*BLAZING SADDLES* had us hootin’ and hollerin’ (First time watching reaction)

My name is Jim. But most people call me… Jim.
Hello, nice dudes! After the insane performance of our reaction to Spaceballs, we thought it would only be natural to react to Mel Brooks' 1974 classic, Blazing Saddles, starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder!
Our reaction to Spaceballs: • We couldn't stop laugh...
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[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

After careful consideration, we've assigned ourselves to take a moment to research and educate ourselves on lamps and their history

[@coreymeyer6488]

Dang it. And here I was all ready to say something sarcastic and/or clever to make myself feel superior to your ignorance.

[@coast2coast00]

Technology connections has done a few videos on old lamps if anyone is really interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fGTVn5aum5mCqJo

[@robertsmith3883]

Richard Pryor was actually a main writer on Blazing Saddles If you want the best Mel Brooks film, it's "Young Frankenstein"

[@mikejankowski6321]

@@robertsmith3883 Pryor wrote the Mongo pawn line.

[@Leightr]

I still have a few of those oil lamps around for when the power goes out.

[@TarossBlackburn]

The beauty of this movie remains that Mel doesn't just say that racism is bad. He points out that racism is stupid.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Yes! A fantastic distinction 😂

[@paullakin7777]

Spot on Taross.

[@garretthenderson5738]

​@not tellin that would be because he's not an idiot or an immoral piece of excrement.

[@kelduarjudgester9083]

@not tellin Not a riddle, a personal preference. People can be individuals, and politics aren’t needed. Normally the winners are the ones who spend the most money, go figure as it’s capitalism. Have a lovely evening, and why break down a person into their individual choices?

[@Akihito007]

@@kelduarjudgester9083 No Brooks grew up a New York City secular Jew. Going into tv and later Hollywood, most of the people he chose to work with were liberals. It's sad he backed the wrong horse after not endorsing any other Presidential candidate but if he'd backed Trump, the media and Hollywood would have DESTROYED his character, career and banned all of his movies. There is NO "individual choice" allowed according to the Left. They've made EVERYTHING political sadly and they seek to control EVERYTHING.

[@neil2742]

The line "but not the Irish " was apparently put in due to a conversation over lunch on set. Someone remarked that the movie would offend everyone and a stage hand (who was Irish) pointed out that he had not been offended. The line was added to correct that

[@Powerranger-le4up]

And it also refers to the actual discrimination that the Irish went through during the 19th and 20th century.

[@scapevelocity]

Even better was that the actor who delivered that line was himself of Irish descent.

[@Megan_Fiorilla]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 As an Irish woman I'm dying 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@pronoun_dilemma]

As an Irish person, it's one of my favourite lines in this amazing movie!

[@jadedandbitter]

​@@Powerranger-le4upwhich was very significant. There was a point, especially in northeastern cities, that blacks were preferred to the Irish, no joke. Like people didn't want either marrying their daughter, but they'd rather have blacks around doing menial jobs than the irish. Good ol' xenophobic racists never let anything like skin color get in the way of hatred.

[@inarar5334]

"You know...morons" was all Gene Wilder. Thst laugh was Cleavon Little breaking but it was just too perfect of a moment.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

That laugh looked so genuine, it makes sense it was real!

[@user-zp4ge3yp2o]

I've seen that mentioned loads of times, but I have to wonder if that is true what was the punchline of that scene supposed to be?

[@inarar5334]

@@user-zp4ge3yp2o you're assuming there was one. Bart probably had some retort or something. But you can tell Little knows Wilder is about to go off script, so I figure there was supposed to be more and that pause gave it away.

[@inarar5334]

For a similar experience, Wayne's Worlds "did you ever find bugs bunny attractive..." was Dana Carvey doing the same thing to Mike Myers. You can see Carvey look over right before he says it wirh a very "oh this is gonna get him good" look.

[@Artaimus]

@@user-zp4ge3yp2o Apparently Wilder said something different each take so you can see how Little knows something is coming but quite obviously doesn't know what it will be.

[@bigorange2082]

The music is so sincere because the composer didn’t know it was a comedy. He thought it was a serious western. That just makes the music perfect.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

That’s the way to do it! But now I’m wondering how the composer must’ve felt when he finally watched it 😅

[@MLennholm]

No you're confusing this trivia with that about Frankie Laine, the guy who sang the title song. He's the one who didn't realize it was a comedy when he recorded it. The film's composer, John Morris, certainly knew it was a comedy as he had worked with Brooks several times before.

[@frederalbacon]

@@MLennholm That makes a LOT more sense, considering composers typically cue the music to moments in the movie, so how would a composer not know what the movie was about?

[@hantumann4r449]

Then the tone of music turn into Looney Tunes and Popeye XD XD XD

[@janna-renee]

Mel Brooks just turned 96. He lost the vast majority of his extended family in the Holocaust. In each of his movies, he puts in a way to say "fuck you" to Hitler, whether via an actor in costume or a blink-and-miss-it background sight gag.

[@exceedcharge1]

As was his right

[@stephanniemorin]

And he has every right to do that

[@Powerranger-le4up]

He and Burton Gilliam are the only surviving cast members.

[@kyrauniversal]

Hell yeah, Mel! Spit on Hitlers grave!

[@kingscorpion7346]

never knew any of that before, and it really adds extra punch to all his punch lines. Laughter being the best medicine, and he certainly shared that medicine with the world!

[@alanhandleman6513]

Cleavon Little (Sheriff Bart) was already an established Broadway actor prior to making Blazing Saddles, and the live stage was his true love. Sadly, he died from colon cancer at the age of 53. He was a great talent. I agree with you guys that his chemistry with Gene Wilder was wonderful and more films with the two of them would have been worth seeing.

