Editing Blazing Saddles

{{Short description|1974 Western comedy film by Mel Brooks}}
{{Use American English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Blazing Saddles
| image          = blazing_saddles_movie_poster.jpg
| alt            =
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[John Alvin]]<ref name="lat">{{cite news|first=Jocelyn|last=Stewart|title=John Alvin, 59; created movie posters for such films as 'Blazing Saddles' and 'E.T.'|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-alvin10feb10,1,5113268.story|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=February 10, 2008|access-date=February 10, 2008|archive-date=March 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100314184353/http://articles.latimes.com/2008/feb/10/local/me-alvin10|url-status=live}}</ref>
| director       = [[Mel Brooks]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* Mel Brooks
* [[Norman Steinberg]]
* [[Andrew Bergman]]
* [[Richard Pryor]]
* [[Alan Uger]]
}}
| story          = Andrew Bergman
| producer       = [[Michael Hertzberg]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|<!--Per poster billing-->
* [[Cleavon Little]]
* [[Gene Wilder]]
* [[Slim Pickens]]
* [[David Huddleston]]
* [[Alex Karras]]
* [[Jack Starrett|Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.]]
* Mel Brooks
* [[Harvey Korman]]
* [[Madeline Kahn]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Joseph Biroc]]
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Danford B. Greene|Danford Greene]]
* [[John C. Howard]]
}}
| music          = [[John Morris (composer)|John Morris]]
| studio         = Crossbow Productions
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros.]]
| released       = {{Film date|1974|2|7}}
| runtime        = 93 minutes<ref name=afi>{{AFI film|54998}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $2.6 million
| gross          = $119.6 million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4064773633/rankings/|title=Blazing Saddles (1974)|access-date=January 17, 2012|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|archive-date=July 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714112524/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=blazingsaddles.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
}}
'''''Blazing Saddles''''' is a 1974 American [[Satire (film and television)|satirical]] [[postmodernist film|postmodernist]]<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23610152 | jstor=23610152 | title="Blazing Saddles" as Postmodern Ethnic Carnival | last1=Hug | first1=Bill | journal=Studies in Popular Culture | date=August 20, 2023 | volume=36 | issue=1 | pages=63–81 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/the-mel-brooks-collection-1798201578|title=The Mel Brooks Collection|date=April 11, 2006|website=The A.V. Club|accessdate=October 23, 2023|archive-date=November 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231105125905/https://www.avclub.com/the-mel-brooks-collection-1798201578|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Western (genre)|Western]] [[black comedy film]] directed by [[Mel Brooks]], who co-wrote the screenplay with [[Andrew Bergman]], [[Richard Pryor]], [[Norman Steinberg]] and [[Alan Uger]], based on a story treatment by Bergman.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Faulx |first=Nadya |date=2014-02-07 |title='Blazing Saddles,' The Best Interracial Buddy Comedy, Turns 40 |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/02/07/272452677/blazing-saddles-the-best-interracial-buddy-comedy-turns-40 |access-date=2022-07-21 |website=NPR |language=en}}</ref> The film stars [[Cleavon Little]] and [[Gene Wilder]]. Brooks appears in two supporting roles: Governor William J. Le Petomane, and a [[Yiddish]]-speaking Native American chief; he also dubs lines for one of Lili Von Shtupp's backing troupe and a cranky moviegoer. The supporting cast includes [[Slim Pickens]], [[Alex Karras]] and [[David Huddleston]], as well as Brooks regulars [[Dom DeLuise]], [[Madeline Kahn]] and [[Harvey Korman]]. Bandleader [[Count Basie]] has a cameo as himself, appearing with his orchestra.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getback.com/movie/blazing-saddles/1499232 |title=Director and Leading Actors |publisher=Getback.com |archive-date=October 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004054717/http://www.getback.com/movie/blazing-saddles/1499232 |access-date=November 1, 2012}}</ref>

The film is full of deliberate [[anachronism]]s, from the [[Count Basie Orchestra]] playing "[[April in Paris (song)|April in Paris]]" in the [[American frontier|Wild West]], to Pickens' character mentioning the ''[[Wide World of Sports (American TV program)|Wide World of Sports]]''.

The film received generally positive reviews from critics and audiences, was nominated for three [[Academy Awards]] and is today regarded as a comedy classic. It is ranked number six on the [[American Film Institute]]'s ''[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs|100 Years...100 Laughs]]'' list, and was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the [[Library of Congress]] and was selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] in 2006.<ref name="loc.gov">{{Cite press release|url=https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-06-234/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2006/2006-12-27/|title=Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List|agency=Library of Congress|date=December 27, 2006|access-date=April 23, 2020|archive-date=April 12, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200412114840/https://www.loc.gov/item/prn-06-234/films-added-to-national-film-registry-for-2006/2006-12-27/|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Plot ==
On the [[American frontier]] of 1874, a new railroad under construction will have to be rerouted through the town of Rock Ridge to avoid [[quicksand]]. Realizing this will make Rock Ridge worth millions, [[State attorney general|territorial attorney general]] Hedley Lamarr plans to force Rock Ridge's residents out of the town and sends a gang of thugs, led by his flunky Taggart, to shoot the sheriff and trash the town.

Not wanting to go with Reverend Johnson's suggestion to leave, the other prominent citizens (all of whom are named Johnson) lead the other townspeople in demanding that Governor William J. [[Le Petomane]] appoints a new sheriff to protect them. Lamarr persuades dim-witted Le Petomane to appoint Bart, a black railroad worker about to be executed for assaulting Taggart. A black sheriff, Lamarr reasons, will offend the townspeople, create chaos and leave Rock Ridge at his mercy.

