The Brilliance that is Mel Brooks

I'm watching Blazing Saddles, bumped into an airing of it this afternoon.  I had forgotten how excellent that movie is.

The cinematography is nothing to write home about - even with my limited experience there are scenes that in my opinion could have used some art direction.

But the movie (and No, I rarely use the word 'film') is the script.  There are some obvious lines that live today ("We don't need no stinkin' badges!") but the script is peppered with some real gems.

The scene where Gene Wilder (The Waco Kid) and Cleavon Little (Bart, the Sheriff) distract and lure two KKK members to take their robes:

Wilder:  "Hey boys, lookie what I got over here!", as he pulls Little out from behind a rock.

Little:  "Hey - where the white women at?"

.....

Reverend Johnson: "Now I don't have to tell you good folks what's been happening in our beloved little town. Sheriff murdered, crops burned, stores looted, people stampeded, and cattle raped."

....

Little and Wilder go out to the railroad site for information, Little is enthusiastically greeted by his former friend.

To Little:  "Bart!  They said you was hung!"

Little, smugly:  "And they were right."

....

Of course my favorite character is Lili Von Shtupp, played by Madeline Kahn.  She is charged with seducing Bart and of course gets more than, um, she expected.

I saw an interview with Brooks in LA where he discussed censorship and studio creative control. He talked about that scene.  It ends going to black, the sfx of a zipper going down, and Kahn VOs "It's true, it's true!" (or rather, "It's twoo, it's twoo!").  You are probably familiar with the scene.

But apparently there was a line after that one, that Brooks just could not get past the Board.  

Little replies to Kahn, "Honey, you're sucking my elbow."

Mel Brooks, People.  Genius.