BLAZING SADDLES (1974) - FIRST TIME WATCHING! - movie reaction!

[@bigdream_dreambig]

14:04 FYI, Randolph Scott was the "leading man" actor in more than 60 Westerns from 1928 through 1962.

[@najhoant]

The reference is so obscure outside the U.S. that some subtitles (including the ones on my Swedish DVD) replace the name with John Wayne

[@bigdream_dreambig]

@@najhoant That's a good substitution. These days, only true aficionados of Westerns are likely to know Randolph Scott. John Wayne is much better known. 🤔 I wonder why Brooks chose Scott. Maybe more people knew of him in the 1970s when Blazing Saddles was produced?

[@Caseytify]

@@bigdream_dreambig Brooks was remembering a different era. The quote "I must have killed more men than Cecil B. DeMille" should be a big hint. Ditto the references to Hedy Lamar ("that's Hedley!!"). 😏

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@Caseytify And a Laurel and Hardy handshake!

[@brettpeacock9116]

You forget that Randolph Scott made "Ride the High Country in 1964... and it is certainly one of his best.

[@bigdream_dreambig]

Definitely plan to watch Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974) during next year's Halloween season! 👍 Although, if you're unfamiliar with the original Frankenstein story, you might want to watch classic Frankenstein (1931) and maybe even Bride of Frankenstein (1935) first to be able to appreciate it to its fullest.

[@wesleyrodgers886]

Need a hand ✋

[@Otokichi786]

Led off with this song?: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rH_Yh5ycdpx3ibc

[@Brooke-rw8rc]

She could day-trip to Ingolstadt if she wanted to. I'm pretty sure she'd know about Frankenstein. 🤣

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@wesleyrodgers886 Have one!

[@lazaruslong8092]

Agree with everything except don't wait. Watch it now.

[@vwlssnvwls3262]

When the actors talk to the audience, it is called breaking the fourth wall. I love when movies do this well, like they did here.

[@ariochiv]

It's also when the characters acknowledge that they know they're in a movie.

[@Caseytify]

@@ariochiv paging Deadpool...

[@vikramkrishnan6414]

In the final sequence, they do it literally

[@PlasticMacele]

It works best in comedic movies or movies where emersion isn't critical.

[@MGower4465]

Mel Brooks never met a fourth wall he didn't break. Occasionally, as here, he would break the third wall too.

[@peterk7931]

There is a history of Native American characters being played by actors of Eastern European Jewish descent. To that end, the Chief is speaking Yiddish.

[@SGlitz]

And it's Mel Brooks

[@donsample1002]

There's also the Mormon notion that the Native Americans are descended from a couple of lost tribes of Israel

[@SGlitz]

@@donsample1002 well since they came over the Bering land bridge some 12,000 years ago at the end of The Ice Age it's not improbable.

[@thefourshowflip]

@@SGlitz It is consider Judaism is far younger than 12000 years (it’s just less than half that age). Might not be a stretch that people who originated in the Levant region made it to the americas (idk if there’s any reason to assume it’s true either) but definitely no peoples we would know as “Hebrews”

[@SGlitz]

@@thefourshowflip names change. Babylon anyone?

[@tbondude9683]

If you liked the ending, just wait until you watch Spaceballs (another Mel Brooks movie) "What the hell am I looking at? When does this happen in the movie?" "Now. You're looking at now, sir."

[@OneTrueVikingbard]

What happened to then?

[@hallrecords5122]

Not just the ending of Spaceballs but also all the times characters break the 4th wall

[@vgalea]

Spaceballs also has one of my all time favorite lines: "I knew it. I'm surrounded by Assholes."

[@Ycekhold]

@@OneTrueVikingbard We passed it.

[@OneTrueVikingbard]

@@Ycekhold when?

[@stanleydavidlepretre4241]

The actor looking at the camera and speaking to the audience is known as breaking the fourth wall. Deadpool is another movie that also breaks the 4th wall.

[@whatareyoulookingat908]

"Well boys, breaks over. Don't just lie there getting a suntan. Ain't gonna do you no good no how...HA HA!" Loved this movie!!

[@drewdederer8965]

Madeline Kahn (Lilli) is playing a part that is a send up of a role played by Marlene Dietrich (as "Frenchy") in a comedic western from the 1930s called "Destry Rides Again". She's a Mel Brooks regular and is even funnier in "Young Frankenstein".