After an initial hostile reception in which he takes himself "hostage" to escape, Bart relies on his quick wits and the assistance of Jim, an alcoholic [[gunslinger]] known as the "[[Waco]] Kid", to overcome the townspeople's hostility. Bart subdues Mongo, an immensely strong and dim-witted, yet philosophical henchman sent to kill him, then outwits German seductress-for-hire Lili Von Shtupp at her own game, with Lili falling in love with him.

Upon release, Mongo vaguely informs Bart of Lamarr's connection to the railroad, so Bart and Jim visit the railroad worksite and discover from Bart's best friend Charlie that the railway is planned to go through Rock Ridge. Taggart and his men arrive to kill Bart, but Jim outshoots them and forces their retreat. Furious that his schemes have backfired, Lamarr recruits an army of thugs, including common criminals, [[Outlaw motorcycle club|motorcycle gangsters]], [[Ku Klux Klan]]smen, and [[Nazism|Nazi]] soldiers.

East of Rock Ridge, Bart introduces the White townspeople to the black, Chinese, and Irish railroad workers who have all agreed to help them in exchange for acceptance by the community, and explains his plan to defeat Lamarr's army. They labor all night to build a perfect copy of the town as a diversion. When Bart realizes it will not be enough to fool the villains, the townsfolk construct copies of themselves.

Bart, Jim, and Mongo buy time by constructing the "Gov. William J. Le Petomane [[Controlled-access highway|Thruway]]", forcing the raiding party to send for change to pay the toll. Once through the [[tollbooth]], the raiders attack the fake town and its population of dummies, which have been [[booby trap]]ped with dynamite. After Jim detonates the explosives with his sharpshooting, launching bad guys and horses skyward, the Rock Ridgers attack the villains with Lili singing with the Nazi soldiers.

The resulting brawl between townsfolk, railroad workers, and Lamarr's thugs literally breaks the [[fourth wall]] and bursts onto a neighboring movie set where director Buddy Bizarre is filming a [[Busby Berkeley]]-style top-hat-and-tails musical number. Then the brawl spreads into the studio commissary for a food fight and spills out of the [[Warner Bros. Studios Burbank|Warner Bros. film lot]] onto the streets of [[Burbank, California|Burbank]].

Lamarr escapes the brawl and takes a taxi to hide at [[Grauman's Chinese Theatre|Mann's Chinese Theatre]] which is showing the premiere of ''Blazing Saddles''. As he settles into his seat, he sees onscreen Bart arriving on horseback outside the theatre. Bart blocks Lamarr's escape and shoots him in the groin. Bart and Jim then enter the theater to watch the end of the film.

Back in the film, Bart announces to the townspeople that he is moving on because his work is done (and because he is bored). Riding out of town, he finds Jim, still eating his popcorn, and invites him along to "nowhere special". The two friends briefly ride into the desert before dismounting and boarding a limousine which drives off into the sunset.

== Cast ==
{{cast listing|1=
* [[Cleavon Little]] as Bart, a black railroad worker who becomes a sheriff in Rock Ridge
* [[Gene Wilder]] as Jim the Waco Kid, an alcoholic gunslinger who allies with Bart
* [[Slim Pickens]] as Taggart, a minion of Lamarr
* [[David Huddleston]] as Olson Johnson, a high-ranking influencial inhabitant of Rock Ridge
* [[Liam Dunn]] as Reverend Johnson, the [[The Reverend|reverend]] of Rock Ridge
* [[Alex Karras]] as Mongo, an immensely strong underling of Taggart who rides a [[zebu]] and sides with Bart
* [[John Hillerman]] as Howard Johnson, the owner of an ice cream parlor in Rock Ridge
* [[George Furth]] as Van Johnson, a [[barber]] in Rock Ridge who alerts Bart of Mongo's arrival and describes Mongo to him
* [[Jack Starrett|Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.]] as Gabby Johnson, Rock Ridge's residential [[town drunk]]
* [[Mel Brooks]] as:
** Governor William J. Le Petomane, the governor of the unnamed state that Rock Ridge is in
** [[Yiddish]]-speaking Indian Chief
** Aviator Applicant, a nod to [[Howard Hughes]]
** Voice of German Dancer (uncredited)
** Voice of Grouchy Moviegoer (uncredited)<ref name="crick">{{cite book |last=Crick |first=Robert Alan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbtuDkazJfQC&q=aviator |title=The Big Screen Comedies of Mel Brooks |pages=65–66 |publisher=McFarland |year=2002 |isbn=978-0-7864-4326-0 |quote=As for Mel Brooks himself, his aviator and voice-overs as a German dancer and cranky film-goer provide funny cameos .... The book credits him as playing "William J. LePetomane/Indian Chief/Aviator/Voice of German Dancer/Voice of Moviegoer." |access-date=November 21, 2015 |archive-date=May 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505101527/https://books.google.com/books?id=LbtuDkazJfQC&q=aviator |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Harvey Korman]] as Hedley Lamarr, a crooked [[State attorney general|territorial attorney general]]
* [[Madeline Kahn]] as Lili Von Shtupp, a German seductress-for-hire that Lamarr tries to use on Bart
* [[Carol Arthur]] as Harriett Johnson, a [[teacher]] who lives in Rock Ridge
* Richard Collier as Dr. Sam Johnson, a [[Physician|doctor]] who lives in Rock Ridge
* [[Charles McGregor]] as Charlie, the best friend of Bart
* [[Robyn Hilton]] as Miss Stein, the secretary of Governor Le Petomane
* [[Burton Gilliam]] as Lyle, a railroad supervisor who works for Lamarr and Taggart
* [[Dom DeLuise]] as Buddy Bizarre, a film director whose musical called ''French Mistake'' gets crashed by the brawling ''Blazing Saddles'' actors
* [[Count Basie]] as himself
* [[Sally Kirkland]] as a studio commissary cashier (uncredited)
* [[Patrick Labyorteaux]] as Harry (uncredited)
* [[John Alderson (actor)|John Alderson]] as Gum Chewer (uncredited)
* [[Ralph Manza]] as Joey (uncredited), an actor in the studio commissary who is portraying [[Adolf Hitler]] in a movie where he answers a fellow actor's question on how many days he has left on the movie he's in by telling him that "they lose me right after the bunker scene".
}}