[@panamafloyd1469]

I've always thought it was damn near criminal that Cleavon didn't get much more film work. (The DJ in "Vanishing Point" is all I can recall without looking it up). I wish I could have seen him on stage..even when I was a kid (12yrs old when "Blazing Saddles" came out), I thought he was a genius. I think it also helps (and for when I saw "Young Frankenstein", too) that back then, a lot of the broadcast rights fees for the films to which he was paying tribute were so cheap. Those films are what TV stations played instead of infomercials at night. Even as a pre-teen, I realized that Madeline's 'von Stupp' character was a satire of the Dietrich film - I'd seen it! :D

[@datamike00]

yeah, Cleavon did some TV work after this(a sitcom called temperatures rising) but not much else(that I saw) , never understood that

[@TheSILENTBOB180]

@@panamafloyd1469 was in once bitten with a young Jim Carrey

[@TheBoglin]

@@TheSILENTBOB180 Yep and that movie, Once Bitten, is actually on KZbin right now to watch for free!

[@Thraxraganharapollyus]

Like Chadwick Boseman

[@88wildcat]

Brooks was told he couldn't make a satire about racism in 1974 so he set "the movie" in 1874 and then did the crane shot to show the film lots to move the movie into 1974. Brooks wanted John Wayne to make an appearance in the film. Wayne told him his agent wouldn't let him be in the movie but he would be the first one in line to buy a ticket to see it.

[@xhagast]

Lol, the Duke, class all the way.

[@this.is.a.username]

which is silly since John was racist as fuck.

[@eddietigre6233]

Sorry to disappoint you but john wain was a racist. Change my mind

[@tonycanabal1659]

Was Mel aware of John's alleged racist beliefs?

[@5ilver42]

@@tonycanabal1659 Everyone is racist. So, probably.

[@thecursor1]

“I want another movie with these guys.” We all wish Cleavon made more movies

[@shioriryukaze]

Yes...they had such great comedic timing...

[@inarar5334]

Mel Brooks doesn't believe in the fourth wall. It's more like a suggestion to him.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

L o l that's an amazing way to put it!

[@ffjsb]

Mel Brooks breaks time/space continuums.. A fourth wall is child's play to him.

[@5ilver42]

It's a flavor of theatre, the audience is a part of the production

[@b.victoradams9346]

@@ffjsb with Ludicrous Speed, one would.

[@ffjsb]

@@b.victoradams9346 Ludicrous Speed... wasn't he a rapper???

[@StealthMarmot_]

I watched the director's commentary to this movie on a DVD, and on it Mel Brooks talks about the singer of the opening song. Apparently he was brought in to sing it and while singing, the singer had tears in his eyes. He realized that the singer had NO idea that the movie was a spoof or comedy. When asked if they should tell the singer, Mel said "No!" From there he learned a useful rule of comedy: People acting serious in funny situations = Comedy.

[@Historian212]

What a lot of people don’t know is that Richard Pryor co-wrote Blazing Saddles. Brooks wanted him to play Sheriff Bart, but the studio refused because of Pryor’s drug use (they were afraid he was unreliable). It was Pryor who insisted on the use of the “n” word, and the full-on racism of the townspeople. Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder were great co-stars, but it was Wilder and Pryor who co-starred in several movies together.

[@candicelitrenta8890]

Silver Streak is one of my all-time favorites with Gene and Richard

[@agrofindastation]

@@candicelitrenta8890 that movie spawned my favorite insult of all time and Gene's timing makes it all the better. "You stupid, ignorant son of a b¡tch dumb b@stard! Jesus Christ, I've met some dumb b@stards in my time, but you outdo them all!"

[@markstoudenmire4935]

Yes, Silver Streak and Stir Crazy.

[@AndrewLakeUK]

@@markstoudenmire4935 See No Evil, Hear No Evil not so much.

[@sentineluk7]

Another fun fact is that Mongo was Pryor's favorite character and he was the one who wrote the "Mongo only pawn in Game of Life" line.

[@ceruleanwalker1069]

The sincere moments are so sincere, they enhance the comedy. My favourite ending line: "Where ya heading Cowboy?" "Nowhere special." "Hmm, nowhere special. I've always wanted to go there."

[@HollywoodandWine101]

When lily says “it’s twue! It’s twue!” They actually cut barts response, which was “baby, you’re sucking on my elbow”

[@Serai3]

Yeah, that was the one joke the studio wouldn't let him have.

[@magekazin]

Actually Mel cut it himself. Due to the contract the Studio had Zero say in any part of the movie according to Brooks. He also said if they did there would have been dozens of cut jokes

[@HollywoodandWine101]

@@magekazin such a shame cause it’s such a funny joke . Still one of Mel’s best works

[@AluminumTab]

I can totally hear it in Bart's voice too

[@RukoHanaji]

What's hilarious is I heard that line from an edited for television airing! I was like, "Wait, WHAT." O.o

[@barlarg]

Blazing Saddles is absolutely iconic. Even if you've seen it a million times you catch something new every time you see it. It's a testament to Mel Brooks for sure

[@Historian212]

The Lily von Shtupp character was a parody of German actress Marlene Dietrich (who was anti-Nazi and fled Germany before the war). The joke about the character’s name is that “shtup” is a rude Yiddish word for having sex. You talked over the punch line of her song about men “coming and going and going and coming - and always too soon.”

[@rickcoona]

It was a nod to Dietrich's role in the western *"Destry Rides Again"*

[@steveswafen2528]

Unfortunately it wasn't the only classic line they talked over which was a shame. I think many reactors confuse reacting to tv/movies with thinking it's having to say something witty or discussing a scene before it's completed (constantly) , instead of being in the moment.

[@snorpenbass4196]

Well, Lili is a combination of Dietrich and Mae West. The voice and accent and constant German references are Dietrich, the racy jokes and physical mannerisms are West.

[@robertsmith3883]

@@snorpenbass4196 Mae West ..had NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with Kahn's parody of Marlene Dietrich, who was a German-born American actress and singer whose career spanned from the 1910s to the 1980s.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

@@robertsmith3883 I think he's referring to the "happy to see me" line, frequently attributed to West. I will admit, it's not much.