[@rollingstoneworks3183]

Let me suggest Dr. Strangelove….suspense, civil war, nuclear brinksmanship, bodily fluids and some of the darkest comedy you’ll see. The actor who plays Taggart in this film is in it, as well as a very young Darth Vader (James Earl Jones). A great entry point to Stanley Kubrick films, and there’s about ten more worth seeing. Loved this reaction…cheers

[@rttoonist4275]

Shoot, a fella could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all of that stuff…

[@dansiegel995]

To get the best affect, forget that you have heard it was a comedy. It scared the hell outta the audiences in the first half which is fairly serious, as this came out only a few years after the Cuban Missile Crisis - everyone was still on edge. With this context, the greatest dark comedy of all time. Under appreciated by today's youth that did not live during the cold war.

[@dansiegel995]

@GoldTopSlinger I grew up in the early 70s in Shreveport, across the river from Bossier City, and Barksdale AFB, home of Strategic Air Command and the vaunted 8th Air Force (Bush landed there during 9/11). Barksdale was the estimated 2nd military target after NORAD. Needless to say, there were no bomb shelters built in Bossier or Shreveport.....worthless.

[@davidmichaelson1092]

Totally agree.

[@JohnLeePettimoreIII]

Mr Jones was only the VOICE of darth vader. darth was played by Mr David Prouse (spelling?).

[@willjohnson8446]

I’d recommend the original version of The Producers to watch as your next Mel Brooks film. This one was heavily influenced by Bugs Bunny cartoons. You spotted the Loony Tunes music. Breaking the fourth wall was always a part of Bugs Bunny as well.

[@rich6113]

The original version of The Producers (1967) He actually remade his own film in 2005, but the original is better.

[@lazaruslong8092]

The Producers is one of the best comedies ever made!

[@davefranklin4136]

A Mel Brooks classic! A satire of old western movies, that simultaneously shows the absurdity of racism.

[@AstroXeno]

Randolph Scott was a movie star in the 1930s-50s who did a lot of westerns.

[@paulobrien9572]

Mary just in case you didn't know the role of the Governor was played by Mel Brooks himself. He often plays a role in his movies with an exception being Young Frankenstein IMO his best movie. Howard Johnson's was a restaurant chain founded in the early 60's in Orleans Massachusetts and were famous for their 28 flavors of Ice Cream and their iconic orange rooves which adorned each restaurant

[@davidbeach4682]

Mel Brooks played three characters in this movie. He played the "Gov", the yiddish speaking Native American Chief, and if you look at the army of bad guys near the end, he's dressed up in a leather jacket and standing among the bikers as they pan from Hedley Lamar back to the Klansmen at the end of the line.

[@witchking8497]

Either this one (Blazing Saddles) or Young Frankenstein are his best IHMO. Although The Producers probably deserves a mention...that anyone makes Hitler that funny...talent hits a target no one else can, genius hits a target no one else can see.

[@chance2smoke]

He is in Young Frankenstein, actually. SPoiLER ALeRT He is the father of the girl thrown into her bed thru the window.

[@jeffburnham6611]

Howard Johnson's was and still is known for their inexpensive hotels and motels.

[@paulobrien9572]

@@jeffburnham6611 True but their is only one restaurant left in Lake George NY

[@drwho9209]

first flatulence in film history and despite that lol still an absolute classic, nice one Mari.

[@joshuayeager3686]

Highly recommend “Young Frankenstein” from Mel Brooks. An absolute classic.

[@JustEnjoyAll84]

The "fourth wall break" where they talk to the audience happens a bit in his films and the self awareness of it being a movie is "meta"

[@sntxrrr]

'Young Frankenstein' is definitely the one to watch after this. Other non-comedy absolute classics from this period I would highly recommend watching would be 'Once upon a time in the west', ''The godfather', 'Chinatown', 'The french connection'.

[@VotePedroNo1]

Would love to see someone react to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels with Steve Martin and Michael Caine. Some day it's going to happen! :D

[@GARYHODGKINSON]

After Work Reactions has done it, dude has an infectious laugh.

