Mel Brooks was so ahead of his time. He used humor to show just how absurd and ridiculous racism is. It also featured some of the greatest comedic actors of the day.
Yeah. A real visionary. The first thing the young illegal aggressive bucks arriving daily at Dover is ...wheres my benefits ? Closely followed by...."Where the wh*te Women at?"
Fun fact: The weekend after Gene Wilder died, select AMC theaters played this and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Saw it then (I also own it on DVD) and I'm getting ready to watch it for the 50th anniversery tomorrow.
Mel Brooks stated this classic would never be made in 1974 after someone told him that it can't be made today. But Warner Brothers Studio took a chance in 1974.
The apocryphal story I learned was that WB execs were... 'sweating' bricks the entire time until Mel arranged a screening for the crew and employees of the studio. The laughter quickly changed their minds.
The reason why it wouldn't be made nowadays is because the genre it's parodying, which is westerns that common on both TV and movies at the time, doesn't exist anymore with the exception of a rare occasion. It's like the Scary Movie series (which parodied horror movies of the past and at the "currently trending" at the time).
Just need a superhero movie that does this. Wouldn’t even be hard to do, can basically just strap this “lone hero and sidekick” plot on that genre with minimal changes.
YES! Heddy Lamar asn't a movie star until later. Jesse Oens didn't run until MUCH later. Lots of "anachronistic" comments in this movie! (references to things out of that time period)
That was my favorite joke in the movie. I had to point it out to a coworker that just watched it (he’s black) and I thought he was gonna choke from laughing.
ABSOLUTELY!!! Another line that goes over a lot of people's heads is when Bart comes back to the railroad camp!! Charlie says "you shifty Nigga, I heard you was hung!" And Bart says "And they were right!"😅😅😂
Jesse Owens was a Track and Field Gold Medalist at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games. I can’t say that I’m surprised that not very many people know who he is.
Slim Pickens was so nevervous about playing his character, he said afterwards he didn't feel good having to say a lot of those lines and it was Cleavon Little who convinced him to do the role explaining Mel Brooks genius in using humour to take on racism
never knew that, thats pretty awesome, its nice to see he wasn't comfortable at first, that says a lot about who he really was, also says a lot that he understood Mel's sense of humour
First time hearing that story, Pickens was pretty good actor. Don't remember the movie, just a scene where he's riding a bomb waving hat like he's on bull as drops, I was pretty young when seen it.
*Some Fun Observations:* (1) The guy saying, "We don't need no stinkin' badges!" is referencing a scene from the movie "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" (1948) starring Humphrey Bogart. (2) "Rhett (Butler)" is the name of the protagonist in the movie "Gone with the Wind" (1939) starring Clark Gable.
who as a kid in the 50"s remember that line from you teacher "chewing gum in class, i hope you brought enough for every one, " before they stuck it on your nose for the entire time your in class, it only happen to me once, i learned my lesson
Despite the later allegations that Hitler refused to acknowledge Owens, the reality is that not only did the latter debunk these claims by insisting that he was waved at every time he was about to race, Robert Lee Van - an African American reporter who accompanied Jesse Owens to the Olympics - wrote this newspaper piece regard the Fuhrer’s reaction on August 4, 1936 after Owens won a gold medal: “And then;… wonder of wonders;… I saw Herr Adolph Hitler, salute this lad. I looked on with a heart which beat proudly as the lad who was crowned king of the 100 meters event, get an ovation the like of which I have never heard before. I saw Jesse Owens greeted by the Grand Chancellor of this country as a brilliant sun peeped out through the clouds. I saw a vast crowd of some 85,000 or 90,000 people stand up and cheer him to the echo.” The irony is that not only would Jesse Owens deny the rumours that Hitler snubbed him, he would turn these attacks on none other than Franklin Roosevelt himself: “Hitler didn’t snub me-it was Roosevelt who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.” www.quora.com/Did-Hitler-shake-Jesse-Owens-hand-or-is-it-a-myth
Hmmm ... you may want to research that one to see what Jesse said on the matter. It didn't reflect well on the US President versus what Hitler actually did.
Pretty bad of Hitler, if expected. What was worse was that government of Owens' own country also refused to meet him. There was a separate entrance into the White House for Blacks, but that didn't matter, because FDR didn't ask him to the White House in any case.
@@derekmclellan7337 dunno, he left early I know. It is the why that I find fascinating. Jim Crow was a minefield for all decent politicians. We did very well with FDR I believe.
If anyone's interested, Jesse Owens was a track and field athlete who won multiple gold medals in the 1936 Olympics. He's basically saying that it's time to haul out of there. Hope that helps.
I'm so glad you enjoy it too! Yes, it's a SHOCK in the beginning; until you realize they are parodying racism and getting ridiculously campy, which is PERFECT! So many iconic lines, but make sure you, and your spectators are on the same page. A man I knew entered the camp with "where are the white women at?" (he is black) we all laughed except for a newcomer who stared at him in panic. we had to catch her up with Mel Brooks movies. Remember that Richard Pryor helped write this one!
