Make Friends And Alienate ‘Morons’ With These ‘Blazing Saddles’ Quotes

Some people often cite Jim Carrey‘s 1994 as the most successful year of anyone in Hollywood, and with good reason. With blockbuster hits Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, The Mask, and Dumb & Dumber all being released during the same calendar year, you’d be hard-pressed to find a year that tops it. However, two decades earlier, Mel Brooks set the original standard, as the director of two blockbuster hits that were released within 10 months of each other, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein.

With Blazing Saddles (1974), Brooks proved that parody and satirical movies could be successful in Hollywood again. Grossing $119.5 million on a budget of only $2.6 million, it’s largely responsible for the genre’s re-birth. A few short years later, directors like David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker would find success into the 1980’s with Airplane!, Police Squad!, and others, but Blazing Saddles will forever be the trailblazer, and perhaps the gold standard. (Experience Mel Brooks in Blazing Saddles on Digital HD.)

Starring Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, Brooks’ satirical take on racial prejudice set within the confines of a Hollywood Western received nominations for three different Academy Awards, and is currently ranked as the No. 6 funniest movie of all time by the American Film Institute. It’s also one of the most easily-quoted movies ever. In fact, some lines have become such a part of our lexicon that it’s probably a safe bet that you’ve quoted the movie yourself, perhaps without even realizing it. So, with all that said, here are some of those lines.

“Hey, where the white women at?” — Bart

We start with what is arguably the movie’s classic line. After Jim pretends to have captured Bart in front of a pair of Klansmen, Bart delivers the iconic quote that people still reference 41 years later.

Quick aside: did you know that Brooks originally wanted Richard Pryor to play the part of Bart? Unfortunately, the studio wouldn’t go for it because, at the time, Pryor was still an unknown. Little’s performance ended up being legendary, but it’s still fun to imagine what a young Pryor would have done with it, especially since he co-wrote the thing.

“You know…morons.”

This scene may have been way ahead of its time. In fact, it couldn’t have known it at the time, but Jim’s entire speech is basically a metaphor for social media in 2015. “What did you expect? I agree with your political affiliation? Your opinions on hot-button issues are well-founded and sensible? You gotta remember that these are simple meme-forwarders. People you’d prefer you didn’t know in real life. People who comment on YouTube. You know…morons.”

“Are we…black?” – Jim

“Yes we are.” – Bart

Sometimes it’s not the lines themselves that are so memorable, but the way in which they’re read by the actors. Wilder’s and Little’s deadpan deliveries in this classic scene will never not make me laugh. Though, I suppose there is an alternate timeline where this exchange takes place between Richard Pryor and Johnny Carson (who was reportedly sought for the role of The Waco Kid) or Gig Young (who was originally cast).

“How ’bout some more beans, Mr. Taggart?” – Farting Cowboy #1

“I’d say you’ve had enough!” – Taggart

Brooks has stated that the inspiration for this scene was from watching old Westerns, and noticing that the characters were always dirty men who would sit around campfires and eat beans, so it would stand to reason that their diet would cause at least some minor stomach issues. Would you believe that this was the first fart recording to ever appear in a movie? And that the sound-effect was made by the time-honored trick of a hand and an armpit: It’s true.

“My name is Jim. But most people call me……Jim.”

Wilder’s deadpan delivery on what would quite possibly be an unmemorable line is what makes this a classic. Also, that hat. My goodness, that hat.

“My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives.”

It’s time we take a moment to praise the work of the supporting actors in this film. While Little and Wilder more than held their own as our two lead heroes, actors Harvey Korman (Lamarr) and Slim Pickens (Taggart) did the same in their supporting roles. Korman was already well-known within the comedy world from his stints in television sketch comedy on both The Danny Kaye Show and The Carol Burnett Show. As for Pickens, you wouldn’t think audiences would associate him with a movie like this based on the majority of his acting background. However, as he proved in both Dr. Strangelove (1964) and here in Blazing Saddles, he really was quite versatile.

“Hello, handsome. Is that a 10-gallon hat, or are you just enjoying the show?”

The actual quote referenced occurs at the 2:31 mark, but I included the entire clip because the actress who made it famous, Madeline Kahn, deserves it. Kahn originally objected to the risqué nature of her character, Lili Von Shtupp, before Brooks informed her that the part was a parody of Marlene Dietrich from a 1930’s movie called Destry Rides Again. So, upon hearing this, Kahn lifted her skirt and said, “no touching.”

“Men, you are about to embark on a great crusade to stamp out runaway decency in the west. Now, you will only be risking your lives, whilst I will be risking an almost certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.”

A “win one for the Gipper” speech, it most certainly was not. But what it was, was meta-comedy before the term “meta-comedy” even existed. Sadly, Korman was not nominated for an Academy Award that year. However, 40 years later, people remember his speech, but I doubt anyone remembers who actually won. Robert De Niro for The Godfather Part II? Never heard of him.

“Yeah, but I shoot with THIS hand.”

More perfect deadpan from Wilder. At this point in his career, he was pretty much in his prime, and it showed. This film took place six years after he burst on the Hollywood scene in The Producers, and three years after he scared the bajeezus out of every kid in the world in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. Today, Wilder is semi-retired from acting, but would jump back in if the right script came along. Then again, he’s not holding his breath for that.

“Piss on you. I’m working for Mel Brooks!”

There is not a better version of a film breaking the fourth wall than when the cast of Blazing Saddles invaded a set where Dom DeLuise was directing a musical number titled, “The French Mistake.” Brooks literally had the men break through a wall.and musicals, while at the same time, paying homage to them. It’s easy to imagine this scene would have left audiences confused about what they were witnessing, but Brooks was not worried. As he stated on the film’s 40th Anniversary, “they’re hip enough to get this.”

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