[@VotePedroNo1]

@@GARYHODGKINSON Cheers I'll check it out

[@emilywilhite5807]

That movie is hilarious. Steve Martin is one of my faves.

[@hallrecords5122]

Yes! That is an absolute classic!

[@michaelwardle7633]

Either The Producers or Young Frankenstein are his greatest works. I feel like The Producers has a bit of an edge because Zero Mostel is so amazing.

[@trav_9830]

Let me be one of the hundreds that emphatically recommend Young Frankenstein. A top 10 all time film for me

[@StephenRansom47]

DeadPool says, “A 4th wall brake inside of a 4th wall brake …. That’s like, 16 walls.”

[@comis03]

You can't go wrong with any Mel brooks movie!

[@zarquondam]

Well, I think quality falls off later in his career.

[@comis03]

@@zarquondam to each there own opinions but I really liked Dracula dead and loving it and Robin Hood men in tights.

[@kurtbarlow9402]

High Anxiety is often overlooked

[@spacecatboy2962]

when you laugh, it sounds like someone is clubbing a baby seal

[@BillionSix]

One of my favorite Mel Brooks films is his first one, The Producers.

[@Otokichi786]

"Oh Beautiful Fur spacious skies": kzbin.info/www/bejne/foG7eYWObbZlntU

[@leewinstead917]

I always recommend the Producers Mel Brooks’ first movie and the reason he always included a musical number in his movies

[@Alcagaur1]

Despite the quite literally hundreds of times I have seen it, "Yeah - but I shoot with this hand." still makes me laugh out loud at every re-viewing.

[@dave1986R]

I love Mel Brooks’ work. Blazing Saddles and Spaceballs are my favorites. Definitely check out Young Frankenstein, Spaceballs, and Robin Hood men in tights, History of the World Part 1. Genius films.

[@rking63441]

The ending is one of the most brilliant ideas in all cinema. Even in 1974 Brook's knew this film was controversial. The ending is to really drive home the point that "It's Just a Movie!"

[@88wildcat]

No, Brooks didn't think a comedy about racism would work if it was set in 1974 but it might work if it was set in 1874. He then slid 1874 into 1974 by pulling out and showing the whole Warner Brothers lot and moved all the characters into the present day to sneak the movie into 1974.

[@theodorec5775]

Young Frankenstein, History of the World and Spaceballs are the three best Mel Brooks movies in my opinion.

[@zarquondam]

Nah, History of the World and Spaceballs are already in the period when his talents were starting to decline.

[@vgalea]

Mel Brooks as the indian chief was speaking Yiddish, not German, the joke being the implication that the indians were also jewish. He often includes jewish/yiddish references in his movies. Another example is the name of the seductress, Lily Von Schtup (look it up). This is a movie you have to watch several times to start getting all of the jokes. Also, the actor who played Mongo had a prior career as an American football player.He has some other good acting roles. I can recommend Victor Victoria, which has Julie Andrews playing a complicated gender bending part.

[@hilarywilliams1909]

More Mel Brooks? Young Frankenstein (spoof on old Universal horror movies), Spaceballs (spoof on Star Wars), and The Producers (1967 version) are the place to start.

[@Otokichi786]

"If you were a dishonest man...": kzbin.info/www/bejne/foG7eYWObbZlntU

[@Pixelologist]

Young Frankenstein! Young Frankenstein! Young Frankenstein! .....also, High Anxiety (if you've seen enough Alfred Hitchcock movies to get the references).

[@firedoc5]

One thing about Mel Brooks' movies is that no one is safe regardless of race, color, creed, religion, or gender. Back when PC wasn't as serious, and people liked to laugh at themselves. History of the World Part I is really hilarious.

[@Kavala76]

I'm pleased you enjoyed this "older" film. I would recommend you try out some genuinely old black and white films. Some are timeless classics. "Casablanca", "12 Angry Men" and "Dr. Strangelove" would be suggestions.

[@BillTheScribe]

+1 for Casablanca. If you plan to go down the noir alley, you could ease into it with The Thin Man. It's sort of a heavy comedy. Then go to Maltese Falcon (1941), which is just heavy. Then a little Key Largo, and Double Indemnity.

[@kilchil5438]

Young Frankenstein is hilarious if you haven't checked that out yet.