'''Cast notes:'''
* [[Count Basie]] and his orchestra make a cameo appearance, playing "April in Paris" in the middle of the desert as Bart rides toward Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff.
* Brooks appears in three on-screen roles: Governor William J. Le Petomane, the [[Yiddish]]-speaking Native American chief (appearing in [[redface]]) in Bart's backstory, and an applicant for Hedley Lamarr's thug army (an aviator wearing sunglasses and a [[flight jacket]]). He also has two off-screen voice roles, as one of Lili's German chorus boys during "I'm Tired" and as a grouchy moviegoer.<ref name="crick"/>
* "Le Petomane" refers to [[Le Pétomane|Joseph Pujol]], a performer in 19th-century France who was a professional [[flatulist]] using "Le Pétomane" as his stage name.<ref name=afi /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Davis|first=Igor|title=A Conversation With Mel Brooks|url=https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/a-conversation-with-mel-brooks|date=June 28, 2016|access-date=July 18, 2020|website=[[Tablet (magazine)|Tablet]]|language=en|archive-date=July 18, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718045440/https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/arts-letters/articles/a-conversation-with-mel-brooks|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Carol Arthur (Harriett Johnson) was DeLuise's wife.<ref name=afi />
* "Olson Johnson" is a reference to the [[vaudeville]] comedy team [[Olsen and Johnson]], "Howard Johnson" to the now-defunct [[Howard Johnson's|Howard Johnson's restaurant chain]], "Van Johnson" to the actor [[Van Johnson]], and "Dr. Samuel Johnson" to the 18th-century English writer [[Samuel Johnson|by that name]].<ref name=afi /> The character of "Gabby Johnson" is a direct parody of cowboy actor [[Gabby Hayes]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cox |first=Bob |date=June 29, 2019 |title=Pioneer Cowboy Gabby Hayes made a visit to Johnson City, Kingsport and Bluefield in October 1948, including members of his Western review |url=https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/features/pioneer-cowboy-gabby-hayes-made-a-visit-to-johnson-city-kingsport-and-bluefield-in-october/article_15f49b49-ad5f-56db-a036-c144524989cb.html |work=Johnson City Press |access-date=September 23, 2020 |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424213743/https://www.johnsoncitypress.com/living/features/pioneer-cowboy-gabby-hayes-made-a-visit-to-johnson-city-kingsport-and-bluefield-in-october/article_15f49b49-ad5f-56db-a036-c144524989cb.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Production ==
=== Development ===
The idea came from a story outline written by Andrew Bergman that he originally intended to develop and produce himself. "I wrote a first draft called ''Tex-X''" (a play on [[Malcolm X]]'s name), he said. "[[Alan Arkin]] was hired to direct and [[James Earl Jones]] was going to play the sheriff. That fell apart, as things often do."<ref name="bergman">{{cite news|url=https://creativescreenwriting.com/andrew-bergman/|title='It's a Good-Natured Insanity.' Andrew Bergman on Screenwriting|last=Swinson|first=Brock|date=June 24, 2016|newspaper=Creative Screenwriting|access-date=June 24, 2016|archive-date=June 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627014105/http://creativescreenwriting.com/andrew-bergman/|url-status=live}}</ref> Brooks was taken with the story, which he described as "hip talk{{snd}}1974 talk and expressions{{snd}}happening in 1874 in the Old West", and purchased the film rights from Bergman. Though he had not worked with a writing team since ''[[Your Show of Shows]]'', he hired a group of writers (including Bergman) to expand the outline, and posted a large sign: "Please do not write a polite script."<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/movie-news/mel-brooks-on-blazing-new-comedic-trails-in--blazing-saddles-215405381.html | title = Mel Brooks on Blazing New Comedic Trails in 'Blazing Saddles' | first = Andrew | last = Pockross | date = May 9, 2014 | access-date = May 9, 2014 | publisher = [[Yahoo! Movies]] | archive-date = September 29, 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170929233420/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/movie-news/mel-brooks-on-blazing-new-comedic-trails-in--blazing-saddles-215405381.html | url-status = live }}</ref>

Brooks described the writing process as chaotic: {{blockquote|''Blazing Saddles'' was more or less written in the middle of a drunken fistfight. There were five of us all yelling loudly for our ideas to be put into the movie. Not only was I the loudest, but luckily I also had the right as director to decide what was in or out.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://creativescreenwriting.com/mel-brooks-on-screenwriting/|title=Mel Brooks on Screenwriting|last=Swinson|first=Brock|date=January 14, 2016|newspaper=Creative Screenwriting|access-date=January 21, 2016|archive-date=January 21, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160121235340/http://creativescreenwriting.com/mel-brooks-on-screenwriting/|url-status=live}}</ref>}} Bergman remembers the room being just as chaotic, telling ''Creative Screenwriting'', {{blockquote|In the beginning, we had five people. One guy left after a couple of weeks. Then, it was basically me, Mel, [[Richard Pryor|Richie Pryor]] and Norman Steinberg. Richie left after the first draft and then Norman, Mel and I wrote the next three or four drafts. It was a riot. It was a rioter's room!<ref name="bergman" />}}

