Blazing Saddles

Blazing Saddles
Directed by	Mel Brooks
Screenplay by	Andrew Bergman Mel Brooks Richard Pryor Norman Steinberg Al Uger
Story by	Andrew Bergman
Produced by	Michael Hertzberg
Starring	Cleavon Little Gene Wilder Harvey Korman Slim Pickens Madeline Kahn Mel Brooks Dom DeLuise
Cinematography	Joseph F. Biroc
Edited by	Danford B. Greene John C. Howard
Music by	Mel Brooks (songs) John Morris (score)
Distributed by	Warner Bros.
Release date	February 7, 1974 (1974-02-07)
Running time	93 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2.6 million
Box office	$119,500,000

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

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

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

Cast

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

Awards and honors

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

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

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

Other websites

• Blazing Saddles on IMDb
• Blazing Saddles at Box Office Mojo