[@JoeCool7835]

Breaking the fourth wall is one of Mel Brooks' trademarks. He goes crazy with it in my favorite of his films, Spaceballs.

[@StCerberusEngel]

What happened to then? We passed it. When? Just now. We're at now, now. Go back to then. When? Now. Now? Now. We can't. Why? We missed it. When? Just now.

[@BillionSix]

The term for talking to the audience and acknowledging that they are in a movie is called "Breaking the 4th Wall" after the imaginary 4th wall on stage between the actors and the audience. :)

[@williampilling2168]

The Producers is fantastic, as is Spaceballs, Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie, History of the World, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights.

[@timbmusician]

A (departed) friend used to say, "You can take the measure of a person by how much of Blazing Saddles they can quote from memory." 🤣

[@brachiator1]

Great reaction. Glad that you had fun with this one. Young Frankenstein is also amazing.

[@vicjr74]

"Badges, we don't need no stinking badges!" Classic 😂

[@robspore5046]

"Blazing Saddles" is a true classic, and Mel Brooks is a comedic genius and a national treasure. Two of his other movies you should definitely watch are "Young Frankenstein" and "The Producers". both of which star Gene Hackman.

[@chrisbiebel6205]

You mean Gene Wilder. Gene Hackman was the actor who played Lex Luthor opposite Christopher Reeves' Superman.

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@chrisbiebel6205 Hackman played the blind monk. He was also GREAT as Lex Luthor.

[@robspore5046]

@@chrisbiebel6205 D'Oh! Thanks. I have no freaking idea what I was thinking of. I shall now return to my village in shame.

[@chuckster255]

It was a live action Warner Bros cartoon, including the breaking of the 4th wall and the over the top gags like the exploding Candygram. If you haven't already seen it, you should watch "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?", it has some amazing interactions between characters portrayed by live actors and animated characters.

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

The "Indian chief" is just played by Mel Brooks, and it's Yiddish, rather than German.

[@helloweener2007]

Yes, but it is similar. Yiddish is a West Germanic language derived from Middle German. And there are also many words and sayings that have their origin in Yiddish. So it can be hard to tell from a few lines. Knowing that Mel Brooks is Jewish makes it easier to tell, that it is problably Yiddish.

[@Kamackazi]

The Producers , with Zero Mostel & Gene Wilder still Mel Brooks funniest most outrageous film.

[@seanwhitford1537]

Mel Brooks (who was the governor and the native "American" chief in the movie) is a genius. He is easily one of the best of humanity. Mad respect here!

[@Rocket1377]

Many Mel Brooks movies are parodies, so I highly recommend watching the original films to get the most out of them. Young Frankenstein is a spoof of the 1930s Frankenstein movies (mainly the first two, but also the third). Spaceballs is a spoof of Star Wars, Planet of the Apes, Alien, Star Trek, and other sci-fi franchises. Robin Hood: Men in Tights is based on both the 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and the classic Errol Flynn version. Dracula: Dead And Loving It mocks the 1930s Bela Lugosi Dracula, and the 1990s version starring Gary Oldman. I would suggest watching The Producers next, since it is one of his films that works as a stand alone movie (just like Blazing Saddles).

[@andrewgrossman4982]

Mel Brooks’ first movie, the original The Producers (1967) is an absolute must. I don’t want to talk it up too much, but it is my favorite all-time comedy. Absolute classic. Also has Gene Wilder. Please watch it soon!

[@CrashLandon1]

Randolph Scott was a famous actor in Westerns. This movie is full of such anachronisms, like Bart's riding by Count Basie and His Orchestra on the way into Rock Ridge

[@bigdream_dreambig]

For another comedy, I recommend Pleasantville (1998).

[@marlonthemarvellous]

Young Frankenstein by Mel Brooks The Producers too. Both top tier comedy

[@dcmphotog8452]

If you are interested in more Mel Brooks, you should watch "Young Frankenstein", a parody of the original "Frankenstein" and "Bride of Frankenstein" (you don't need to watch the originals but it helps to understand some of the jokes).