=== Title ===
The original title, ''Tex X'', was rejected to avoid it being mistaken for an [[X rating|X-rated film]],<ref name=afi /> as were ''Black Bart'' – a reference to [[Black Bart (outlaw)|Black Bart]], a white [[highwayman]] of the 19th century<ref name=afi /> – and ''Purple Sage''. Brooks said he finally conceived ''Blazing Saddles'' one morning while taking a shower.<ref name="salon">{{cite web|url=http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/dvd/review/2001/05/08/blazing/|title='Blazing Saddles'|website=Salon|first=Max |last=Garrone|date=May 8, 2001|access-date=November 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090114084925/http://archive.salon.com/ent/movies/dvd/review/2001/05/08/blazing/|archive-date=January 14, 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

=== Casting ===
Richard Pryor was Brooks' original choice to play Sheriff Bart, but the studio, claiming his history of drug arrests made him uninsurable, refused to approve financing with Pryor as the star.<ref name="salon"/> The role of Sheriff Bart went to Cleavon Little, and Pryor remained as a screenwriter instead. Brooks offered the other leading role, the Waco Kid, to [[John Wayne]]. He declined it, deeming the film "too [[Ribaldry|blue]]" for his family-oriented image, but assured Brooks that "he would be the first one in line to see it."<ref>Staff (May 20, 2016) [https://philly.metro.us/mel-brooks-on-john-wayne-improv-and-the-presidential-race/ "Mel Brooks on John Wayne, Improv and the Presidential Race"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225141723/https://philly.metro.us/mel-brooks-on-john-wayne-improv-and-the-presidential-race/ |date=February 25, 2021 }} ''Metro Philadelphia''</ref> After that, [[Dan Dailey]] was Brooks' first choice for the role.<ref name="mercury">{{Cite web|url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/08/29/gene-wilder-wasnt-mel-brooks-first-choice-for-blazing-saddles-waco-kid/|title=Gene Wilder wasn't Mel Brooks' first choice for 'Blazing Saddles' Waco Kid|first=Martha |last=Ross |date=August 29, 2016|accessdate=October 23, 2023}}</ref> [[Gig Young]] was cast, but he collapsed during his first scene from what was later determined to be [[alcohol withdrawal syndrome]], and Gene Wilder was flown in to replace him.<ref name="donnelly">{{cite book|last=Donnelly|first=Paul |title=Fade To Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries|publisher=Omnibus|year=2005|edition=3rd|page=746|isbn=978-1-84449-430-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Parish|first= James Robert |title=It's Good to Be the King: The Seriously Funny Life of Mel Brooks|publisher=John Wiley and Sons|year=2008|page=9|isbn=978-0-470-22526-4}}</ref><ref name="mercury"/>

[[Johnny Carson]] and Wilder both turned down the Hedley Lamarr role before Harvey Korman was cast.<ref>{{cite book |author=White, Timothy |author-link=Timothy White (editor)|chapter=Johnny Carson: The ''Rolling Stone'' Interview" |editor=[[Jann Wenner|Wenner, Jann S.]] |year=1979 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t2CaFeDa_m0C&q=Johnny%20Carson:%20The%20Rolling%20Stone%20Interview&pg=PT109 |title=The Rolling Stone Interviews |location=New York |publisher=[[Little, Brown and Company|Little Brown]] |isbn=978-0-316-02313-9 |access-date=May 24, 2016 |via=[[Google Books]] |archive-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210424213742/https://books.google.com/books?id=t2CaFeDa_m0C&q=Johnny+Carson%3A+The+Rolling+Stone+Interview&pg=PT109 |url-status=live }}</ref> Madeline Kahn objected when Brooks asked to see her legs during her audition. "She said, 'So it's THAT kind of an audition?{{'"}} Brooks recalled. "I explained that I was a happily married man and that I needed someone who could straddle a chair with her legs like [[Marlene Dietrich]] in ''[[Destry Rides Again]].'' So she lifted her skirt and said, 'No touching.{{'"}}<ref name="40thinterview"/>