[@AtlasBlizzard]

Madeline Kahn got an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress for this movie. To this day, an actor getting nominated for a comedy is rare, especially a Mel Brooks film!

[@Serai3]

That sincerity is also very evident in "Young Frankenstein", a real love letter to the old silver-screen horror movies of the 30's. Mel got the original laboratory set from the old Frankenstein films, and the wonderful props as well. It's both incredibly funny and touchingly sincere. You guys would love it. It also stars Gene Wilder, with Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn (Lily Von Shtupp), and Teri Garr. By the way, Madeline's character in this film is very specific - she's doing a satire of Marlene Dietrich, a German actress who got huge in Hollywood in the 30's. Madeline does her spot on here. Also, Hedy Lamarr was a famous actress of the 30's as well, thus Hedley's irritation at everyone getting his name wrong. Fun fact: she really did sue the film, to which Mel Brooks replied, "Give her what she wants, she's Hedy Lamarr, for god's sake!"

[@phillipridgway8317]

A further interesting fact: Hedy Lamarr was a genius inventor, too. One of her inventions was as an early pioneer of the technology that would one day form the basis for today's WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems. She also invented a guidance system for WW2 torpedoes!

[@newmoon766]

I saw Young Frankenstein when it was first released. It was a matinee, so not a huge crowd, but still, somehow I was the only one laughing out loud through the whole film.

[@RodolfLeclerc]

@@newmoon766 I consider Young Frankenstein as the absolute masterpiece of Mel Brooks. Just a little tiny bit over the Producers.

[@Texashog11]

In fact, Madeline Kahn’s character was a direct homage to Marlene Dietrich’s character in the movie “Destry Rides Again” with Jimmy Stewart. Mongo was played by all Pro NFL player Alex Karras. Just find an article on this movie to find all the references, actors and tidbits about how the movie was made.

[@Texashog11]

@@phillipridgway8317 Yes! She invented Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum. It was more than just a method of communication, it was for secure military communications. It transmits just a bit of a signal on one frequency before changing to another frequency continually. Both the sending equipment and receiving equipment have to know the “song” being played to know the frequencies that will be used to transmit the signal. Plus she was a spy.

[@BeastrealDT]

Not an electric light, but an oil lamp that she blows out. Love at the end where Gene still has his popcorn from the Chinese Theater. 🍿✌️

[@bluejay22]

The scene where “Jim” was telling “Bart” about the “people of the land”, when he says “ya know, morons”, and Bart starts laughing, apparently he wasn’t suppose to laugh. That was just him cracking up and they kept it in.

[@jwsel]

The “morons” line was ad-libbed by Gene Wilder, so Cleavon Little wasn’t expecting it.

[@spindletopcenter]

You can also see Little looking at the crew, expecting them to say cut. Mel loved it and kept it

[@geiroveeilertsen7112]

11:39 Fun fact: Cleavon Little wasn't originally supposed to laugh in that scene, but Gene's delivery made him laugh every time, so they kept it 🙂

[@Ididnotwanttojoin]

Well, Gene's ad lib, anyway. He wasn't supposed to say "morons."

[@WilliamTheMovieFan]

What people usually miss about the movie is how the entire town asked Bart to stay and said they needed him at the end of the film. The town was hostile towards him at the beginning, but despite all they did to Bart, he still wanted to protect them and the town. They were sad to see him leave. That's pretty cool for a movie famous for a really long fart gag!

[@declaneric]

The best part of the "morons" line is that it wasn't in the script. Gene Wilder improvised it and caught Cleavon Little off guard. That laugh was a real reaction, he was supposed to keep a straight face. Mel Brooks loved it so much he left the entire exchange in the film.

[@Drocksas]

Came here to comment this if it wasn't here already. Such a nice, genuine little scene that served for good characterization!

[@chrisarbour]

All of his movies are masterpieces. This one is just by far the best of the bunch.

[@bwilliams463]

I love Bart's horse; it's just beautiful. The 'yes' anfd 'no' on the backside of Mongo's Brahms bull is a reference to the days that American school buses used to similarly have yes and no painted on them,to remind drivers behind them wsassafe to pass the bus on.

[@promontorium]

Wow, not that I ever googled it, which I should have, but I never knew and always wondered what the Yes / No referenced. I wasn't alive when the film came out, but I know a lot about history so I could understand most of the film, but yeah some things went over my head. When I learned who Hedy Lamarr was, the only thing I could think was, wow that was a stupid and pointless running joke. Not knowing made it funnier.

[@Ididnotwanttojoin]

The sources I found said it was semitrucks, not school buses.

[@datamike00]

makes sense, always wondered about that

[@scapevelocity]

One of my favorite stories concerns Burton Gilliam, who was henchman to Slim Pickens. He was deeply uncomfortable about having to say the N word, especially to Cleavon Little (Sheriff Bart). Little took him aside and told him it was fine, that it was one character saying it to another and that it was to show how dumb and awful that character was. And Gilliam was amazing at portraying dumb and awful with that encouragement!

[@GregRohr]

Specifically, Little told Burton (one of the very NICEST people in show biz!) that the fact that he had a problem saying it was the main reason Little was fine with him saying it. CL knew where it was coming from and where it was NOT coming from.

[@pronoun_dilemma]

That's actually a great story.

[@astrofan1993]

He also recounted that Mel Brooks took him aside before he filmed the fart scene (the first-ever fart scene in cinema history, by the way) that that day was the day they were finally going to shoot that scene, and Burton Gilliam would be the first one to let one rip; in Mel Brooks' words, he said, "I'm going to make you famous today." Burton Gilliam, who used to work for the Dallas Fire Department prior to being in Blazing Saddles, was nervous about shooting the scene, saying, "They won't let me back go back to the fire department if I do that!" because he didn't know if the movie was going to be successful. Mel Brooks replied, "Because of this, you won't have to go back to the fire department." And he was right. Looking back, Burton Gilliam says that it is his favorite scene in the whole movie, much like how many other people consider it their favorite scene as well.

