Mel Brooks’ notorious and hilarious bad-taste spoof of Westerns, Blazing Saddles, comes to The Ridgefield Playhouse on Friday, February 22 at 7:30pm, presented by the Joseph Cosentino Film Society. A Q&A with actor Burton Gilliam (who played Lyle in the film), hosted by Ira Joe Fisher & WLAD’s Bart Busterna, will follow the screening. Directed by Mel Brooks and co-written by Richard Pryor, the iconic film features Cleavon Little as the first black sheriff of a stunned town scheduled for demolition by an encroaching railroad and stars Harvey Korman, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens and Madeline Kahn. This show also is part of Hearst Media Entertaining Conversation Series. Media sponsor for this screening and discussion is WLAD Music, Talk, Sports.
Blazing Saddles almost didn’t make it to the screen. The film satirizes the racism of American Westerns (and America) and sends up stereotypes in several ways, including using the “N” word with impunity (Brooks kept checking in with his co-writer Richard Pryor and star, Cleavon Little on this and received consistent support) and depicting the casual bigotry hurled toward everyone from Chinese and African American railroad workers to Native Americans, Latinos and even the Irish. When it screened for studio executives there were few laughs and the head of distribution suggested dumping it and taking the loss. But, studio president John Calley decided to test it releasing it in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles and it became the studio’s top moneymaker that summer. Film critic, Roger Ebert gave the film four stars and called it a "crazed grabbag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken.” In the end, Blazing Saddles was nominated for three Academy Awards and is ranked No. 6 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years, 100 Laughs list.
For tickets ($20-$50) call or visit the box office, 203-438-5795 or go online at ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.