| Blazing Saddles | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster by John Alvin[1] | |
| Directed by | Mel Brooks |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Story by | Andrew Bergman |
| Produced by | Michael Hertzberg |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Joseph Biroc |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | John Morris |
Production company | Crossbow Productions |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 93 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.6 million |
| Box office | $119.6 million[3] |
Blazing Saddles is a 1974 American satirical postmodernist[4][5] 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.[6] The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. Brooks appears in two supporting roles: Governor William J. Le Petomane, and a Yiddish-speaking Indian 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.[7]
The film is full of deliberate anachronisms, from the Count Basie Orchestra playing "April in Paris" in the Wild West, to Pickens' character mentioning the 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 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.[8]
- ^ Stewart, Jocelyn (February 10, 2008). "John Alvin, 59; created movie posters for such films as 'Blazing Saddles' and 'E.T.'". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2008.
- ^ Blazing Saddles at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films
- ^ "Blazing Saddles (1974)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on July 14, 2019. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
- ^ Hug, Bill (August 20, 2023). ""Blazing Saddles" as Postmodern Ethnic Carnival". Studies in Popular Culture. 36 (1): 63–81. JSTOR 23610152.
- ^ "The Mel Brooks Collection". The A.V. Club. April 11, 2006. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
- ^ Faulx, Nadya (February 7, 2014). "'Blazing Saddles,' The Best Interracial Buddy Comedy, Turns 40". NPR. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ "Director and Leading Actors". Getback.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved November 1, 2012.
- ^ "Librarian of Congress Adds Home Movie, Silent Films and Hollywood Classics to Film Preservation List" (Press release). Library of Congress. December 27, 2006. Archived from the original on April 12, 2020. Retrieved April 23, 2020.