Blazing Saddles: Yiddish Indians Scene with Translation

Rudy's Movie Reviews- San Antonio's Movie Critic
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#blazingsaddles #melbrooks #yiddishindians
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[@laserprop]

When this movie first came out, I begged my parents (both fluent in Yiddish) to let me take them to see it, just because of this scene. Of course I didn't want to tell them why, because that would have diminished the joke. They were reluctant, because this wasn't their type of humor, but they acquiesced. And in fact, as the movie progressed, they were actually enjoying it more than they (or I) would have thought. Then, when the chief (Mel Brooks) burst out in Yiddish, I was actually a little frightened at the vehemence of their reaction. They laughed so long and hard that I was concerned for their health.

[@GermanShepherd1983]

My dad never saw the movie in a theater and just happened to walk into our living room when this scene came on. My dad speaks perfect German and was totally surprised when he heard the Yiddish German. Kept saying the Indians didn't speak German. Finally we explained the premise of the movie.

[@GenEXReviews]

​@@GermanShepherd1983🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@chetmanley610]

That's one of the best stories I've ever heard!

[@asch7906]

This movie is absolute comedy gold from start to finish.

[@shlomonissenbaum3750]

I think part of the joke is how the Indian chief is 'reallly being jewish' by turning the freeing the blacks to go into a whole cantorial ceremony instead of just saying you can go now. No, it has to be ritualized.

[@MajorSeventh]

This is actually a reference to old movie westerns where most of the Indian roles were played by Jews and Italians.

[@rubyfirefly2582]

Brilliant!

[@williamheyman5439]

@@rubyfirefly2582 And there is, to this day, a TV public service announcement showing an "Indian" next to a stream, with trash in it, and tears streaming down his cheeks. He was an Italian actor.

[@rubyfirefly2582]

@@williamheyman5439 I remember it well.

[@jkorshak]

It's also a nod to an old Mormon belief that the American indians were a lost tribe of Israel.

[@raynavarro7997]

@@williamheyman5439.... Iron Eyes Cody real name Espera Oscar de Corti

[@russellclaycomb146]

I love the whole scene... but that "WOOF!" at the end just cracks me up every time. lol

[@jkorshak]

0:19 Mel Brooks as the Indian Chief saying "auf wiedersehen" actually means, "Goodbye." There's a lot of crossover between German and Yiddish. 0:27 "Hast do gesehen in deine Leben? translates to "Have you seen in your life?" or basically, "Have you ever seen such a thing in your life?"

[@GenEXReviews]

Ahh ok. The translation was provided by Google translator and I ran it through a few times to make sure it was 100%.

[@SeansLipSyncingSock]

@@GenEXReviews You weren’t mistaken. He is saying “Abi gesund,” which is Yiddish for “As long as you’re healthy.”

[@shlomonissenbaum3750]

You're translations are spot on. Except for the khap a walk which = take a walk. I.e. youre free to go

[@stephanieweil583]

@@shlomonissenbaum3750 like "cop a squat" (sit down)

[@Mocita]

“And the rest…is history. Impressed?”

[@kevinfreund]

The white folks wouldn't let us travel in they' circle, so, we made our own.

[@shioriryukaze]

Stumbled across this video and did not know that that's what he was saying when I had watched the movie! That woof at the end got me🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@frankie2time298]

At 0:07 for some reason I always thought he said "LAW'S IS GAAAAAAY"

[@GenEXReviews]

LOL!😂😂😂

[@motek6913]

"Lass Ihm Gehen", "Has du gesehen in deine Leben?" "No, no, seid nicht meschuga -from hebrew meshuga (משוגע)" - Yiddish is close to German, it has borrowed a lot of wording from it. But yeah, Mel had put in this movie all the future political incorrectness slurs and he even didn't know the society will come to this, like nowadays. It's also interesting the parallel of Moshe asking the Pharaoh for the Jewish people to "Let my people ("them") go" out of Egypt to worship G-d.

[@BeatlesBowieKrimson]

My mother never stopped talking about this hilarious scene.

[@blondmop92]

I guess they must be from the Jiouxish tribe.

[@Darkness_Actual]

I've been watching that damn movie for almost 42 years and never knew what they were saying until 40 seconds ago. 🤣

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

The first couple of times I watched this movie I didn't know Brooks was speaking Yiddish either...😊

[@JoshuaSolomon]

I think it's actually "khap a walk", meaning "take a walk" (as in "hit the road").