=== Filming ===
Principal photography began on March 6, 1973, and wrapped in early May 1973. Brooks had numerous conflicts over content with Warner Bros. executives, including frequent use of the word "[[nigger]]", Lili Von Shtupp's seduction scene, the cacophony of flatulence around the campfire and Mongo punching out a horse. Brooks, whose contract gave him final cut, declined to make any substantive changes, with the exception of cutting Bart's final line during Lili's seduction: "I hate to disappoint you, ma'am, but you're sucking my arm."<ref name="Madison2015">{{cite book|author=Madison, William V.|title=Madeline Kahn: Being the Music, A Life|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvAaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT119|year=2015|publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]]|isbn=978-1-61703-762-7|page=119|via=Google Books|access-date=November 21, 2015|archive-date=May 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160516223945/https://books.google.com/books?id=CvAaBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT119|url-status=live}}</ref> When asked later about the many "nigger" references, Brooks said he received consistent support from Pryor and Little. He added: "If they did a remake of ''Blazing Saddles'' today [2012], they would leave out the N-word. And then, you've got no movie."<ref name="DGA-Quarterly-summer2012">{{cite journal
| last = Weide
| first = Robert
| date = 2012
| title = Quiet on the Set! Mel Brooks: the DGA Interview
| url = http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1203-Summer-2012/DGA-Interview-Mel-Brooks.aspx
| journal = DGA Quarterly
| location = Los Angeles, California
| pages = 30–37
| publisher = Directors Guild of America, Inc.
| oclc = 68905662
| access-date = January 21, 2016
| archive-date = March 6, 2016
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160306090037/http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1203-Summer-2012/DGA-Interview-Mel-Brooks.aspx
| url-status = live
}} Page 36: '''Q:''' ''Blazing Saddles'' also makes frequent use of the "N-word". Could you get away with that today? '''A:''' Never. If they did a remake of ''Blazing Saddles'' today, they would leave out the N-word. And then, you've got no movie. And I wouldn't have used it so much if I didn't have Richard Pryor with me on the set as one of my writers. And Cleavon Little [as Sheriff Bart] was great. Even though it was allowed, I kept asking Cleavon, "Is that all right there? Is that too much there? Am I pushing this?" and he'd say, "no, no, no, it's perfect there."</ref> Brooks said the use of the slur was to show how despised, hated, and loathed the black sheriff was.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/life-lessons-from-mel-brooks-20130514|title=Life Advice from Mel Brooks|date=December 4, 2017|website=[[Men's Journal]]|first=Sean|last=Woods|access-date=April 23, 2025|archive-date=April 22, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250422112951/https://www.mensjournal.com/entertainment/life-lessons-from-mel-brooks-20130514|url-status=live}}</ref> Brooks said he received many letters of complaint after the film's release.<ref name="DVD"/>

=== Music ===
Brooks wrote the music and lyrics for three of ''Blazing Saddles''{{'}} songs: "The Ballad of Rock Ridge", "I'm Tired", and "The French Mistake". He also wrote the lyrics to the title song, with music by composer [[John Morris (composer)|John Morris]].<ref name=afi /> To sing the title song, Brooks advertised in the trade papers for a "[[Frankie Laine]]–type" singer; to his surprise, Laine himself offered his services. "Frankie sang his heart out ... and we didn't have the heart to tell him it was a spoof. He never heard the whip cracks; we put those in later. We got so lucky with his serious interpretation of the song."<ref name="libretto">From the libretto of the La-La Land Records soundtrack album</ref> In an interview with [[Terry Gross]], Laine said that he did not know at the time that ''Blazing Saddles'' was a comedy.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Big Voice in Theme Songs |url=https://www.freshairarchives.org/segments/big-voice-theme-songs |website=Fresh Air Archive: Interviews with Terry Gross |access-date=12 January 2025 |language=en |date=29 July 1987}}</ref>

The choreographer for "I'm Tired" and "The French Mistake" was [[Alan Johnson (choreographer)|Alan Johnson]]. "I'm Tired" is a homage to and parody of [[Marlene Dietrich]]'s performance of [[Cole Porter]]'s song "I'm the Laziest Gal in Town" in [[Alfred Hitchcock]]'s 1950 film ''[[Stage Fright (1950 film)|Stage Fright]]'', as well as "[[Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)]]" from ''[[The Blue Angel]]''.<ref name=afi />

The orchestrations were by Morris and [[Jonathan Tunick]].<ref name=afi />

== Lawsuit ==
During production, retired longtime film star [[Hedy Lamarr]] sued Warner Bros. for $100,000, charging that the film's running parody of her name infringed on her right to privacy. Brooks said that he was flattered and chose to not fight it in court; the studio settled out of court for a small sum and an apology for "almost using her name". Brooks said that Lamarr "never got the joke".<ref name="DVD">{{cite AV media |title=Interview: Mel Brooks – Blazing Saddles |medium=DVD |location=Burbank, California |publisher=Warner Home Video |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-7907-5735-3}}</ref><ref name=afi /> This lawsuit would be referenced by an in-film joke where Brooks' character, the Governor, tells Lamarr: "This is 1874; you'll be able to sue HER."

== Release ==
The film was almost unreleased. "When we screened it for executives, there were few laughs," said Brooks. "The head of distribution said, 'Let's dump it and take a loss.' But [studio president John] [[John Calley|Calley]] insisted they open it in [[New York City|New York]], [[Los Angeles]], and [[Chicago]] as a test. It became the studio's top moneymaker that summer."<ref name="40thinterview">Mel Brooks interview, 40th anniversary Blu-Ray release</ref>

The world premiere took place on February 7, 1974, at the Pickwick Drive-In Theater in Burbank; 250 invited guests{{snd}}including Little and Wilder{{snd}}watched the film on horseback.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lozano |first=Carlos V. |title=Death of a Drive-In: Pickwick Theater Shuts Down, Ending an Era for Burbank Moviegoers and Film Makers |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-08-me-287-story.html |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=October 8, 1989 |access-date=May 31, 2016 |archive-date=January 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200119204625/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-10-08-me-287-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Critical response ===
While ''Blazing Saddles'' is now considered a classic, critical reaction was mixed upon initial release. [[Vincent Canby]] wrote:<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/08/archives/screen-blazing-saddles-a-western-in-burlesque.html |title=Screen: 'Blazing Saddles', a Western in Burlesque |first=Vincent |last=Canby |work=The New York Times |date=February 8, 1974 |access-date=July 3, 2020 |archive-date=March 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210308021441/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/02/08/archives/screen-blazing-saddles-a-western-in-burlesque.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{blockquote|''Blazing Saddles'' has no dominant personality, and it looks as if it includes every gag thought up in every story conference. Whether good, bad or mild, nothing was thrown out. [[Woody Allen]]'s comedy, though very much a product of our Age of Analysis, recalls the wonder and discipline of people like [[Buster Keaton|Keaton]] and [[Laurel and Hardy]]. Mr. Brooks' sights are lower. His brashness is rare, but his use of anachronism and anarchy recalls not the great film comedies of the past, but the middling ones like the Hope-Crosby [[Road to ...|"Road" pictures]]. With his talent he should do much better than that.}}