[@BillTheScribe]

Speaking to the audience is called breaking the fourth wall, and Brooks does it a lot. Before you get into his movies, it will help to see the one they parody, if it's a direct parody. Spaceballs = Star Wars Young Frankenstein = Any older version of the original book or good knowledge of the story. Men in Tights - Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (with Kevin Costner), and some familiarity with the original legend. High Anxiety = Vertigo, Rear Window and pretty much everything by Alfred Hitchcock. History of the World part 1 needs some knowledge of, well the history of the world. Mostly Europe.

[@billshine401]

Young Frankenstein is great. So is History of the World Part 1. Great review, Mary.

[@DarraghC]

Oliver Hardy was the king of breaking the 4th wall :) great reaction as always, hope youre having a fab vacation.

[@briandale9320]

I was just thinking about "Blazing Saddles" today!! So many great one-liners, and a bunch of multi-liners as well! I can quote this flick line-for-line while watching.

[@iKvetch558]

Oh wow...I quit watching the silly other video I was watching to see this...I think she is gonna blush almost constantly through this movie! Mel Brooks is perhaps the greatest living comic genius we have...he is definitely on a very short list of people that could share his legendary status.🖖💯✌😁 Oh...and Mary...if you ever watching ANY Mel Brooks movie and a character seems to be talking to the audience of the film, they almost surely are. 4th wall breaks are one of the trademarks of a Mel Brooks production.💯😁 Ok... at 8:58 your confusion is understandable...but the Indian Chief is played by Mel Brooks (also the Governor and the guy dressed as a pilot standing in line for the evil army) and that is not German, it is Yiddish...which shares quite a bit with German so it often sounds the same. 😁

[@beardedgeek973]

The Toll Booth is extra funny because Bart made sure it says it's the Governor's idea, meaning it's the badguy's boss' boss who placed it there (so they think).

[@3DJapan]

If you don't know, Howard Johnson's is a chain of motel / restaurants. They were very well known on highways all around the US. I think most have closed down over the past 20 years or so.

[@erikz9026]

And the joke about one ice cream flavor is a play on how the movie's Howard Johnson is so new that they are no where near the 28 flavors that were eventually sold at HoJo. There are still close to 300 HoJo motels still in business.

[@foxlikessapphics]

Mel Brooks is a genius! This and Young Frankenstein (one of my favorite movies ever) are probably his most popular films. If you like Gene Wilder (he played the Waco Kid), then definitely check out Young Frankenstein and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! Willy Wonka isn't Mel Brooks, but it's super funny and a classic. He's great in both.

[@garykephart]

talking to the audience = "breaking the fourth wall"

[@krissiep1317]

I’ll suggest Spaceballs next, it is a total spoof of Star Wars and other sci-fi movies. Seeing that you have Grogu in the background, you’ll need to see Mel Brooks’ version of Yoda. It continues with that fourth wall breaking and general zaniness of Blazing Saddles. I am glad you had fun, can’t wait for next reaction. 😊 P.S. I’ve never seen such pretty cats.

[@donkfail1]

I was relieved that you liked the end. I worried a bit when you seemed taken aback when the characters broke the fourth wall. The Randolph Scott joke was maybe too old for the younger audience even when this movie came out 50 years ago. He had a 30 year long career, almost always playing the hero in A LOT of westerns up until the early 60s. Mel Brooks has directed (and written) some of the best comedies parodying movies and movie genres. This one wasn't so much a parody of any special movie, but for his next - Young Frankenstein - I recommend you to have seen at least the Universal movie Frankenstein from 1931 (Worth a watch as it is), and maybe even the sequels Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). Next he made Silent Move. After the brave move to make his Frankenstein movie in black and white, he went one step further and made an actual silent movie about the struggle to make a silent movie 40 years after the silent era had ended. It worked well with Brook's kind of slapstick comedy. After that came High Anxiety, his Hitchcock spoof. Mostly of Vertigo, but also aiming at The Man Who Knew Too Much, Spellbound and more. But seriously, I think most of his movies are enjoyable even without having seen all the movies he makes fun of.

[@spinblack0]

Yeah I think a lot of the jokes like Hedley Lamar and a laurel and hardy handshake might have gone over the head As well as some cultural things

[@tomyoung9049]

and now you know, when watching a Mel Brooks film. You can expect ANYTHING, and he isn't afraid to cross lines with the jokes. I'm sure you will enjoy more of his work.