[@bartsimpson83]

The funniest thing about this movie? Pretty much all the scenes that would be considered "racist" now were written by Richard Pryor. Brooks was no fool. He knew how it would look if he wrote it himself.

[@janbaer3241]

His favorite character to write for was Mongo.

[@PaulJohnson-vn7eh]

@@janbaer3241 Alex Karras couldn't have played Mongo any better.

[@MoeLaneIII]

@@PaulJohnson-vn7eh Mongo only pawn in game of life.

[@obediahpolkinghorniii564]

Well, he *did* use the Yiddish equivalent of the N word. 🤷 It’s still funny though.

[@daphnegrass9579]

Love Natives :) They're awesome. Walked from Siberia across the frozen Sea into the new lands. Pioneers! Best of us all.

[@AlCiego1959]

The man is a GENIUS! You could never make this movie today!!

[@bioticsla]

but... they do make movies like this today??

[@psyou7713]

@@bioticsla Please tell me. No jokes/ sarcasm. I really need to watch movies like this again. New movies. Can you give me some movie titles?

[@elizabethmayberry3414]

I read somewhere where someone said that to Mel Brooks. His response was something to the effect of, you couldn’t make it then either.

[@ericderiel6224]

Of course not. Because people would say, " @AlCiego1959, why you trying to make that movie again? It was already perfect! "

[@leannsherman6723]

Unfortunately. Everybody’s too gosh darn woke.

[@dizbang3073]

I always wondered what the hell "lawzemgane" meant. Thanks.

[@GenEXReviews]

Lol! I am glad I could help.

[@kevincohen251]

Being Jewish, my grandfather said it all the time. Always cracked up at his yiddish.

[@SeansLipSyncingSock]

LOZ EM GAIEN!

[@DalesBadBug]

one of the funniest movies' i've ever seen. i remember watching it when i was 5-6 years old with my dad. lol

[@daboe-sr8ce]

me too!!

[@lyonya72]

There is a small mistake in the translation-when he says "Khap a walk" is actually a mixture of Yiddish and English-khap means grab-it means literally grab a walk-move on

[@ocnusgb]

They are right about Hollywood casting Jews and Italians for Indian parts. On the casting boards for extras they would offer jobs for "Wopahoes" and "Schmohawks". We all knew what they wanted.

[@jeffersonianideal]

There is also a groundless theory that asserts the Native Americans were a lost tribe of Jews.

[@GenEXReviews]

Lol! I think we are putting too much thought into this. From a theoretical standpoint point, yes you are right sir. But this is a Mel Brooks film. Im sure that wasn't his intention.

[@jeffersonianideal]

@@GenEXReviews I am not claiming to know what inspired Mel Brooks to write the scene. I am just relating something I’ve heard since childhood.

[@GenEXReviews]

My apologies, my intentions weren't to claim that you did. I guess the point I was trying and failed to make is it's a hilarious scene and shouldn't be taken seriously.

[@jeffersonianideal]

@@GenEXReviews No difficulties. The movie stands as one of the best comedy pieces Mel Brooks ever created. I was disappointed to hear Mr. Brooks cave-in to PC pressure recently by apologizing for the film.

[@jkorshak]

It was a Mormon idea - and Brooks was DEFINITELY satirizing the idea.

[@66desdichado]

Gotta love how Mel Brooks is an equal opportunity offender! 🤣

[@markjames8603]

Yep! Everyone's ridiculous!! 😂

[@aforry24]

he can't be marked as racist if he tries to offend everyone

[@bodavidson2804]

It's the only way to get away with it. Like South Park. No one is safe

[@dawnc.3711]

I friggin love this movie and this part cracks me up. There are so many different "issues" in this scene to point out.

[@RooftopsofAmerica]

Watching this scene again for who knows how many times it occurred to me that Mel Brooks worked in a deep cut joke to "the lost tribes of Israel" here as well.

[@smug8567]

Plains Indians use eagle feathers as the most significant part of the headdress to represent honor and respect. They are darker than we are, woof!

[@laserprop]

I have another comment here about having taken my parents to see the movie, just because of this scene. Fortuitously, I was one of the very first to see the film. Nobody knew it would be a satire; this movie wasn't advertised as such, and everybody assumed it would be a straight western. I saw it at the MacArthur Theater, one of those old time houses in Washington, DC, seating over a thousand people. A lot of black people were present. In the opening scene, when the impromptu chorus sang Cole Porter's "I Get No Kick from Champagne," the whole place fell out of their seats, convulsing. I had never before had such an experience. A sort of Nuremberg rally in reverse, I guess. Like the other Mel Brooks classics (The Producers, Young Frankenstein), it's a boy meets boy bromance. And notice how the black guy (Sheriff Bart) is the brains, and the Jew (The Waco Kid) is the muscle.

