Show:
Nerds on Film
Episode:
Episode No. 69 (tee hee) — Mel Brooksuary: The Historical Significance of Farts
Intro:
The Nerds start the movie marathon month of Mel Brooksuary with an episode about one of his most controversial and hilarious films: Blazing Saddles!
Content:
Nerds,
I typed up some notes while watching Blazing Saddles, so here ya go!
Fun Facts:
- “Tex X.” was the name of the original story, written by Andy Bergman.
- Brooks brought Bergman onto writing team which was unusual. Bergman was thankful Brooks didn’t just take the story and murder it.
- Richard Pryor (writer) was supposed to play Bart, but was too much of a risk to the studios.
- “Le Petomane” a French “flatulist” or “professional farter.” (1857-1945) Farting as comedic performance art. From French Verb “péter” (to fart) and suffix -mane (maniac.) Brooks used the name to suggest “Full of hot air.”
- One of only 2 movies Brooks shot in anamorphic widescreen. (The other was History of the World Part I”
- Alex Karras (Mongo) former NFL football player (Detroit Lions) then played the dad on Webster..
- Inspired a pilot for a TV series called “Black Bart” starring Louis Gossett Jr. It aired once in 1975 and is available on the 30th Anniv. DVD and the regular Blu Ray.
Numbers/Reception:
- Cost $2.6 million to make. Brooks says that the cast a crew “made nothing on it.”
- $119.5 million Box Office Gross (Only the 10th film in history to go over $100m)
- Won a WGA Award for “Best Comedy Written Directly for the Screen”
- Oscar Noms: Best Sup. Actress (Kahn,) Film Editing, Original Song.
- Added to Library of Congress in 2006: Deemed culturally significant because it was the first movie from a major studio to have a fart joke.
- Box Office Mojo – 4th highest gross for a Rated R film.
- Critically somewhat of a failure at the time. Roger Ebert gave it four stars.
Favorite Quotes:
- “Dock that Chink a days pay for nappin’ on the job!”
- “We work up a number 6 on ’em.”
- “A number 6 I’m afraid I’m not familiar with that one.”
- “Well that’s where we go a ridin’ into town a-whompin and a-whoppin’ every livin thing that moves within in an inch of its life. Except the women folks of course.”
- “You spare the women?”
- “Naw, we rape the SHIT out of them at the Number 6 dance later on.”
- (Music)”Now its a time of great decision. Are we to stay or up and quit. There’s no avoiding this conclusion. Our town is turning into shit.”
- “As chairman of the Welcoming Committee, it is my privilege to extend a laurel and a hearty handshake to our new… nigger.”
- “‘Scuse me while I whip dis out.”
- “The fact that you have sent him here just goes to prove that you are the LEADING ASS-HOLE in the state.”
- “I musta killed more men than Cecil B. Demille.”
- “Loz im geeeeyyyyn!” (Let him go.) Yiddish.
- “They darker than us. Woof.”
- “You’ve gotta remember that these are just simple farmers, these are people of the land, the common clay of the new west… you know… morons.”
- “Mongo! Santa Maria!”
- “God Darnit Mr. Lamarr, you use your tongue prettier than a $20 whore.”
- “Daddy loves froggy. Froggy love Daddy? Ribbit. Ribbit.”
- “Of course you’ll have the good taste not to mention that I spoke to you.”
- “Oh. A wed wose. How romantic.”
- “Fifteen is my limit on Schnitzengruben.”
- “Mongo only pawn… in game of life.”
- “Hey boys. Look what I got here.”
- “Hey where are the white women at?”
- “Qualifications?”
- “Stampeding cattle.”
- “That’s not much of a crime.”
- “Through the Vatican?
- “Kinkyyyy. Sign here.”
- “Alright. We’ll give some land to the niggers and the chinks… but we DON’T WANT THE IRISH.”
- “No deal.”
- “Ah prairie shit… everybody!”
- “OH LORD… do we have the strength to carry out this mighty task in one night…. or are we just jerking off?”
- “Amen.”
- “Now go do… that voodoo… that you do so weeeeeelllllll.”
- “Somebody’s gotta go back and get a shitload o’ dimes!”
- “Piss on you. I’m working’ for Mel Brooks!”
- Guy Dressed as Hitler in the Commissary.
- “How many days you got left Marty?”
- “They lose me after the bunker scene.”
Links:
BUY the Movie on iTunes here
OR
BUY it on Amazon too!
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