Yeah, nowadays though... even Robert Downey Jr. In an interview when asked about Tropic Thunder being being nowadays said you could but ....Basically infering that wouldn't go over well, yet you still make it.
The problem with most Mel Brooks movies today is the jokes reference people and events from the past and contemporary pop culture of the time, so many of the jokes dont land with younger audiences. Laurel and Hardy were a comedy duo that even predated the 3 stooges (Laurel, and Hearty handshake) Hedy Lamarr was a golden age beauty queen pre WWII (also a very prolific inventor and engineer) who really did sue Mel Brooks for using her name in that running joke. Jesse Owens was a gold medal winning black track and field athlete at the Berlin Olympics (very embarrassing for the Arian race) Count Basie was a famous band leader and jazz pianist Strike up that band was literally the song they played when asked to strike up the band Wide World of Sports was a weekly tv sports broadcast And list goes on. Only us old people really get all the rapid fire humor.
There is an unconfirmed Hollywood legend that Hedy Lamar was in financial distress at the time, and Mel Brooks used her name so that she would sue. Then he could help her out without it being charity.
I saw this movie when I was about 15. Shared it with my nephew when he was about 15. While neither of us got "Laurel & Hardy", we both noticed Hitler in the background of one of the final scenes and busted out laughing. Pretty sure he's shown it to his kids. Mel's work is a gift that keeps on giving.
@@Kaddywompous Yeah, the studio thought he was too big of a risk, and they likely were right. He was one of the screenwriters. Brooks has said that while they were writing the film in L.A., he got a call one morning from Pryor who said, "Mel, I'm in Chicago, and _I don't know why_ ."
Ironically Gig Young who was a notorious drinker, still got the part of the Waco Kid after John Wayne turned it down. Wilder got the part when Young landed in jail.
Richard Pryor was a writer and Brooks wanted him to play the sherriff but Rich had a "problem" and ...... Etc. But the Combo of writers and actors, Priceless.
It's amazing how many of the younger people in the video clearly didn't know who Jesse Owens was and didn't understand why they were laughing. Do they not get irony and sarcasm? A lot of them seemed to take things literally.
Man I love your vids. Especially because you are watching with cam and not some random mashup. Keep up the amazing work and may I recommend doing the same with music reactions too. I recommend Slipknot, Spit it out live at download 2009. Watch it for yourself and you’ll instantly see where to start and stop.
Sadly a movie like that wouldn't be able to be made like that today. Mel Brooks at 98, was way way ahead of his time. This movie was also against racism by making fun of it. The sad thing is all the actors are dead sadly except for Mel Brooks.
Mel Brooks has said it couldn't be made THEN. That 'the powers that be' wanted to censor a lot of the gags; Mel pretended to agree, then left them in, anyway.
Robert Downey Jr. Speaking about Tropic Thunder being made today said you could make yet inferred that it probably wouldn't go over well. I would say the about Brooks adding the language he used then would really make not go over well.
It's interesting to see the cultural differences between white and black reactors when it comes to the "See, it's coming off." joke. It appears to me many white reactors don't laugh at what is a hilarious joke because they are not aware of the color difference on the front and back of a black person's hands.
Movies like this were made because adults in 1974 didn't need safe spaces, were not offended by the silliest crap, and knew good humor when they heard it
Sadly this movie was “OK” only because they thought they had “fixed” racism and could now safely laugh at the problems of the past. If only we had. Racism just went behind the curtain instead of ending, and daring to suggest that it still exists is why people get offended.
Or the people who were offended by it in 1974 are just unknown today, like the people who were offended by Birth Of A Nation for very understandable reasons.
Only a few people kept Bart's great lines as he and the Kid come back out from behind the rock after beating the Klansmen and donning their hoods and sheets: "Man, that was pretty. I liked that."
John Wayne was offered the part of the Waco Kid but he turned it down. It was later given to Gig Young but he landed in jail so the part eventually went to Gene Wilder.
Actually Gig Young was a heavy drinker and when they had him hanging upside down in the jail, he starting having some serious trouble. Mel called Gene and Gene came out to take over the role.
Guys... guys... We need to have a talk. Blazing Saddles came out in 1974, 50 years ago. Jesse Owens died in 1980, 44 years ago. Most of the reactors here look to be Millennials, the oldest being born in 1981 (43 years old). This isn't modern media anymore. It's a classic. And that's okay.
I hate seeing people getting offended by this film. Especially this part when the whole point is to demean and defang racism in general and groups like the kkk by having the audience laugh at it. Laughing at something takes away a lot of its supposed power over something. One of the purposes of this film is to laugh at and poke fun of those who believe in racial superiority in any form and we should always take every opportunity to do so.
I think George Lucas stole that gag, for Episode IV. The scene where the scanner crew(actually Han) calls two Stormtroopers for help, then ambushes them, and appropriates their outfits.
The scene below is my favorite from a movie full of sight gags and some very basic humor. RIP Harvey and Slim - they just dont make them like this any more. and I guess Methodists are happy about that, ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fLpmswBKVN4.html