[@eduard98765]

Brilliant! There are stories that most Indians actually knew some Hebrew and have many more similarities with the Jewish. Did Mel Brooks know that, or is this joke just a coincidence? I think there is more to it. Mel Brooks is one of the most brilliant comedians and Jews have a humor that others don't have.

[@bioticsla]

its a joke on the fact that actors that had to play indians in westerns were mostly jewish or italian

[@Freenorg5]

"It's GOOD to be the Chief..."

[@danielponder690]

I just love how absurd this bit is, why would they be speaking Yiddish of all languages?? I bet the family didn't know the scene would be in Yiddish and English, they look at perplexed as I was when I first saw this scene. My gran and aunt busted out laughing at this scene every time they saw it, now I see why...my Yiddish has improved!

[@GenEXReviews]

Lol!

[@SkyJW15]

It ends up becoming a lot funnier when you realize he's being played by the director, Mel Brooks, a Jewish man who would know a little Yiddish, lol

[@barryk2170]

In the 1800s there was a theory that the native Americans were one of the lost tribes of Israel, so parody taken a step further.

[@jkorshak]

@@barryk2170 It was a Mormon belief which had the American Indian as a lost tribe of Israel.

[@TheBoBabsin]

I'm thinking it was a jab at old westerns having Natives played by any non-white people they could find, or by white guys in redface, speaking some mangled version of Native dialect or straight-up gibberish.

[@xx-ev2sq]

Last sentence is incorrect. He says "have you ever seen such a thing in your life?"

[@sha11235]

I don't remember them ever showing the translations of the Yiddish Indian Chief on the screen.

[@GenEXReviews]

I added the subtitles.

[@mcgrizz7604]

Taybeegashin... Sounds Ojibway lol

[@bryanthughes5799]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@danielnewton5867]

I love this scene!

[@rogerthat4545]

Mel Brooks is a comedic genius.

[@jaymorgenthal9479]

I had a Betamax in 1976 when video recorders became available. This was one of the first movies I recorded off HBO . My father would have me play this scene when friends and relatives visited.

[@pappy374]

"Cop a walk"...!

[@GenEXReviews]

Its alllright

[@pappy374]

@@GenEXReviews Rudy, did you know that there was an unaired Blazing Saddles TV show? I just found out a few days ago.

[@GenEXReviews]

Yes I did. I am currently working on a Blazing Saddles Retrospective. It'll be up in 2 months.

[@pappy374]

@@GenEXReviews I'll keep an eye out for it. My mind was figuratively blown when I found out about it, and doubly so with the reasons why it was made. Take care.

[@cwhitehe]

The best comedy is subversive. Mel Brooks' comedy was subtly subversive and dangerous. He was able to generate mass appeal, all the while sending understated messages. He is an American cultural treasure.

[@evanhughes7609]

Someone's having a dig at the whole 'Native Americans are Lost Tribes of Israel' shtick.😂

[@batmantrill1180]

I always thought it had something to do with how the Mormons thought native Americans where Jewish.

[@monumento.f.501]

''Schwarzes.'

[@GenEXReviews]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@lauragraves4342]

May the schwarzes be with you???

[@davidgittelman6778]

Blacks

[@davidgittelman6778]

I think the underlying message here is the Native Americans recognize the African Americans are also discriminated against by the whites so they won’t kill these oppressed people. Many Jews identify with and feel kinship for African Americans, hence the Yiddish is unexpected and hilarious yet shows compassion by letting them go. Btw “cop a walk” is an old ghetto expression and it’s even funnier the Chief knows it!!

[@Rickyrab]

@@lauragraves4342 wrong movie. 🤣

[@WillScarlet16]

I think we know where the lost tribe of Israel ended up...

[@theultimatederp3288]

I always though Brooks was speaking German. I mean he even got the flag of Imperial Germany (1871 to 1918) painted across his face. I guess that also means Bart's family migrated to the wild west sometime after 1871.

