The Cheat Sheet

John Wayne Turned Down Playing Waco Kid in ‘Blazing Saddles’ Because It Was ‘Too Dirty,’ But He Wanted to Be ‘First in Line’ to See It

Mel Brooks directed Blazing Saddles based on a screenplay that he wrote with Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger. The story is a satirical take on the Western film genre.
collider

This Kirk Douglas Western Was a Major Inspiration for 'Blazing Saddles'

Namwene Mukabwa is a Collider author based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has a penchant for Westerns, classics, historical, and underrated movies and television series. He became hooked on screens at the age ...
WAMC

50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations

Mel Brooks' satirical Western Blazing Saddles got mixed reviews when it opened in February 1974, but it became the year's biggest box office hit. Above, Cleavon Little, left, as Sheriff Bart and Gene ...
Hosted on MSN

John Wayne Turning Down The Best Western Comedy Of All Time Secretly Saved The Movie

Although John Wayne turned down Mel Brooks’ iconic Western spoof Blazing Saddles, this ironically saved the iconic parody movie. John Wayne’s many Western movies might contain moments of comedic ...
Jewish Telegraphic Agency

‘Blazing Saddles’ marks a half-century of hilarity — and controversy

(JTA) — The phrase “that movie could never be made today” has probably been said more about “Blazing Saddles” than any other movie in history. Mel Brooks’ spoof of Hollywood Westerns is full of the ...
NPR

50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations

Fifty years ago, Mel Brooks released Blazing Saddles to gales of laughter and a mighty roar of flatulence jokes. Also to mixed reviews from harrumphing critics. Typical was Vincent Canby, whose New ...