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four stars out of four, calling it a "crazed grab bag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a [[rubber chicken]]. Mostly, it succeeds. It's an audience picture; it doesn't have a lot of classy polish and its structure is a total mess. But of course! What does that matter while Alex Karras is knocking a horse cold with a right cross to the jaw?"<ref>{{cite news |first=Roger |last=Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blazing-saddles-1974 |title=Blazing Saddles |work=Chicago Sun-Times |date=February 7, 1974 |via=[[RogerEbert.com]] |access-date=July 3, 2020 |archive-date=June 5, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605091753/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/blazing-saddles-1974 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] awarded three stars out of four and called it "bound to rank with the funniest of the year," adding, "Whenever the laughs begin to run dry, Brooks and his quartet of gag writers splash about in a pool of obscenities that score belly laughs if your ears aren't sensitive and if you're hip to western movie conventions being parodied."<ref>[[Gene Siskel|Siskel, Gene]] (March 1, 1974). "Shootout at 'Cockeyed Corral'". ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. Section 2, p. 1.</ref>

Critics often perceived ''Blazing Saddles'' as inherently "un-cinematic",<ref>{{Cite book |last=Symons |first=Alex |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/835909859 |title=Mel Brooks in the cultural industries : survival and prolonged adaptation |date=2012 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-7648-4 |location=Edinburgh |pages=118 |oclc=835909859}}</ref> defying some expectations for Hollywood filmmaking in the era, often displaying production style associated with Broadway theater and US television variety shows. This was in part due to its "simplistic framing" and the casting of Harvey Korman, known for ''[[The Carol Burnett Show]]'' (CBS, 1967–1978), which was similarly "low on characterization and story, instead opting for a high volume of one-liners and visual gags."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Symons |first=Alex |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/835909859 |title=Mel Brooks in the cultural industries : survival and prolonged adaptation |date=2012 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-7648-4 |location=Edinburgh |pages=64 |oclc=835909859}}</ref> Typical to this perception, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' wrote: "If comedies are measured solely by the number of yocks they generate from audiences, then ''Blazing Saddles'' must be counted a success ... Few viewers will have time between laughs to complain that pic is essentially a raunchy, protracted version of a television comedy skit."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Film Reviews: Blazing Saddles |magazine=Variety |date=February 13, 1974 |page=18}}</ref>

[[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "irreverent, outrageous, improbable, often as blithely tasteless as a stag night at the Friar's Club and almost continuously funny."<ref>[[Charles Champlin|Champlin, Charles]] (February 7, 1974). "Was the West Ever Like This?" ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Part IV, p. 1.</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' was negative, writing: "Mel Brooks squanders a snappy title on a stockpile of stale jokes. To say that this slapdash Western spoof lacks freshness and spontaneity and originality is putting it mildly. ''Blazing Saddles'' is at once a messy and antiquated gag machine."<ref>{{cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |title='Blazing Saddles' On a Dead Horse |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=B15 |date=March 7, 1974}}</ref> Jan Dawson of ''[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]]'' wrote: "Perhaps it is pedantic to complain that the whole is not up to the sum of its parts when, for the [[curate's egg]] that it is, ''Blazing Saddles'' contains so many good parts and memorable performances."<ref>{{cite journal |last=Dawson |first=Jan |date=June 1974 |title=Blazing Saddles |journal=[[The Monthly Film Bulletin]] |volume=41 |issue=485 |page=120}}</ref> [[John Simon (critic)|John Simon]] wrote a negative review of ''Blazing Saddles'', saying: "All kinds of gags{{snd}}chiefly anachronisms, irrelevancies, reverse ethnic jokes, and out and out vulgarities{{snd}}are thrown together pell-mell, batted about insanely in all directions, and usually beaten into the ground."<ref>{{cite book |title=Reverse Angle: A Decade of American Film|url=https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo/page/145|url-access=registration|last1=Simon|first1=John |publisher=Crown Publishers Inc. |year=1982 |page=[https://archive.org/details/reverseangledeca0000simo/page/145 145] |isbn=9780517544716|via=Internet Archive}}</ref>

On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the film has an approval rating of 88% based on 69 reviews, with an average rating of 8.10/10. The site's critics consensus reads: "Daring, provocative, and laugh-out-loud funny, ''Blazing Saddles'' is a gleefully vulgar spoof of Westerns that marks a high point in Mel Brooks' storied career."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blazing_saddles/ |title=Blazing Saddles |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925134922/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blazing_saddles |url-status=live |access-date=February 8, 2024}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]] it has a score of 73 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web |title=Blazing Saddles |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/blazing-saddles |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=September 22, 2022 }}</ref>