[@QuantumCat76]

Same here ;-)

[@TheAndroidBishop]

Yiddish is German Hebrew

[@FD_and_B]

they literally say in the movie that this scene was in 1856. also it wouldn't be funny if it was german. don't be a nerd

[@Rickyrab]

Good catch, although anachronistic. (But then again, comedies often are)

[@petenick7829]

Yiddish is a dialect of German. Hilarious scene

[@leannsherman6723]

Hilarious, satirical movie😂❤

[@susanlett9632]

😅

[@QuantumCat76]

I always thought his German pronounciation was terrible.

[@llaboe]

He's NOT speaking "german". He's speaking Brooklyn yiddish.

[@blujazz10000]

😂😂😂

[@williamhowe1]

Now I know what they are saying. Thanks.

[@GenEXReviews]

You're welcome.

[@GenEXReviews]

@Alexander the Grape I did it on my own.

[@killmimes]

Was the little boy Rodney Allen Rippy?

[@GenEXReviews]

Not sure

[@killmimes]

@@GenEXReviews i looked on imdb, but the settlers are not mentioned..

[@jkorshak]

It's Rodney Allen Rippy before he was famous for the Jack in the Box ads. By the time the film was released he was already famous from the commercials.

[@pata299]

@@GenEXReviews Bring up Full cast in IMDB: Rodney Allen Rippy ... Bart - Age 5 (uncredited), Danny 'Big Black' Rey ... Bart's Father (uncredited), Almeteer LaFrance ... Bart's Mother (uncredited)

[@sha11235]

@@pata299 A lot of people weren't credited in this for some reason.

[@stratkiller86]

just realized the face paint on Mel Brooks is in the colors of the old German empire flag

[@GenEXReviews]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@heinricho]

LOVE this scene!

[@wesleyrodgers886]

Vonce

[@nurubahari1874]

Breaks my heart that such comedy brilliance will likely never again be made. We now live in a world of snowflakes, cancel culture and wokery.

[@GenEXReviews]

I feel the exact same way.

[@jkorshak]

What a load of crap. First off, if it were made again people would be crying about how you can't remake a classic. Second, you can't make it again because it's been done. Blazing Saddles is available everywhere. Multiple platforms for streaming. Renting. You can by the DVD on the internet and in stores. Clips from the movie going back over a decade are all over youtube. Blazing Saddles isn't going anywhere. But, boy - there sure are a lot of snowflakes totally convinced it's going to be banned - any day now - just you wait. Seems the "cancel culture" didn't get the memo, I guess.

[@seraiharper5553]

I must pop this bubble. This movie was just as controversial when it came out as it would be now, and for the same reasons: the stuff being said wasn't any easier to take in the 70's. Mel Brooks himself has said "You couldn't make a movie like that THEN, but I did it anyway!"

[@WilliBond0007]

uh ... isn't aufwiedersind, good bye, and "Ha' Sie gesehen in deine leben? "have you ever seen {anything like this] in your life?" ..... I love this scene and thank you for posting it .... I knew it would happen, .... but I loathed the day BS would need subttitles.

[@JoshuaSolomon]

I think it's "abi gezunt", not "auf wiedersehen".

[@SeansLipSyncingSock]

@@JoshuaSolomon You’re correct.

[@theraelchannel8924]

What Mel Brooks is doing in this scene, which most commentators here are missing, is satirizing the ridiculous notion that American Indians are descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel. Hence Brooks’ Yiddish dialog. This same ridiculous notion is also satirized in the movie “Cat Ballou” where Cat’s father Frankie is always using the Jewish greeting of “Shalom Aleichem” with his Indian farm hand Jackson Two-Bears.

[@indigolabsindegoshark]

very funny on one level but like. not super great on a native american representation level

[@GenEXReviews]

My friend, It's just a joke.

[@kwb377]

If this offends you, you obviously haven't seen the rest of this movie.

[@jkorshak]

It's a comedy, not a documentary - and the Native Americans are portrayed as good guys who lets the hero's family go. That said, I respect Native American opinion on this because THEY are really the only relevant opinion on what might be acceptable and what might cross the line when it comes to the portrayal of Native Americans in popular entertainment.

[@DoctorWho134]

​@@kwb377 the movie isn't really offensive it makes fun of racists (i mean they are the morons in the movie) and also this scene makes fun of Hollywood's practice of using Italian Americans and American Jews to portray Indians.

[@DavidLemmo]

It's a lampoon on Jewish and Italian actors playing indians in the old westerns. Also, the Chief is being played by Mel Brooks himself.