[@DrFrankenolly]

If you haven’t seen Clue, that’s an amazing comedy that’s supposed to be like a classic who-done-it murder mystery. Star studded cast includes Tim Curry, Madeline Cahn, and even Christopher Loyd just to name a few.

[@videostash413]

to be honest, it's bad

[@gwenivercall]

I love the "you'd do it for Randolph Scott" joke - another meta joke, as Scott played the lead role in a lot of Zane Grey westerns in the 30s. The first time I saw Blazing Saddles it was dubbed into Italian, and Italian audiences weren't familiar with Randolph Scott, but they were familiar with John Wayne, so the joke became "Per John Wayne lo fareste, no?" Also, Lili von Schtupp was a parody of Marlene Dietrich, German cabaret singer and actress of the 30s and 40s. If you want to watch another Mel Brooks, you have to go for Young Frankenstein, which many people, including myself, consider his masterpiece. Gene Wilder plays the title character, and he's never been funnier.

[@christiantidball6121]

Actually Randolph Scott was in a couple dozen westerns from 1928 to 1962.

[@michaelpapp5518]

Yes, Young Frankenstein, for sure.

[@Serai3]

Richard Dix played bad guys in Westerns as well. ("Remember when Richard Dix came here and tried to take over this town?")

[@knoahbody69]

The Randolph Scott reference is the most obscure. No one knows him unless you were born in the early 1920's.

[@knoahbody69]

@@christiantidball6121 That would mean a lot of people alive today wouldn't know his movies.

[@destendgem]

Fun Fact: Frankie Laine was brought in to do the theme, the same guy who sang thd opening for "Rawhide". The reason the song is legitimately so good and awesome was because Mel didn't tell him it was a parody movie so he'd sing it completely straight.

[@coachmikesfilmroom3111]

This is the greatest comedy ever, followed closely by all other Mel Brooks films, Airplane and the Naked Gun series. I'd recommend History of the world part one or Robin Hood Men in Tights

[@AmericanBrit9834]

Don't forget Monty Python

[@gamer749]

2:20 The horse slipping was not scripted. It actually slipped on the wet wood. The actor riding just went with it to save the scene.

[@jacobkratt4598]

The sincerity you guys are highlighting about the movie is something it took me a while to really understand about it, but it honestly can't work without it -- it'd be a nightmare to effectively roll Spaceballs slapstick together with the central theme of racial prejudice. Given the time period, this one is a tightrope walk of comedy that's still pretty impressive today for those reasons

[@dawnfallon6812]

This movie really should be shown to everyone. It dealt with the race tensions in such a smart way by making it the joke. The execution is perfect. The best part is it will never be remade. This movie couldn't be made in this day, let alone remade.

[@davidroberts4769]

It's NOT just 'a whole fucking band' it's the Legendary Count Basie & his Orchestra

[@cuthwulf]

Great reaction/view. Few things you might’ve missed: 1. The executioner is dressed in medieval garb, not western, and is a recurring character in Mel’s films. 2. Mongo is riding a Brahma Bull, not yak. Just a form of cow/bovine known for the hump on its back. 3. Originally Richard Pryor was slated to play the lead. 4. Mongo was a former football player who went on to play the dad on Webster.

[@lameduck3105]

"Young Frankenstein" is another funny Mel Brooks movie worth checking out. It stars Gene Wilder as well in a lead role (and Madeline Kahn who was in this movie is in that one too).

[@paullakin7777]

...and a beautifully funny and touching cameo from Gene Hackman.

[@RetroRobotRadio]

The man who played Reverend Johnson in this movie also appeared in Young Frankenstein as the patient in the lecture hall.

[@paullakin7777]

@@RetroRobotRadio Yes! Well spotted!

[@0okamino]

And Marty Feldman, who had a great eye (well, two of them) for comedic scenes.

[@minty_Joe]

That's "Fronk-en-steen".

[@robbrobb5543]

BY the way the laughs from Gene Wilders reactions were all real. He was a riot on set and Mel Brooks just let it ride. The scene where he refers to the common people as morons was a complete outtake while they were improvising.

[@mildredpierce4506]

15:15 Fellas. Those were not electric lights. At least they’re not supposed to be since it was the 1800s. Those were kerosene lamps that you would either blow out or lowered the wick to extinguish the flame. 22:45 That’s the studio commissary or cafeteria. It is normal to see the different actors still dressed in their costumes from the various sets they were on.

[@AtomicMama42]

Fun fact: they made a pilot episode for a TV show for this. Also Richard Pryor wrote A LOT for this movie. "Mongo only pawn in game of life" is his quote

[@Nozoki]

Black Bart starred Louis Gossett Jr. He claims they made about 24 episodes over 4 years and it was never intended to be released, it was just so the production company could retain the rights to the characters in case they decided to make a sequel movie.

[@badplay156]

From what I understand, Richard Pryor wrote most of the dialog for the white guys and Brooks the black guys

[@jwohl76]

Mel Brooks is a genius. He puts everything in the movie and makes no apologies. Amazing.

[@brianschaffer9220]

12:10 My favorite part. Give that horse an Oscar!!

[@videostash413]

how about something the horse would appreciate? like a snack

[@Baldwin-iv445]

​@@videostash413Beacon and eggs?

[@michaelsessums]

“They told me you were hung.” “And they were right.” 🤣🤣🤣

[@chello1197]

Knew you two would laugh uncontrollable with this one. When Jim told Bart they was morons, word is that part was not in the script. That smile/ laugh was 100% caught off guard. And Lili Von Shtupp, should have won a Grammy ( lol).

[@alkristopher]

You mean a Gwammy.