[@mevb]

The Governor and the native chief is played (or rather cameod) by the same actor, director Mel Brooks himself (does make cameos in most of his films, in one form or another). He also voices the Lead German Soilder in the I'm Tired number and the guy coming up the stage and gets kneed by Lili, plus he cameos as one of the bikers in the outlaw gathering scene.

[@pp-nx1ck]

Which Mel Brooks movies are the best? yes.

[@trolleyfan]

Yep, that's the studio. Basically Mel Brooks went "Fourth walls? We don't need... Fourth walls..."

[@FeaturingRob]

Ohhhhh....Mary!!! I am officially in love with you now!!! Thank you for doing this one! This is my favorite comedy! Mel Brooks is a comedy genius. The Mel Brooks films that you should see... - 'Young Frankenstein' - Gene Wilder & Madeline Kahn appear in this one. It is a spoof of the 1930s 'Frankenstein' movies. - 'History of the World, Part I' - Mel plays a few characters in this one, a tour of the history of the world...the stone age, the Roman Empire, Spanish Inquisition, and the French Revolution, among others. Madeline Kahn and Dom DeLuise (the musical director at the end of 'Blazing Saddles') both appear in this. - 'Spaceballs' - "May the Schwartz be with you!" A spoof of Star Wars. - 'The Producers' - Two versions. The 1967 original with Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel is the best. It won the Oscar for Original Screenplay. The 2005 musical with Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Roger Bart, and other members of the original Broadway cast joined by Uma Thurman and Will Farrell is not as good as the original, but a lot of fun with great songs and choreography by the director/choreographer of the stage production Susan Stroman. Just some background info... - Madeline Kahn (Lili Von Schtupp) was an operatically trained soprano, and did Broadway musicals...but was first and foremost a gifted comedic actress. She was nominated for an Oscar for this. - Harvey Korman (Hedley Lamarr) was best known and loved as a performer on the 60s and 70s 'The Carol Burnett Show'. Him and his frequent partner in crime Tim Conway made moments of comedy gold on that show...frequently by Harvey unable to keep a straight face with Tim going off and improvising, Tons of the sketches from the show are on KZbin. - The actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood Hedy Lamarr actually tried to sue Mel Brooks and the studio over this....he didn't fight it. She just didn't get the joke. The case was settled out of court...but Mel had the last laugh with the governor saying to Hedley in the film, "This is 1874! You'll be able to sue HER!!!" - Mel frequently appears in his films, to a greater or lesser extent. When he shows up as the Sioux Indian chief and speaks...it's actually Yiddish. Mel always plays up jokes about being Jewish (hence the actor dressed like Hitler in the studio commisary). He always believed the best defence (and offensive to make) against prejudice was to make it ridiculous! Find the joke. Laugh about it! Every film he has made has had this theme running through them. This is his defining film about the stupidity, pointlessness, and absurdity of racism and prejudice. Every person in the film who is prejudiced comes off as an idiot! - Fourth wall breaks...they happen a LOT in Mel Brooks movies. Always for the best comedic effect. My favorite is in 'History of the World, Part I'...but I won't say it! You gotta see it!!! Thanks again for this one, Mary!!!

[@marlonthemarvellous]

The horses I this film are all incredible stunt people.

[@thomascrays4200]

Soooo glad you watched this... and laughed thru most of it. It came out when I was in high school. We laughed so much throughout the movie because it mocked the prejudice of the earlier decade. I laugh at it more because people get so offended by the stupidity we laughed at back then.

[@xxDamnTheManxx]

This is by far my favourite Mel Brooks film, but I’d also recommend Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Dracula: Dead and Loving it and Spaceballs.

[@mhlevy]

The Indian Chief was played by Mel Brooks, and though his words sounded German, he was actually speaking Yiddish, an Eastern-European Jewish language which is based on 9th Century German, with some Hebrew and Slavic roots as well. Just an inside joke that caused most Jews in the audience to fall over laughing. The music as Sheriff Bart is riding towards the town was provided by The Count Basie Orchestra, they actually set them up on set! That was Count Basie himself (happily, I actually met him once) saluting Bart. The Count Basie Orchestra is one of the all-time great Jazz "Big Band" orchestras. Most of the actors in this movie were also very well known, veteran Western actors. A couple more great Mel Brooks movies was one of his first, "The Producers" (also with Gene Wilder,) "Young Frankenstein," and "History of the World, Pt 1," which also includes Madelyn Kahn (Lilly von Shtup in this movie) in a few very short, but hilarious scenes!