[[Ishmael Reed]]'s 1969 novel ''[[Yellow Back Radio Broke-Down]]'', a satirical take on the traditional Western, has been cited as an important precursor or influence for ''Blazing Saddles'', a connection that Reed himself has made.<ref>{{cite web |last=Glenn |first=Joshua |url=https://www.hilobrow.com/2018/12/24/10-best-adventures-of-1969/ |title=10 Best Adventures of 1969 |website=Hilobrow |date=December 24, 2018 |access-date=April 24, 2021 |archive-date=November 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124095706/https://www.hilobrow.com/2018/12/24/10-best-adventures-of-1969/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Box office ===
The film earned [[theatrical rental]]s of $26.7 million in its initial release in the United States and Canada. In its 1976 reissue, it earned a further $10.5 million and another $8 million in 1979.<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title='Blazing Saddles' In 109, $288,194 On New Trail|date=March 28, 1979|page=7}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|title=Big Rental Films of 1979|date=January 9, 1980|page=21}}</ref> Its total rentals in the United States and Canada totalled $47.8 million from a gross of $119.5 million, becoming only the tenth film up to that time to pass the $100 million mark.<ref>{{cite magazine|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991007042514/http://www.variety.com/numbers/video.asp|title=All-Time Top Film Rentals|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=1998|archive-date=October 7, 1999|url=https://variety.com/numbers/video.asp|access-date=December 24, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl4064773633/rankings/ |title=Blazing Saddles (1974) |website=Box Office Mojo |date=January 1, 1982 |access-date=November 1, 2012 |archive-date=July 14, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190714112524/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=blazingsaddles.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Awards and accolades ==
While addressing his group of bad guys, Harvey Korman's character reminds them that although they are risking their lives, he is "risking an almost certain [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]!" Korman did not receive an Oscar bid, but the film did get three nominations at the [[47th Academy Awards]], including Best Supporting Actress for Madeline Kahn.

In 2006, ''Blazing Saddles'' was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.<ref name="loc.gov"/>

Upon the release of the 30th-anniversary special edition in 2004, ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' said that the movie "skewer[ed] just about every aspect of racial prejudice while keeping the laughs coming" and that it was "at the top of a very short list" of comedies still funny after 30 years.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ventre |first=Michael |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/blazing-saddles-still-has-big-laughs-wbna5263487 |title='Blazing Saddles' still has big laughs |work=[[Today (American TV program)|Today]] |date=June 21, 2004 |access-date=July 21, 2022}}</ref> In 2014, [[NPR]] wrote that, four decades after the movie was made, it was "still as biting a satire" on racism as ever, although its treatment of gays and women was "not self-aware at all".<ref>{{cite news |last=Faulx |first=Nadya |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2014/02/07/272452677/blazing-saddles-the-best-interracial-buddy-comedy-turns-40?t=1659262643603 |title='Blazing Saddles,' The Best Interracial Buddy Comedy, Turns 40 |work=[[NPR]] |date=June 21, 2004 |access-date=July 21, 2022}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Recipient
! Result
! {{Ref heading}}
|-
| rowspan="3"| [[47th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| [[Madeline Kahn]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="3"|<ref name="Oscars1975">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1975 |title=The 47th Academy Awards (1975) Nominees and Winners |access-date=2011-10-02 |work=oscars.org |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402004005/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1975 |archive-date=2015-04-02 }}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| [[John C. Howard]] and [[Danford B. Greene]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Best Song]]
| "Blazing Saddles" <br /> Music by [[John Morris (composer)|John Morris]]; <br /> Lyrics by [[Mel Brooks]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[28th British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]
| Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, [[Andrew Bergman]], <br /> [[Richard Pryor]] and [[Alan Uger]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1975/film |title=BAFTA Awards: Film in 1975 |website=[[BAFTA]] |year=1976 |access-date=16 September 2016 |ref={{harvid|BAFTA|1975}} |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429183516/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1975/film |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]
| [[Cleavon Little]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[National Film Preservation Board]]
| colspan="2"| [[National Film Registry]]
| {{won|Inducted}}
| align="center"|<ref name="loc.gov"/>
|-
| Online Film & Television Association Awards
| colspan="2"| Hall of Fame – Motion Picture
| {{won}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |title=Film Hall of Fame Inductees: Productions |website=Online Film & Television Association |access-date=August 15, 2021 |archive-date=September 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160911025446/http://www.oftaawards.com/film-hall-of-fame/film-hall-of-fame-productions/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
| [[27th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Comedy – Written Directly for the Screenplay]]
| Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, <br /> Richard Pryor and Alan Uger
| {{won}}
| align="center"|<ref>{{cite web |url=https://awards.wga.org/awards/nominees-winners/1995-1949 |title=Writers Guild Awards Winners: 1995-1949 |website=Writers Guild of America West |access-date=January 20, 2021 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125193707/https://awards.wga.org/awards/nominees-winners/1995-1949 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|}

The film is recognized by the [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2000: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs]] – No. 6<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs |url=https://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |publisher=[[American Film Institute]] |access-date=July 17, 2016 |archive-date=April 12, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190412113732/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/laughs100.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Adaptations ==
=== TV series ===
A television pilot titled ''Black Bart'' was produced for CBS based on Bergman's original story. It featured [[Louis Gossett Jr.]] as Bart and [[Steve Landesberg]] as his drunkard sidekick, a former Confederate officer named "Reb Jordan". Other cast members included Millie Slavin and [[Noble Willingham]]. Bergman is listed as the sole creator. CBS aired the pilot once on April 4, 1975. The pilot episode of ''Black Bart'' was later included as a bonus feature on the ''Blazing Saddles'' 30th Anniversary DVD and the [[Blu-ray]] disc.

