The Ultimate Western Spoof. A town where everyone seems to be named Johnson is in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, Hedley Lemar (Harvey Korman), a politically connected nasty person, sends in his henchmen to make the town unlivable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor (Mel Brooks). Hedley convinces him to send the town the first Black sheriff (Cleavon Little) in the west. Bart is a sophisticated urbanite who will have some difficulty winning over the townspeople.Written by
John Vogel <jlvogel@comcast.net>
The scene in which Cleavon Little aims his gun at his own head to save himself from the townspeople's wrath was based on an incident from Mel Brooks' childhood. He said that once, to his disbelief, he stole some gum and a water pistol from a drugstore; when a store worker tried to stop him, Brooks held the worker at bay with the very water pistol he had just taken from the store. See more »
Goofs
(at around 18 mins) Hedley Lamarr and the Governor are talking about taking away 200,000 acres of land from the Indians the Governor asks what it will cost and Hedley Lamarr get out a box of toys. Before the governor can shoot the cigar out of his mouth, you already here the sound of him blowing it out before the cigar has started moving. See more »
Quotes
[first lines]
Lyle:
Come on, boys! The way you're lollygaggin' around here with them picks and them shovels, you'd think it was a hundert an' twenty degree. Can't be more than a hundert an' fourteen.
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Crazy Credits
Karl Lukas is credited (as Karl Lucas) in opening credits only. See more »
Alternate Versions
The TV release has five extra scenes that weren't in the theatrical release:
When Sheriff Bart is trying to capture Mongo, after he delivers the "CandyGram for Mongo", it then shows a "draw on the dummy sheriff" game that fires a cannon at Mongo, and then a scene Bart convinces Mongo to go diving down a well for Spanish Doubloons and Bart stops pumping air to the diving suit because it's time for his lunch break.
Bart and Jim run away from Hedley Lamarr and his gang whilst wearing the KKK outfits. They run into some Born-again Christians having a baptism/picnic and join in.
Lily Von Shtupp (Madeline Kahn) gives a brief spoken introduction to the saloon crowd before beginning her song.
Governor Le Petomaine (Mel Brooks) arrives in the fake Rock Ridge a few moments before the final showdown, in a stagecoach with a flashing red light on the back, makes a joke about losing the "blue collar vote" and does a skit in the town where he impersonates Harpo Marx.
When the dynamite fails to explode, Lily Von Schtuup says with some German rambling that it didn't work. When nobody knows what she said the guy that speaks frontier gibberish tries to translate. Those around him hit him with their hats.
Quality. many people who love this film may feel that the negative comments from others are inoffensive as this is such a funny film, I will say this. They are entitled to their opinions ...even if they are wrong. This is one of the best comedies ever made.
Firstly it's not just Mel Brooks as scriptwriter which seems to make a big difference to the quality of the film he produces (Yung Frankestein is co-written by Gene Wilder) but then you have a cast in fine form, especially Harvey Corman as the fantastic Hedley Lamarr (Not Hedy, It's Hedley!) add to that a fantastic series of sight gags and word play, with a good dose of racism ridicule thrown in for good measure (...and they is so DUMB!)and it all makes for a brilliant mix of inspired film-making.
There are numerous scenes of note, but the scene of the townsfolk looking at their work and Bart chasing after the bad guy still makes my skin cold as they are genuinely moving moments.
best visual gag though has got to be the Wako Kid versus the goons at the railroad top drawer Much Love Mike
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Quality. many people who love this film may feel that the negative comments from others are inoffensive as this is such a funny film, I will say this. They are entitled to their opinions ...even if they are wrong. This is one of the best comedies ever made.
Firstly it's not just Mel Brooks as scriptwriter which seems to make a big difference to the quality of the film he produces (Yung Frankestein is co-written by Gene Wilder) but then you have a cast in fine form, especially Harvey Corman as the fantastic Hedley Lamarr (Not Hedy, It's Hedley!) add to that a fantastic series of sight gags and word play, with a good dose of racism ridicule thrown in for good measure (...and they is so DUMB!)and it all makes for a brilliant mix of inspired film-making.
There are numerous scenes of note, but the scene of the townsfolk looking at their work and Bart chasing after the bad guy still makes my skin cold as they are genuinely moving moments.
best visual gag though has got to be the Wako Kid versus the goons at the railroad top drawer Much Love Mike