[@philmullineaux5405]

Notice Gene Wilder holding a popcorn bucket, when he says, " Where u heading?". The woman is master comedian and the great opera singer, Madeline Kahn. Its amazing how good she was at singing bad! She was also in Mel's movie, Young Frankenstein! Mongo is Alex Karras, had a good tv show and was a big time NFL player!! All Mel Brooks movies must be watched! Specially young Frankenstein, Spaceballs! Alsobin this movie, lots of add-lib, and gene wilder and Richard Pryor helped write!😮 The Howard Johnson guy ..of the old Howard Johnson motels!

[@user-bl7em8sx6o]

"FRENCH MISTAKE!" so many good lines in this

[@g3o5d]

"Breaking the fourth wall" . . . When the actors speak directly to the audience, the camera.

[@jimpad5608]

The movie studio is the Warner Brothers studio in Burbank. When i visited my aunt whe I was a kid we drove by it.

[@IR4TE]

Cannot recommend 'The Producers' (1968) by Mel Brooks enough, it's his first movie and my personal favourite.

[@briandale9320]

The late, great comedian Richard Pryor was a writer on this film. This film was made and released at probably the only time in history. A masterpiece!

[@Scott_Burton]

Mel Brooks, absolute classic in your face, push the envelope comedy. Many of his movies were "OMG, did that really just happen in a movie?" moments even when these movies came out. While you missed out on some of the comedic genius due to lack of knowledge of the references, that's something I always enjoy about Mel Brooks movies. Come back to them after a few years, and you'll see things you missed, see things you overlooked, see things you didn't get the previous time. They are largely timeless, and no matter when you watch them, there are some moments that are infinite cringe astonishment comedy. I may be wrong, he may not have been the first to pull the "4th wall break" but he definitely did it masterfully. ("breaking the 4th wall" references acknowledging the presence of the viewing audience, and either speaking to the audience as though they are there to inform them, or to ask questions as though they can response, even though the audience will not see the performance until after it is concluded, and the 4th wall is that line that shouldn't be perceived by characters in the show) There are elements you encountered in this movie which you will find somewhat revisited in a "new light" if you wat the Mel Brooks film "Spaceballs" which was released in 1987, and when you see it, I'm confident you'll recognize it as a nod back to this one.

[@iabconsulting]

Spaceballs and Young Frankenstein are 2 other realy good Mell Brookes films. Spaceballs does the same trick with watching the movie while in the movie. You will notice that Mell Brookes played 2 characters in this film, the Govener and the Indan. This is usual in his movies.

[@HenryCabotHenhouse3]

When the actors speak directly to the audience it is called "breaking the fourth wall" because the actors are supposed to think there is a real wall between them and the audience, thus they break that illusion to directly address people who are not supposed to be there to them. This term started in theater where there are literally three walls with a missing fourth on the audience side of the set, but it now applies even to movies where there are no walls in an exterior shot when the actor speaks directly to camera. Young Frankenstein (same year as Blazzing Saddles) is obviously the next choice, but you may want to watch the b-movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein from the 30's first to more fully understand and enjoy Young Frankenstein. You don't have to, but a lot of the call-backs will zip right past you if you don't. Things like the lab, the monk, the girl at the well, the hair, and the hair-do are all better when you have seen the originals. Do make sure to include your reaction to the song Sweet Mystery of Life.

[@stuferguson5436]

You cant pick a bad Mel Brooks film. Spaceballs is a great parody of popular sci-fi series'. The Producers is definitely one you should see. There's also Young Frankenstein, but save that for halloween, or Dracula, Dead and Loving it. Or both. Or all. Doesn't matter as long as its Mel Brooks

[@f0rth3l0v30fchr15t]

"Need any help?" "Oh... all I can get" ngl, that's pretty relatable.

[@skyhawksailor8736]

Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety and Space Balls are great Mel Brooks movies. All three are spoofs of other movies, Young Frankenstein on Frankenstein, High Anxiety on a lot of Alfred Hitchcock's movies, Space Balls on Star Wars.

