Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles is a 1974 comedy western movie directed by Mel Brooks starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman. It tells the story of a black Sheriff, played by Little, who is appointed Sheriff of a small Western town and how he must try to make friends with the racist towns people and stop a ruthless businessman from knocking down the town to make way for a railway line.

While the movie is widely said to be a classic comedy today, critical reaction was mixed when the movie was first released.

In 2006, Blazing Saddles was selected by the Library of Congress into the United States National Film Registry.

Cast
 Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart
 Gene Wilder as Jim, aka "The Waco Kid"
 Harvey Korman as Hedley Lamarr
 Madeline Kahn as Lili von Shtupp, the "Teutonic Titwillow"
 Slim Pickens as Taggart
 Dom DeLuise as Buddy Bizarre
 Mel Brooks as Gov. William J. Le Petomane / Indian Chief / Tough wearing sunglasses and a bomber jacket.
 Liam Dunn as Reverend Johnson
 George Furth as Van Johnson
 Burton Gilliam as Lyle
 John Hillerman as Howard Johnson
 David Huddleston as Olson Johnson
 Richard Collier as Dr. Samuel Johnson
 Alex Karras as Mongo
 Jack Starrett as Gabby Johnson
 Robyn Hilton as Miss Stein (the governor's secretary)
 Rodney Allen Rippy as Young Bart
 Charles McGregor as Charlie
 Robert Ridgely as Boris, the hangman
 Carol Arthur as Harriet Johnson
 Anne Bancroft as Extra in Church Congregation (uncredited)

Awards and honors
In the scene where Lamarr talks to his band of bad guys, he says, "You men are only risking your lives, while I am risking an almost-certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor!" Harvey Korman did not, in fact, get an Oscar nomination.  The movie did receive three other Academy Awards nominations in 1974: Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Madeline Kahn, Best Film Editing, and Best Music, Original Song. The movie also earned two BAFTA awards nominations, for Best Newcomer (Cleavon Little) and Best Screenplay.

The movie won the Writers Guild of America Award for "Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen" for writers Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger.

In 2006, Blazing Saddles was chosen by the Library of Congress for the National Film Registry.

 References 

Other websites




Category:1974 comedy movies
Category:1974 Western (genre) movies
Category:United States National Film Registry movies
Category:American satirical movies
Category:American black comedy movies
Category:American parody movies
Category:American Western (genre) movies
Category:Movies about racism
Category:Movies directed by Mel Brooks
Category:1970s English-language movies
Category:Self-reflexive movies
Category:Warner Bros. movies
Category:African-American movies
Category:1970s black comedy movies
Category:Movies about Native Americans
Category:Movies set in a movie theatre
Category:Movies set in the 1870s