[@donniehagy5125]

There is a story about the "it's twue" scene. Mel Brooks wanted to add the response of "sorry; uh, that's the doorknob", but those in charge made him cut that line!

[@herbyragan8686]

My favorite Mel Brooks film is Mel’s first film “The Producers” which Mel won the screenplay Oscar for. Another great film, which most people skip by, but deserves some more love is “The 12 Chairs”

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

We'd love to check out The Producers. We've heard great things about it!

[@christineirving4491pluviophile]

Mine too. Whenever I need a dose of silliness, on goes 'Springtime for Hitler'. The remake was okay, but not a patch on the original.

[@Serai3]

OH YES. I love The 12 Chairs, but nobody seems to remember it anymore. I think it's brilliant, and it started that trend of Mel doing movies that send up particular genres. Starting with Russian drama was pretty snarky, I think. :D

[@EQSATUB]

A very young Frank Langella in a COMIC role…that is all you need to sell watching The Twelve Chairs.

[@academyofshem]

@@Serai3 And Dom DeLuise as the greedy priest; "I got the chairs, neyh neyh neyh..." I saw it in the theater when it came out fifty years ago. Great story. If you like a comedy with a heart, this was his best.

[@Alcagaur1]

Gene Wilder was an almost literal last minute replacement, since they had started to shoot the jailhouse bunk scene on a Friday but, while hanging over the edge of the bed, the actor (Gig Young) started to convulse from the DTs, due to his real-life alcoholism. Mel called Gene that night and sent him the script and Gene flew out, reading it on the plane, to start filming the Monday morning. As a trade off, Mel agreed to direct Young Frankenstein WITHOUT his own customary onscreen appearance. This (YF) was Gene's passion project, and he worried that Mel's over-the-top onscreen style would change the tone of the piece.

[@nickmanzo8459]

I’d highly recommend the film Young Frankenstein. I saw that movie when I was way too young to see it and I’ve loved it ever since.

[@GenericProtagonist118]

Fun Fact: the line Mongo says, "Mongo only pawn in game of life." was written by Richard Pryor.

[@walker1812]

20:12 I love the academy award best supporting actor joke because Madeline Kahn did get nominated for best supporting actress for her role in this film (and well deserved).

[@becmer]

I wish she would have got the award

[@d.j.starling3559]

In the scene when the Indian Chief (Mel Brooks) sees the family in the wagon train, he immediately begins speaking Yiddish. The term he uses, Schvatza, is Yiddish for black. The rest of his dialogue is in that language as well, although I don't remember what I was told he said. And the song The Count Basie Band (the best band in the land) is playing as Bart crosses the musty desert is April In Paris - typical Mel Brooks ironic humor.

[@whouse261]

Loved this reaction from you guys, you seemed to get the film's point of view and didn't get too thrown by the meta wall-breaking ending. Thought I would throw out a few annotations that you or the other viewers might not be aware of: Harvey Korman's character name "Hedley Lamarr" was a takeoff on glamorous actress Hedy Lamarr, a well known star of the 1930s-40s. She actually sued Warner Bros. for using (almost) her name without permission; Brooks was amused and settled with her for a relatively small sum, saying that she "didn't get the joke." The governor's name "LePetomane" was taken from the stage name (it means "the farting maniac") of Joseph Pujol (1957-1945), a French performer who was able to control his abdominal muscles to fart air (not gas) at will. "You'd do it for Randolph Scott!" Randolph Scott was a very popular Western movie star of the 1930s-1960s, whose charaters were epitome of upright virtue and heroism. Some of his fans' regard for him bordered on reverence. See the Statler Brothers' song "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?" Madelene Kahn's "Lily von Shtupp" character is an extended takeoff on Marlene Dietrich, a very famous German-American actress who also sang, in a unique, strangely mesmerizing off-key voice. von Shtupp's song "I'm Tired" has the same feel as Dietrich's signature song "Falling in Love Again", but the Western setting is similar to Dietrich's first song in the Western "Destry Rides Again." I couldn't find the "Destry" scene online but here is "Falling in Love Again" kzbin.info/www/bejne/d3_UeKBjgs6kh9U. Bart runs off after saying he was doing an impression of Jesse Owens. Owens was the famous African-American track star who notably won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The hangman "Boris" is a takeoff on horror star Boris Karloff, who played a menacing torturer in "Tower of London" (1939).

[@whouse261]

Also, "Shtupp" is Yiddish for bang, screw, f--k.

[@OvGraphics]

Good job there 26. You caught me up on the LePetomne gag. I didn't know that. I had seen Pujol do his stuff, btw...but the name had not stuck. So again, great job with the trivia!

[@chileanzombie42]

Thank you

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

Monthy Python: "Do you know what this '4th Wall' is everyone talks about?" Mel Brooks: "You know, I have been wondering about that myself."

[@Suthek]

15:17 They're petroleum lamps. The high glass pipe creates a draft that feeds the flame fresh air from holes beneath the wick. If you want to turn them off, you can retract the wick, but the draft will still keep the flame alight slightly, so you blow at the top end of the tube to disrupt the draft, allowing the flame to go out completely.

[@BulletsAA]

the cows bit is a reference to an industry term. when they would want extras showing up they would call it a "cattle call" so mel used real cows for it.

[@jasonflay8818]

The sincerity at parts is A. A love letter to the genre and also B. The music. The guy who sang the main theme song thought this was just another western as he had done several. He had no clue it was a comedy and as such sang it straight Also on a personal note, it is a true thing of joy to watch the reaction of people who have never seen this masterpiece before

[@huber7777]

You are the first reactors I've seen that caught the joke where the Governor stops at "this man is a ni-" both times! It's one of my favorite jokes in the movie :)

[@inarar5334]

"Why is there a chimpanzee on set?" Tarzan movie being filmed at the studio. . The commissary had like a whole bunch of those little references.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Of course Mel Brooks thought all of it through! Such a genius

[@0okamino]

You know, that chimpanzee never played fair. He was such a Cheeta.

