remember) is where Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder are being chased by Harvey Korman's gang after the "Sign In" scene (Track 18). They elude their persuers by blending in with a group of baptists.

I'm not saying that the movie is lacking because of these scenes, but I was dissapointed that they weren't included. To me, DVD is about having some of those extras. I looked between the boxed set and the single-sale disk and I can't see a difference in the features. The disk you get is double sided with widescreen on one side and regular viewing on the other. The quality of the print could be better; it seems a bit grainy. I have the feeling that this was something that somebody at Warner Brothers slapped together just to increase the DVD library.

If you can find it cheap, go ahead and get it. I have it and I'll buy it again IF it comes out with the extra scenes and a couple more features like out-takes and the such. This movie is nearly 30 years old (EEK! I was 7 when it came out.), there should be a Special Edition issued.


Bottom Line   September 29, 2004
Willy Boy (Chicago)
35 out of 45 found this review helpful

This new "30th Anniversary Edition" of Blazing Saddles adds nothing new to from the previous DVD edition which you can still purchase through Amazon for as low as $6.95. A lot has been said about the additional scenes. Scenes that were added to the TV version but not in the original movie. If they had added those scenes into this version of the DVD movie, the DVD would have been called the 30th Anniversary "Extended" Edition. This is how the major movie distributors rape the consumers. They will keep releasing Blazing Saddles in a multitude of different formats until, finally, when people are completely exasperated, they will release an edition that has both the theatrical release and the "extended" version. Why did they not do this from the start ? Greed. Do not buy this version of the DVD if you have any other incarnation of this movie (on DVD, VHS or Laser Disc). The so called "extra features" stink and are not worthy of a compilation included in the 30th Anniversary Edition !