[@Drforrester31]

I also think you're the first reactor I've seen who noticed all of the townspeople have the last name Johnson, which is a great easy joke. So glad that you had a good time with this! Your bewilderment at the fourth wall breaking was great, you'll get plenty more if you continue with Mel Brooks' filmography

[@Excanda]

The breaking of the sets and watching the ending of the movie in the theatre are classic Mell Brooks things. I mean in Spaceballs they watch 'Spaceballs the movie' to find the good guys. Also Mell Brooks is a very talented guy as he wrote the songs, directed the movie and acted in the movie.

[@jb888888888]

3:58 There used to be a chain of restaurants called Howard Johnson's and they famously advertised "28 flavors" of ice cream. That's the joke. In Rock Ridge there's the (fictional) first HoJo's and they have one flavor. Eventually they'll expand both the number of locations and the number of ice cream flavors they offer. People who watched this film first run would have recognized this.

[@jeffthompson9622]

You should definitely watch Young Frankenstein.

[@ianrastall]

There's a sportscaster on NBC named Bob Costas. He used to have his own show for a while in the 90s called ... I forget. Later? It was on after David Letterman, so it started around one or so in the morning. He would always interview one person, without an audience. One day he interviewed Mel Brooks. It turned out to be his last show, because they couldn't resist talking about this movie. Mel talked about the famous scene where she's like, "Is it twue?" Then she's like, "It's twue! It's twue!" Mel said that the part they had to cut was the next line, which would have been him saying, in the dark, "You're sucking on my arm." I'm pretty sure that was the joke that got that Bob Costas show canceled.

[@jimspetdragons3737]

This and Young Frankenstein are the most popular of the Mel Brooks-produced movies. Mel played the Governor and the Indian Chief. I also love Space Balls and History of the World Part 1. There are plenty more to add to that. Another similar film troop is Monty Python. Their most popular (& my fav) is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. That's a must-see. (very silly, but clever).

[@Daremo6969]

sacrilege :P no mention of Space Balls as most popular? :P shame .:P JJ, but I had actually forgot he did men in tights .;P

[@runshouse]

Men in tights isnt even in his top 5 most popular movies.

[@darkzer0670]

No No, it's "Mewn in Tights".

[@wadorobin]

No it’s not.

[@jimspetdragons3737]

@@Daremo6969 An oversight on my part. Was only listing samples. Space Balls is definitely a must-watch.

[@bscott5965]

High Anxiety and Silent Movie are always 2 Brooks movies that are overlooked. High Anxiety is a tribute to all of Alfred Hitchcock's movies and absolutely hilarious

[@THOMMGB]

Hi Mary, I hope your trip well well and you're home safe and sound as you read this. It's 2022 and Mel Brooks is well into his nineties. It's so nice that he's still with us. While Blazing Saddles was filming, during breaks Gene Wilder was working on writing Young Frankenstein. Mel saw what he was doing and made a deal with him on the spot to help write and direct it. Gene agreed, but insisted that the fourth wall would not be broken.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Igor broke it.

[@armandoenriquez2564]

I felt like you understood so much of this movie.... great job!

[@AddSerious]

old movie: Casablanca, the greatest movie ever made.

[@darrylguerrant5101]

Welcome to the world of Mel Brooks, Mari!!

[@mrwidget42]

How to appreciate the joke. There is a very old hotel/motel chain called Howard Johnson's. It started as a rest stop chain for the Santa Fe railroad, when people had to get off the train every few hundred miles and needed a place to stay overnight.

[@taraeasley1447]

History Of The World is my absolute favorite Mel Brooks movie. You should definitely add it to your list.

[@Victor-lr2xr]

Madeline Khan is a trained opera soprano. Her off key singing is great acting. Randolph Scott was the hero in 20 westerns. "and for my next impression Jessie Owens" Why did you cut that out? It appears you have cut out over half of punch lines? No horses were injured in this movie. Enjoyed your comments.

[@txaggievet]

You forgot to show the best line in the movie and one of the greatest and most quoted lines in movie history "Excuse me while I whip this out"!

[@rodlepine233]

it is called breaking the 4th wall when they look at or talk to the camera as to be looking/talking to the audience watching the show/film