[@alternative7586]

Sheriff Bart is the physical representation of maxing out your Charisma.

[@stephanniemorin]

Heck yeah! This movie is really something! Never saw it before! 3:31 Just wanna say, God Bless Mel Brooks. Still kicking it at 96 years old and his movies can still make us laugh! 3:50 Blooegard Q. Kazoo, take notes...THIS is how you do a paddleball! 4:04 Guess he was prepared to work from home before we were! 10:37 Never has a fart joke been so funny! ...And so loved! 11:58 Thats actually a Zebu or a Brahma cow, a cattle species native to India! They're domesticated, so there's some kind of bullfighting joke in there somewhere (EDIT: Never found it, but the commissary scene is way better!) 12:10 He didn't quite sucker punch the horse...the rider jerked the reins back and caused the horse to fall, which was how horses appeared to be "shot" or "injured" in westerns back then!

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

The farts were so aggressive 😂 It's been a while since I've truly laughed a fart joke in a movie

[@stephanniemorin]

@@NiceDudeMovieNight Usually a fart joke is lowbrow comedy...I guess Mel Brooks makes it better!

[@jamesbanksiii319]

@@NiceDudeMovieNight this was the first fart heard in a movie.

[@garrettjackson913]

That "these are people of the land, you know... morons" line was ad libed

[@mongomongo7664]

There was one joke that did not make it in the film and it was “She blows out the candles, and she says in her German accent, ‘Is it true what they say about you people?’ And Cleavon says, ‘I hate to disillusion you, ma’am, but you’re sucking on my arm.'” At the end of the movie when the whole group is running out of the Warner Brothers studio front gates, there is a man in a sweater standing on the sidewalk, watching the action. Mel Brooks has said that the man was not part of the movie, and had simply wandered into the scene. They shooed him away and then went to film the scene. The guy came back into the shot, and is seen standing next to a light pole as the characters stream past him down the street. Brooks had asked the man to move, as they were getting ready to shoot that scene. The man, not understanding their requests, stood there. So Brooks sent out a waiver for him to sign, and left him in the movie.

[@0okamino]

Gotta hand it to him, he played the role of hapless onlooker very well.

[@garyg7145]

My favorite thing about how Mel Brooks handled racism in this movie is they take the "N" word, and just use in a way that moves through stages. 1 = shock value. You are surprised its used to freely in funny situations. 2 = acceptance. You just accept that is normal in context and grow numbed to it. 3 = uncomfortable. Use it so much you get uncomfortable laughing at it so often. 4 = absurdity. Use the word so often it moves into the ridiculous. Now the word (not the meaning) is a punchline and any racist implications and those who use it are laughable. In 30 minutes he completely neuters a divisive term and makes it and anyone using it a laughing stock. Absolute genius.

[@bendailey6070]

I saw an interview with Gene Wilder where he was asked what made him so funny. His reply was that he wasn't a funny person. In most of the roles he's in you'll notice that it's his normal reaction to crazy stuff going on around him that makes it funny.

[@newmoon766]

He plays the foil to the ridiculous people around him. Classic comedic role.

[@Rebel9668]

...It is my privilege to extend to you a Laurel & Hardy handshake... That cracks me up every time.

[@punklover99]

The governor didn't drop the n bomb, he called him a nit, a nitwit

[@erikkaye1114]

You guys city out my favorite joke, which you probably wouldn't have gotten anyway. When Mongo rode his water buffalo into town, after a few people scream his name, one townsman looks straight at the camera and curses, "Mongo Santamaria!" Mongo Santamaria was a great Cuban big band leader of the 50s!

[@inarar5334]

Speaking of the sincerity underlying the comedy, Brooks purposefully didn't tell the man who sang the theme it was a comedy. He just said it was about racism in the west, because he wanted the theme to be authentic. It comes off so sincere you'll hear the theme being played at Frontierland at Disney parks.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Hahaha, I never noticed that and I've been to Frontierland several times 😂 That's awesome, though! Mel Brooks perfectly plays the balance of having a goofy tone but still making a functioning movie with an actually compelling story.

[@inarar5334]

@@NiceDudeMovieNight they might not anymore, to be fair, it's been awhile since I've been. They used to, at the very least.

[@whouse261]

You know, I know that Brooks has repeated that story about singer Frankie Laine not knowing that the film was a spoof, but I've always been skeptical of that. In addition to singing the themes for many "straight" TV and movie westerns, Laine had previously sung the theme song for the now obscure TV comedy series "Rango" (1967) starring Tim Conway as an inept Texas Ranger, so he had to be familiar with the idea of a Western spoof. Also, anyone faced with singing a song with a ridiculous title like "Blazing Saddles" should know that something was up. Laine was a longtime showbiz pro, a big star in his day who sang pop, jazz, blues, and many other styles, and was perfectly capable of singing a comic song straight if so instructed. No proof, just my opinion.

[@inarar5334]

@@whouse261 as the story goes, Laine didn't even know until he saw the movie at his local theater. I'd imagine had it been a bit of a white lie, he would have said so when Brooks started relaying the story. Plus it's not like Brooks did it malicious like, when he tells the story he did feel bad about it. He's enough of a troll that if it was one on Laine he'd have owned up to that part. You could be right and Laine just kept it to himself, though. You've got a point about his experience. But it's also possible that Brooks really did only give him the barebones, it's not like Laine needed to see dailies, he wasn't scoring it. Dunno, just feels like a known story that would have been long debunked had it been untrue.

[@ZippyTripped]

Gene Wilder and Cleavon Little didn’t do anymore movies but Gene Wider and Richard Pryor did! Check out a movie called Stir Crazy!!!!!

