Blazing Saddles

Mel Brooks (1974)

88min

AA Certificate

Review

Our Score

by John Ferguson

This all-singing, all-belching western spoof remains one of Mel Brooks's finest creations. Cleavon Little stars as the smart-as-a-whip railway worker who is appointed the first black sheriff to a hellraising western town; Gene Wilder plays the Waco Kid, the drunken gunman who helps him out. The two stars are great together, but there are even better performances from Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp (sending up Marlene Dietrich in an Oscar-nominated performance), Alex Karras as dumb strongman Mongo and the crazed Harvey Korman as slimy villain Hedley (not Hedy!) Lamarr. Brooks also turns up as the easily swayed Governor Lepetomane. There's not a lot of subtlety here, but loads of slapstick and more jokes about bodily functions than you'll find in the average Farrelly brothers movie. Mongo say enjoy.

Summary

A crooked railway tycoon whose men are terrorising a frontier town arranges for a black sheriff to be appointed, hoping the racist residents will reject him. The lawman proves more cunning than expected, and with the help of a drunken gunslinger, runs rings around the businessman. Mel Brooks' Western spoof, in which he co-stars alongside Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder and Madeline Kahn.

Cast & Crew

Bart Cleavon Little

Jim, the Waco Kid Gene Wilder

Taggart Slim Pickens

Hedley Lamarr Harvey Korman

Lili Von Shtupp Madeline Kahn

Governor Le Petomane / Indian chief Mel Brooks

Olson Johnson David Huddleston

Rev Johnson Liam Dunn

Mongo Alex Karras

Howard Johnson John Hillerman

Van Johnson George Furth

Gabby Johnson Claude E Starrett Jr

Buddy Bizarre Dom DeLuise

Dr Sam Johnson Richard Collier

Count Basie Count Basie

Lyle Burton Gilliam

Miss Stein Robyn Hilton

Director Mel Brooks

Other Information

Language: EnglishColourTheatrical distributor: Columbia-Warner DistsGuidance: Contains some violence, swearing and drug abuse. Available on: video, DVD and Blu-ray

Comedy Drama

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