RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / Blazing Saddles
Blazing Saddles

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Blazing Saddles (1974)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
89 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:45

Fresh:40

Rotten:5

Average Rating:8.1/10

Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins

Genre: Comedies

US Box Office: $0

Synopsis: A madcap spoof of the classic Hollywood Western, BLAZING SADDLES is also one of the most gleefully anti-P.C. films ever produced by a major studio. When the sheriff of a small frontier town is... A madcap spoof of the classic Hollywood Western, BLAZING SADDLES is also one of the most gleefully anti-P.C. films ever produced by a major studio. When the sheriff of a small frontier town is killed, convict Bart (Cleavon Little) is appointed the first black sheriff of all-white Rock Ridge by the evil Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman), who hopes this will chase the townspeople from their homes. The naive Sheriff Bart soon catches on, realizing from the less than cheery welcome that the townspeople (who all seem to be named Johnson) aren't prepared for a black sheriff and that he was never meant to succeed at all. Enlisting the help of the sensitive town drunk (Gene Wilder), formerly the Waco Kid, Bart embarks on a plan to save Rock Ridge. A scathing spoof that deals with racism, sexism, and bodily functions, BLAZING SADDLES offers a contrast between picture and words that is shocking, subversive, and hilarious. Director Mel Brooks makes two memorable appearances--as both the sleazy governor and a Yiddish-speaking Sioux Indian chief--while Madeline Kahn does a sidesplitting Marlene Dietrich imitation as the town floozy. Featuring fabulous comic turns by Alex Karras and Slim Pickens, BLAZING SADDLES is raunchy, lovable, and uproarious. [More]

Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman

Starring: Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Harvey Korman, Mel Brooks, Slim Pickens, Burton Gilliam, Alex Karras

Director: Mel Brooks

Director: Mel Brooks
Screenwriter: Mel Brooks, Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Alan Unger
Producer: Michael Hertzberg
Composer: John Morris

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Blazing Saddles

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Goldarned if the whole fool enterprise is not worth the attention of any moviegoer with a penchant for what one actor, commenting on another's Gabby Hayes imitation, calls 'authentic western gibberish.'

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
08/22/08
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine

A lewd spoof of westerns and racial prejudice; enough laughs to cover the fact that it is, essentially, a stupid movie.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment 2 Comments
04/02/08
TV Guide's Movie Guide

One of the funniest awful movies ever made.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
04/02/08
Don Druker
Don Druker
Chicago Reader

It's tough to beat as an outrageously phlegmy deposit in Hollywood's spittoon.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
04/02/08
Jonathan Crocker
Jonathan Crocker
Channel 4 Film

Although Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder head a uniformly competent cast, pic is handily stolen by Harvey Korman and Madeline Kahn. Kahn is simply terrific doing a Marlene Dietrich lampoon.

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
04/02/08
Variety Staff
Variety Staff
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The screenplay is credited to five writers, and it shows in the confused melange of styles.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment 1 Comment
06/24/06
Time Out

I laughed and laughed while viewing this again. Maybe part of it was nostalgia, but part of it came from a refreshing feeling of being shocked once more.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

...at once a parody of old Western movies and a social satire on race and prejudice.

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/21/06
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com

Madeline Kahn was nominated for the Supporting Actress Oscar for her wonderful parody of all the cabaret singers that Dietrich used to play, including the comedy-Western Destry Rides Again.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
04/29/06
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Chalk up Blazing Saddles as only a lampoon of Hollywood westerns and you miss the point by a Texas mile.... Its humor is the palliative that lets Brooks mock prejudices and, with gloves off, prejudiced people.

Full Review Source: DVDJournal.com | comment Comment
04/05/06
Mark Bourne
Mark Bourne
DVDJournal.com

No review available.

comment Comment
01/06/06
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com

Whacked out and brilliant. Eminently rewatchable.

comment Comment
11/10/05
Widgett Walls
Widgett Walls
Needcoffee.com

Still good for a few chuckles, but I find it somewhat overrated.

Full Review Source: FulvueDrive-in.com | comment Comment
10/21/05
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
FulvueDrive-in.com

Somehow the raunchy humor seemed to pass me by.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment 1 Comment
08/14/05
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

The funniest Mel Brooks film, Clevevon Little, who died far too young, is a comic genius. With the success of The Producers on Broadway maybe we can expect a stage version of Saddles which I'd pay good money to see.

comment Comment
12/27/04
Jonathan W. Hickman
Jonathan W. Hickman
Entertainment Insiders

No review available.

comment Comment
11/12/04
Nell Minow
Nell Minow
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies

No review available.

comment Comment
10/30/04
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

It's a crazed grabbag of a movie that does everything to keep us laughing except hit us over the head with a rubber chicken.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment 1 Comment
10/23/04
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Hilarious, irreverant western spoof. One of Mel Brooks' best.

comment Comment
10/16/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan

Brooks' wholehearted embracing of rank vulgarity, together with his innovative quickfire sketch structure, titillated crowds more used to sophisticated Hollywood humour.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
07/07/04
Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 >> >|
all

Latest News for Blazing Saddles

August 27, 2008: Certified Fresh Picks from the WB Vault
It's the third-oldest American movie studio: the company that brought us Rin Tin Tin, convinced the world that the talkies were here to stay, and eventually grew into one of the... More...

May 29, 2008: Blazing Saddles' Harvey Korman dies at age 81 Opens in new window
Harvey Korman, the tall, versatile comedian who won four Emmys for his outrageously funny contributions to The Carol Burnett Show and on the big screen in Blazing Saddles, died... More...

December 28, 2006: 25 New Films Enter National Film Registry ... Good Ones, Too!
Every year another 25 films are chosen for "National Film Registry" designation, and it's a pretty big honor to be on that list. I suppose one could look at it like... More...

December 12, 2005: Richard Pryor Passes Away at 65
Richard Pryor passed away yesterday morning, and while he's probably best remembered for his incendiary stand-up material (as evidenced in 1979's "Live in Concert,"... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

69% 69% Sherlock Holmes 26/12
39% 39% The Lovely Bones 26/12
100% 100% The French Kissers 26/12
84% 84% Bright Star 26/12
82% 82% Nowhere Boy 26/12
18% 18% Alvin and the Chipmunk… 26/12
09% 09% Did You Hear About the… 26/12
05% 05% Old Dogs 26/12

What’s Hot On RT

New Alice Trailer

New Alice Trailer

Tim Burton returns to the rabbit hole

20 Must-See Films

20 Must-See Films

Your essential Summer Movie Guide

James Cameron

James Cameron

We look at the Avatar director's career

Golden Globes!

Golden Globes!

See who got nominated for the awards

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
96
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
30
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
61
  • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
8
  • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
26
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
144
  • Critics Consensus: Avatar Is Certified Fresh
92
  • Total Recall: James Cameron Movies
80
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
70
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
44
  • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
38
  • Awards Tour 2009: SAG Nominations Are In!
35
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
34
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Tron Legacy, and more!
20
  • Awards Tour 2009: The Hurt Locker Dominates Boston Society of Film Critics
18
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Blazing Saddles at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Blazing Saddles at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
40 Best Films of the 2000s
40 Best Films of the 2000s External Link

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Worst Hollywood Remakes of the Decade
Worst Hollywood Remakes of the Decade External Link

Movieline gets bravely swept away with the recycled refuse of the 2000s.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs External Link

We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.