[@VincentNajger1]

Mel Brookes is STILL ALIVE ....at the end of 2023. He is now 97 years old. He's done plenty of black face and brown face and yellow face and red face and purple face.....but he can't be cancelled. Different era and he was just a comedian... the was no malicious intent, be it unwitting or otherwise (ahem....like Fidel Castro Jr aka Prime Minister Juzzy Trudeau). I like that its quite obvious modern audiences....as in real, normal people....aren't offended by jokes, even if they have aged badly. It's only the assholes that get outraged on other people's behalf that want to rob us of awesome old films like this, that may not have content that a supposed 'modern audience' would find appropriate....gotta chuck them all on the burn pile, to be unpersoned and thrown into the memory hole for destruction. Just like their instructional text book '1984' tells them to. (Minorities MUST be offended by whatever you are told to be offended by, by the people who know better. That is also regardless of what those 'other' people actually think. They should be leaving their thinking up to the -Regressives- ... ehem...er... Progressives...coz how can ...how dare...a marginalised minority ever think for themselves? lol)

[@leddygee1896]

Undeniably the greatest comedy ever filmed. Mel Included everyone, that's what made it funny!! Cinematic Genius.

[@brachiator1]

Very fun review. A lot of people mention the "politically incorrect" comedy or the mashup of movie Western conventions, but it is cool how you both note the sincerity at the center of the relationship of Wilder and Little. They would not make any more movies together, but Wilder and Richard Pryor had a similar chemistry in the films they made together. And I think that Pryor had been considered to play the role of the sheriff.

[@glennwisniewski9536]

Hedley makes imprints of his hands and feet, and signs his name in the sidewalk at the famous Grauman's (then Mann's and now TCL) Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. He somehow does it while he's dying! More absurdist humor. And, it should be noted that lots of tourists who visits the outside of the theatre say the same thing about certain movie star imprints: "gee, that star's feet are so small," which explains the joke about Hedley's dying words. Looking down at actor Douglas Fairbanks' 1927 footprints, Hedley says, "How did he do such fantastic stunts with such little feet?" (Fairbanks was known for his swashbuckling roles).

[@dave1986R]

One of the greatest comedy movies of all time, what’s really amazing about Blazing Saddles is that one of the producers says to people, “I now live in a house that the farts built”. 😆😆😆

[@darrinwebber4077]

Saw Blazing Saddles at drive-in when I was a kid. Still love to watch it. Great flick.

[@tunaonwhitenocrusts]

The best part of the end is when he goes to say goodbye to Gene Wilder.... Gene is still eating the popcorn from the theater 😂

[@jaycee330]

15:24 Well, no, they didn't have electricity there. Those are oil lamps with a wick. Also Lili's name "Schtupp" is Yiddish for "screw".

[@GreyDoofus88]

10:10 Yup! Mel Brooks also plays as the Sioux War Chief that happens to be surprisingly fluent in German and Yiddish.

[@josealmeida2842]

Madeline Kahn uses her Lily Von Schtupp voice for Gussie Maushiemer in “An American Tail”.

[@uberzilla7.764]

I'm sure someone's already mentioned it, but this movie was the first movie ever to have farting in it.

[@0okamino]

Indeed, it was groundbreaking wind breaking.

[@morkcallingorson774]

Back then there was outrage when Archie Bunker flushed the toilet.

[@0okamino]

@@morkcallingorson774 However, for anyone going into the bathroom after Archie, there might be more outrage if he didn't flush.

[@mikehughes4969]

Blazing Saddles is, in my humble opinion, not just the funniest movie ever made, but the funniest movie that will ever be made. You can't go wrong with any Mel Brooks movie, but check out Young Frankenstein and History of the World, part 1.

[@CricketEngland]

Life or Brian leaves the chat

[@roguealien]

Imagine when this hit the theaters back in the day. I was much younger, and can remember going to see it, not knowing I would end up managing a video store, where I had access to all 4 versions of this movie. (Original release, TV release with language cut, TV release with farts cut out also, and Directors Cut). I have watched it so many times I can turn the audio down and recite the movie. So many details you see after watching it. Serendipity later in life, was my son gets to see and meet Mel Brooks at a live on stage interview he did.

[@Serai3]

One amusing detail I noticed in the no-fart version: in order to avoid having dead air (pun intended) when they cut out the fart sounds, they filled in with the sound of the horses neighing in alarm. So the farts were still there - you just couldn't _hear_ them. :D:D:D

[@brainfloss9710]

Thank you so much for this video. It is 100% my favorite Blazing Saddles reaction I've seen.

[@EQSATUB]

Young Frankenstein and 1967’s The Producers. I also have a soft spot for High Anxiety, but I would suggest getting more Hitchcock under your belt first.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Noted! And I've heard of Young Frankenstein a lot growing up, we'll totally consider that one. We love the original Frankenstein film as well.

[@DBragg2124]

The funniest part of the scene with the KKK is often missed on your first watch-through. When Wilder says "Wash up after your weekly cross-burning," his next line is "See? It's coming off." When he says this, he flips over the Sheriff's hand to show his pale palm. LOL

[@monorail4252]

You should watch documentaries on how Mel Brooks created his films. Each has its own influence and the thought he put into every movie is amazing and done with purpose.

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Oh Altaf loves that kind of stuff. Definitely!!!

[@stephanniemorin]

Any recommendations?

[@monorail4252]

@@stephanniemorin the documentary about Young Frankenstein shows how Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder create a film that the Studio didn't "approve" of out of integrity.

[@Powerranger-le4up]

19:44 The “we don’t want the Irish” comment is referencing the discrimination and racism the Irish faced in the 19th and 20th centuries.

[@HobGungan]

Just remember: if someone complains that "you couldn't make Blazing Saddles today", chances are high they're exactly the kind of people Blazing Saddles was making fun of in the first place.

[@thembill8246]

They're little things that wouldn't fly nowadays, like the entire character of mongo... Seriously, a character that their entire feature is basically down syndrome, being called mongo? As in "mongoloid?" To be fair, most of the rest of it is fine.

