Welcome back to my blog. Here’s my recommendation of a movie to check out today and hope you punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” OK, for today (Feb. 7, 2026), let’s honor just about the best-ever film comedy on its 52nd anniversary: “Blazing Saddles” from co-writer/director and comedy legend Mel Brooks and co-starring Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn (who earned an Oscar nomination for it) and Slim Pickens.
“Blazing Saddles,” which had legendary comedian Richard Pryor as a co-writer, is Brooks’ mockery and satire of racism in the U.S. It is mistakenly called politically incorrect and its edited version for language is a complete farce since it cuts out the words making the film’s biggest points. Then again, the politically correct of yesterday and today are not noted for the depth of their intelligence.
“Blazing Saddles” is set in the “old West” and basically punctures every stereotype: from racists to cowboys to politicians to business owners to townsfolks and prairie pioneers (“… you know, idiots,” Wilder tells Little in one scene). Next, you have a Native American who speaks Yiddish (played by Brooks). Also, there’s a scene where Little and Wilder puff a little weed. Then there is a interracial relationship. Finally and best yet, “Blazing Saddles” has the first on-screen scene with audible farts!
The story of “Blazing Saddles” is simple: a land baron wants to take over a town for his railroad to go through and to get the townsfolk to leave, he sends in a black sheriff (Little) in hopes of so offending them that they will take flight. Of course, they don’t and the sheriff is the hero.
You get superb performances from just about everyone in the cast, even from former NFL star Alex Karras as “Mungo,” who punches a horse. The head of the studio that made the film was clueless and called to cut all the bad language, farts, weed and horse-punching scenes.
Thankfully, Brooks’ contract gave him final say and thankfully to the blessing of the movie public, the studio head’s ideas were tossed back into the trash can of his mind. To further show the misguided attempts to defang the film, “Blazing Saddles” was the No. 1 film in the country for 1974 with more than $119 million in ticket sales.
One story about the making of the film has American’s iconic and legendary cowboy John Wayne asking Brooks about the film during a lunch at the studio’s commissary. Wayne was given a copy of the screenplay to read and told he would have a part if he wanted. He came back and said, “Naw, I can’t do a movie like that, but I’ll be first in line to see it!”
So, I say punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” and watch “Blazing Saddles” on this 52nd anniversary of its premiere. Don’t worry, you’ll thank me later.
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