In 1974, I was finally hired as a permanent new high school teacher in Phoenix, Arizona. My department chairperson, Helene, was a fantastic teacher, leader, and eventual friend for all the years of her too-short life. She had a zest for living that most would merely envy at a distance. She could silence a room with her wisdom, sense of humor, and fabulous storytelling. She was mesmerizing with her hand gestures, facial expressions, perfect vocal timing, hilarious mimicking of accents, and nuanced vocal patterns.
Helene would sit in the teacher’s lounge and entertain everyone the entire period. It was not a place to get papers graded or have a silent moment or two if Helene was in the room. I learned very quickly how she could command any space with her brilliant reenactments of movies she loved or had just seen at the theater.
I remember one very special prep period, laughing from the moment the bell rang until we had to return to our classrooms. No one wanted to leave. Her performance was too fabulous, and encouraged everyone to rush out and see the film she was describing.
My favorite must be Helene’s blow-by-blow interpretation of the one and only BLAZING SADDLES. She could do a better Madeline Kahn than Madeline Kahn herself. It was a full house of fifteen teachers crammed into a tiny space, hysterically laughing together until tears rolled down our cheeks. She didn’t leave out anything. It was not spoiler-free, but no one cared. We gave her a standing O and wished she could win an Oscar. Mel Brooks, the writer, director, and performer, would have agreed. The entire English Department went to the movies that weekend. Helene was right. It was extraordinary…comedy at its finest.
BLAZING SADDLES never received many awards, nor take home the gold. It was nominated for three Oscars and lost. It cost a mere $2.6 million to make and became a huge box office success, grossing $120 million. It almost didn’t get made at all. When the studio execs first saw the finished product, no one laughed at all. Brooks convinced them to give him one more chance. He showed it to all the workers in the building. They couldn’t stop laughing from the first moment to the last. The studio decided they were wrong and got on board, and the rest is history. BLAZING SADDLES changed the world of what could be said on screen forever.
Most people don’t know that Richard Pryor was originally cast as Sheriff Bart, but due to his massive drug use, casting could not take that risk. The clincher was when Pryor was found in Ohio and had no idea why he was there. Mel Brooks then chose the Broadway actor, Cleavon Little, instead. It was the perfect choice in the end. Gene Wilder, who played his co-star, Jim, the Waco Kid, took Little under his wing and showed him the ropes on a film set. They became friends for life, and Pryor was hired as one of the five screenwriters. He even created the infamous Mungo character.
Slim Pickens had a difficult time saying the “n” word, especially in front of Little. They finally worked it out after many takes. It became a drinking game between the two, and Little explained he was cool with the context of the word in the movie, but if he ever heard Pickens say that word off-set, he would knock him out.
The ensemble for BLAZING SADDLES was phenomenal. Harvey Korman’s portrayal of the despicable Hedley Lamarr was scandalous and shocking. Korman will always take it as far as he can go. He was the perfect foil. Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtupp was sheer perfection, imitating the notorious Marlena Dietrich. She was over-the-top but still played her campy role with style and impeccable hilarity.
The entire cast was amazing. Who can ever forget Dom DeLuise as Buddy Bizarre or Alex Karas as Mungo? Their parts are etched in film history, especially the scene where that horse goes down from a punch. Thank goodness the horses knew his cue so well and were never hurt in the process. And how virtuoso to bring on the Count Basie Orchestra to play some incredible jazz in the middle of the desert? Every cowboy hero should ride off into the sunset in this manner.
Mel Brooks thinks and creates on a higher sphere than most. His vision for BLAZING SADDLES was a trailblazer. He held nothing back. His sense of humor allowed him to poke fun at the lowest moments in our history. Nothing was safe. Every word must be brought out into the light for our society to hear and see how hatred, fear, and ignorance can tear apart a community. It is as current today as it was over fifty years ago. Wish there were more like Brooks who had the guts to say it like it is. And he still had the chutzpah to write all the musical numbers and play several roles in this film. I wonder who the Governor was modeled after?
It is impossible to go through BLAZING SADDLES and point out every schtick of comedy wackiness. It deserves your complete attention, not me taking it out of context. Just remember when it was created. This should say it all. The ending was chaotic and fabulous. I don’t think there is a single person who didn’t appreciate how massive that crowd scene must have been to get it all on camera, and I often speculate where Little and Wilder drive to in that caddy. As an added note, the actress Hedy Lamar sued Mel Brooks for using her name in his running gag. The case was settled out of court.
BLAZING SADDLES is in a class all its own. It is an irreverent classic and one of the best comedies ever written because it spoke the truth simply. It was brave and beyond bold. The BLAZING SADDLES’ humor had a domino effect on the writers of the future. It broke the fourth wall in more than one way. This is power. Helene had that gift, too.
BLAZING SADDLES is available to rent on Apple TV+.