[@HobGungan]

@@thembill8246 Yeah, a few small parts haven't aged well and we should be better going forward, but my main point is that a lot of the whiners deep down just want to say slurs freely and completely ignore the context in which they are used here (which most folks on the progressive end applaud).

[@N0-1_H3r3]

But also, it was difficult to make Blazing Saddles back then - the Studio had all kinds of notes and things they wanted to change.

[@HobGungan]

@@N0-1_H3r3 This is also very true.

[@chrisleebowers]

"Django Unchained" (spoilers) was also about: A black hero starting from the bottom of society, lucking into a position of authority, teaming up with a more experienced white gunslinger, and bringing justice to the unjust. Although Bart and Django both excel at the requisite cowboy hero skill set, their most valuable abilities turn out to be their acting talent. And they both get some of cinema's most iconic wardrobe upgrades. There's even a scene in both movies where they use a childish trick to lure a gang of racists near a cache of explosives detonated from a distance by the white gunslinger's expert sharpshooting. N-word count: Blazing Saddles 38, Django Unchained *110*

[@jaimem1888]

Favorite thing to know about this movie is Mel Brooks wanted it to sound like a real western, so he put an ad in the business paper looking for a "Frankie Laine-type singer". Two days later, Frankie Laine just shows up in his office, ready to do the song.

[@robsmoviecollection3715]

It's great to see the younger generation appreciating the classics! If you haven't watched it yet I would check out Mel's High Anxiety. It's a parody of Alfred Hitchcock movies with Mel as the main character along with Madeline Khan, Harvey Korman and a scene stealing Cloris Leachman as Nurse Diesel!

[@SlashTheWeasel]

One of my favorites!

[@stephanginther9051]

1:45 I believe the joke is from the phrase, 'shoot the messenger and the horse he rode in on'

[@THESALMON8TR]

"you know......morons" wasn't in the script, wilder improvised the line and the laugh you see is Cleavon Little breaking character as he cracks up for real!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@bidwell13]

Mel Brooks is such a great man. The stuff he comes up with is comedy gold. He has a new animated movie coming out that’s supposed to be a remake of Blazing Saddles. The movie is called Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank. The previews look good. The farting scene is supposed to be the first time it was used in a movie and he sat in the editing room with an editor making noises and catching anyone that walked by the room and having them contribute also. The “yes/no” on the back of Mongos Ox is in reference to which side you’re supposed to pass a school bus on.

[@MasterAnakinSkyWalker]

"Tell them I said 'Ow!'" Tell them I said "Ow!" Definitely one of the best jokes in the movie

[@rmweidner7596]

Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor wrote the screenplay together, and Richard had originally been set to play the sheriff, Bart. However, Richard went on a bit of a drug-fueled bender and disappeared from L.A., ending up in Detroit 3 days later (and only weeks before filming was to begin). The studio decided that he was too much of a risk, and so Cleavon Little wound up replacing Pryor. On a side note: if you two decide to watch "Young Frankenstein", here are a few interesting tidbits: • While Mel Brooks has a writing credit for this film, his participation was in making revisions to the screenplay which Gene Wilder wrote. • Mel had heard about the screenplay from Gene while filming "Blazing Saddles", and eventually was able to read the script; once he did, he immediately asked Gene to allow him to direct the movie. Gene initially said no, but then relented and allowed Brooks to direct on one condition: Mel Brooks could not be in front of the camera in any way, shape, or form. So "Young Frankenstein" is the only Mel Brooks film which does not feature at least a cameo from him. • While others have commented in this thread that Mel was able to get the original laboratory props from the Frankenstein movies, what hasn't been said is that they weren't actually owned by the studios when he tracked them down. It turns out that one of the original set designers/prop masters from the Frankenstein films had managed to take them with him when he left the studio. So these props basically came from the guy's garage. • "Young Frankenstein" is Teri Garr's first film.

[@guitargodthor2]

The lamps in Lilly's dwessing woom were oil lights, not electric. Check all the movies featuring Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Hear no Evil, See no Evil is a funny one. Good Mel Brooks films include, History Of The World Part I, Young Frankenstein, The Producers, Dracula Dead and Loving It, Space Balls and Robin Hood Men In Tights.

[@fieryangel522]

I have watched this reaction twice now. I really enjoy your responses. With how much you seem to enjoy Mel Brooks movies and with Halloween coming up, I really encourage you guys to watch Mel Brooke's " Young Frankenstein." Best of all, it's starring Gene Wilder.

[@mikemitchell4814]

I'll say this, I usually HATE reaction videos, but I love yours guys vids. It's like watching some of my favorites with someone whose never seen them. Keep it up

[@matthewford5094]

Robin Hood Men In Tights is great, but I'd highly recommend watching the Kevin Costner Robin Hood first. I love History of the World Part One, it's more of a collection of shorter sketches loosely strung together, but there's some absolutely classic bits. As far as one with more of a central plotline like Blazing Saddles I would say The Producers (original, obviously).

[@NiceDudeMovieNight]

Yeah, that's probably the only apprehensiveness we have of watching Robin Hood: Men In Tights, since we've never seen the movie it's parodying. We still hear great things about it, so we'll still consider it! We definitely would love to watch History of the World Part One and The Producers too!

[@toodlescae]

@@NiceDudeMovieNight The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 would also help since, in a way, it is also parodied in Men In Tights.

[@ArawnNox]

@@toodlescae I second this. Men in Tights has WAY more in common with The Adventures of Robin Hood, structure wise, than the Costner Robin Hood.

[@garymcgregor5951]

Yep, the Errol Flynn version all the way!

[@Texashog11]

It’s good to be the King.

[@TexasMagnolia]

Mel Brooks - History of the World A must!

[@cristenmarkussen8654]

You have to react to Mel Brooks History of The World part 1! It's hilarious and hits on the wild events of history

[@moulindaccessoire.3072]

Thank you for sharing 😂