=== Possible stage production ===
In September 2017, Brooks indicated his desire to do a stage version of ''Blazing Saddles'' in the future.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/21/stupidly-politically-correct-society-death-comedy-warns-veteran/ |title='Stupidly politically correct society is the death of comedy', warns veteran comedian Mel Brooks |last=Sabur |first=Rozina |date=September 21, 2017 |website=The Daily Telegraph |access-date=September 22, 2017 |quote=The director said he hopes he is able to recreate Blazing Saddles on the stage in the future. |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922000138/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/21/stupidly-politically-correct-society-death-comedy-warns-veteran/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== In popular culture ==
The [[ISO 9660#Rock Ridge|Rock Ridge]] standard for CD and DVD media is named after the town in ''Blazing Saddles''.<ref>{{citation |url=https://www.cdfs.com/cdfs-glos-rrip.html |title=RRIP |access-date=Jan 10, 2023 |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326092902/http://cdfs.com/cdfs-glos-rrip.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The 1988 animated television film ''[[The Good, the Bad, and Huckleberry Hound]]'' is a Western parody. Starring anthropomorphic cartoon dog [[Huckleberry Hound]], the film is set in the [[California Gold Rush]] era and has similar spoofs and gags to ''Blazing Saddles'', as well as depiction of Native American stereotypes. Here, much like Bart, Huck is unexpectedly appointed as a sheriff to defend townspeople.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

In 2011, the fifteenth episode of [[Supernatural season 6|''Supernatural'' season 6]] was entitled "[[The French Mistake]]", as a reference to the genre defining Fourth Wall breaking scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/supernatural-the-french-mistake-1798167440|last=Handlen|first=Zach|website=[[The A.V. Club]]|title=''Supernatural'': 'The French Mistake'|date=February 26, 2011|access-date=December 5, 2022|archive-date=December 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205143849/https://www.avclub.com/supernatural-the-french-mistake-1798167440|url-status=live}}</ref>

The 2022 animated film ''[[Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank]]'' starring [[Michael Cera]], [[Samuel L. Jackson]], [[Michelle Yeoh]] and [[Ricky Gervais]], is a loose remake of ''Blazing Saddles'' and was originally titled ''Blazing Samurai''. Its creators described the film as "equally inspired by and an homage to ''Blazing Saddles''." Brooks returned to serve as an executive producer for the production, voiced one of the characters,<ref name="Nov2015D">{{cite news |last1=Busch |first1=Anita |title='Blazing Samurai' Lands A-List Voice Talent Led By Samuel L. Jackson |url=https://deadline.com/2015/11/blazing-samurai-animated-feature-samuel-l-jackson-mel-brooks-george-takei-1201605395/ |access-date=September 7, 2016 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |date=November 3, 2015 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803154123/https://deadline.com/2015/11/blazing-samurai-animated-feature-samuel-l-jackson-mel-brooks-george-takei-1201605395/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and received screenplay credit.

== Home media ==
The film was released on VHS several times and was first released on DVD in 1997,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Blazing-Saddles-DVD/30881/ |title=Blazing Saddles DVD |publisher=Blu-ray.com |date=June 25, 1997 |access-date=September 7, 2016 |archive-date=June 30, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630194522/http://www.blu-ray.com/dvd/Blazing-Saddles-DVD/30881/ |url-status=live }}</ref> followed by a 30th Anniversary Special Edition DVD in 2004 and a Blu-ray version in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blazing-Saddles-Blu-ray/108/ |title=Blazing Saddles Blu-ray |publisher=Blu-ray.com |access-date=September 7, 2016 |archive-date=September 16, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916112104/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blazing-Saddles-Blu-ray/108/ |url-status=live }}</ref> A 40th anniversary Blu-ray set was released in 2014.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blazing-Saddles-Blu-ray/94370/ |title=Blazing Saddles Blu-ray |publisher=Blu-ray.com |access-date=September 7, 2016 |archive-date=September 6, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160906010111/http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Blazing-Saddles-Blu-ray/94370/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Official website|https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/blazing-saddles}}
* [https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-film-preservation-board/documents/blazing_saddles.pdf ''Blazing Saddles'' essay] by Michael Schlesinger at [[National Film Registry]].
* {{AFI film|id=54998|title=Blazing Saddles}}
* {{IMDb title|0071230}}
* {{TCMDb title|69005|Blazing Saddles}}
* {{Mojo title|blazingsaddles}}
* {{IMDb title|0121113|Black Bart}}

{{Mel Brooks}}
{{Richard Pryor}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1974 films]]
[[Category:1974 Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:1970s American films]]
[[Category:1974 black comedy films]]
[[Category:1970s English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s parody films]]
[[Category:1970s satirical films]]
[[Category:American self-reflexive films]]
[[Category:1970s Western (genre) comedy films]]
[[Category:African-American Western (genre) films]]
[[Category:American Western (genre) comedy films]]
[[Category:American black comedy films]]
[[Category:American parody films]]
[[Category:American satirical films]]
[[Category:Ethnic humour]]
[[Category:Films about racism in the United States]]
[[Category:Films directed by Mel Brooks]]
[[Category:Films scored by John Morris]]
[[Category:Films set in 1856]]
[[Category:Films set in 1874]]
[[Category:Films set in a movie theatre]]
[[Category:Films set in the American frontier]]
[[Category:Films shot in California]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Andrew Bergman]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Mel Brooks]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Richard Pryor]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Norman Steinberg]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by Alan Uger]]
[[Category:Metafictional works]]
[[Category:United States National Film Registry films]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. films]]
[[Category:Postmodern films]]
[[Category:English-language Western (genre) comedy films]]
[[Category:English-language black comedy films]]