Blazing Saddles: Different Edits?

[Scissorjack]

Just finished watching Blazing Saddles again, this time on DVD, and one thing puzzles me. I've seen sanitised for TV edits, where the farting scene and Lili Von Shtupp's musical number is cut, but this one kept those but lacked a couple of Bart and The Kid's attempts on Mongo's life, notably "Spanish balloons? Mongo, he try!" The only one kept was "Candygram for Mongo!". Are there different edits?

Stampeding cattle? That's not much of a crime.

Through the Vatican?

Kinky. Sign here.

[Dunderman]

According to the IMDb (http://imdb.com/title/tt0071230/alternateversions):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.I've never seen those scenes, just the candygram one.

[Qadgop the Mercotan]

According to the IMDb (http://imdb.com/title/tt0071230/alternateversions):I've never seen those scenes, just the candygram one.
I saw those extra scenes. On TV, decades ago.

They were pretty stupid, and they weren't used in the film for good reason, IMHO.

[BJMoose]

I bought a VHS edition a few years back that included the "documentary" Back in the Saddle. It shows the Bart v. Mongo outtakes plus a few others. I'm surprised to hear that there was a version that included those scenes. Is it labeled "Director's Cut"?

[silenus]

Watch the DVD director's commentary for the full explanation. Brroks talks about the scenes, and why they were cut from the theatrical release. Qad nailed it...they aren't that funny.

[Scissorjack]

I saw those extra scenes. On TV, decades ago.

Ah, that answers it. I saw 'em on TV years ago too, but I loved 'em: to my mind they added a lot to the whole anarchic Bugs Bunny feel of repeatedly trying to take out Mongo with stupider and stupider scenes. And the diving scene is funny:

"Dive, dive dive, for Spanish doubloons!"

"Spanish balloons? Mongo, he try!"

[Zachlee]

One of my favorite weird edits was a TV version I saw some time ago.

They cut the fart noises from the bean eating scene.

But when Sherrif Bart is walking through town, and says Good Morning to the little old lady, she still says "Up Yours, N****r!"

So audible farts were deemed too offensive for TV broadcast, but the n-word was still okay? What alternative universe was this broadcast from?

[Lute Skywatcher]

One of my favorite weird edits was a TV version I saw some time ago.

They cut the fart noises from the bean eating scene.

But when Sherrif Bart is walking through town, and says Good Morning to the little old lady, she still says "Up Yours, N****r!"

So audible farts were deemed too offensive for TV broadcast, but the n-word was still okay? What alternative universe was this broadcast from?I believe that's the original TV edit. Further edits, most notoriously by the Family Channel, also remove all utterances of "nigger" and "faggot".

[betenoir]

I've heard the scene that ends "It's twue, it's twue." (you KNOW the scene I mean) was originally meant to end with

"Excuse me madame, but you're sucking on my elbow."

Did that make it into any of the edits?

[USCDiver]

I've heard the scene that ends "It's twue, it's twue." (you KNOW the scene I mean) was originally meant to end with

"Excuse me madame, but you're sucking on my elbow."

Did that make it into any of the edits?

I've never heard that line in the movie, but I have heard that story.

The deleted scenes showing Bart trying to outsmart Mongo were always of pretty low quality when I've seen them; I'm not sure if it's just lack of appropriate post-production or if the film itself is corrupted.

[divemaster]

I've heard the scene that ends "It's twue, it's twue." (you KNOW the scene I mean) was originally meant to end with

"Excuse me madame, but you're sucking on my elbow."

Did that make it into any of the edits?

I don't think so. According to Brooks on the DVD commentary (I'm going from memory here), he had written the line but knew it would never pass muster with the studio. He could get away with a lot, but not that particular line.

[Askia]

I don't think so. According to Brooks on the DVD commentary (I'm going from memory here), he had written the line but knew it would never pass muster with the studio. He could get away with a lot, but not that particular line. Really? I've heard elsewhere it was Richard Pryor who wrote that line.

[Askia]

I saw those extra scenes. On TV, decades ago.

They were pretty stupid, and they weren't used in the film for good reason, IMHO. Same here, only I disagree they weren't funny. The 10 year old me who first saw them laughed his narrow ass off.

[divemaster]

Really? I've heard elsewhere it was Richard Pryor who wrote that line.That could very well be true. It's been over 6 months since I listened to the commentary and Brooks talked about a lot of stuff, including Pryor's input, deleted scenes (the one in question and otherwise), and all sorts of other stuff. I had never heard of this particular line before watching the commentary so I have no historical perspective. I do remember thinking just how goddam funny it was and how it was a shame it didn't make it into the movie. Brooks seemed not to be too bent out of shape about it. More of the "it didn't make it because of the obvious reason" of being just a tad over the boundary of the accectable.

[Scissorjack]

The stuff that does grate the most now is the casual rape jokes:

"You said rape twice."

"I like rape."

I guess they were a product of their time - watch almost any Eastwood movie of the period and count the rape or attempted rape scenes - but they're a little uncomfortable to watch now.

[Darkhold]

A little off topic but I've seen about 2 or 3 TV edits for The Breakfast Club some include scenes that aren't in the theatrical cut (usually just extra of them running through the halls avoiding the teacher). It's always a little surreal seeing a 'edited for tv' movie that has extras to make up for other jokes they cut.

[Musicat]

The stuff that does grate the most now is the casual rape jokes:

"You said rape twice."

"I like rape."

I guess they were a product of their time - watch almost any Eastwood movie of the period and count the rape or attempted rape scenes - but they're a little uncomfortable to watch now.For that matter, The Fantastiks has an entire number on the subject of rape, and it's quite jolly. I think the word was used more to mean "abduction" than forceable sex. I wonder if the Broadway revival will include this sequence, but it would be a major rape of the libretto to remove it.

"Raaaaaaaape, such a pretty rape..."

[Musicat]

I've heard the scene that ends "It's twue, it's twue." (you KNOW the scene I mean) was originally meant to end with

"Excuse me madame, but you're sucking on my elbow."

Did that make it into any of the edits?That line was the scene-ender in the book, but the scene was truncated just before in the original theatrical release and early VHS tapes. I never saw it on screen, but I don't have a recent DVD copy to check.

The book also included pictures of the dive sequence and other events that weren't in the original theatrical release, so (my copy, at least) must have preceeded it.

[Zsofia]

One of my favorite weird edits was a TV version I saw some time ago.

They cut the fart noises from the bean eating scene.

But when Sherrif Bart is walking through town, and says Good Morning to the little old lady, she still says "Up Yours, N****r!"

So audible farts were deemed too offensive for TV broadcast, but the n-word was still okay? What alternative universe was this broadcast from?
That's the edit of the movie I first saw! And the bean scene made no sense at all. I only saw it uncut sometime in college.

[Lissa]

That line was the scene-ender in the book . . .

There was a book?

[Hamadryad]

The stuff that does grate the most now is the casual rape jokes:

"You said rape twice."

"I like rape."

I guess they were a product of their time - watch almost any Eastwood movie of the period and count the rape or attempted rape scenes - but they're a little uncomfortable to watch now.There are also casual racist jokes through the whole thing. Lynching jokes. Jokes about prostitution. As George Carlin said he can PROVE rape is funny. "Imagine Porky Pig....raping Elmer Fudd."

Humor is entirely in the eye of the beholder.

My eldest understands racism so little that I would have to spend half of the film explaining "why <scene>, <line> is so funny." "Why wouldn't they want to let a black man be Sheriff? What about Doug Wilder...he was Governor and now he's MAYOR."

[LurkMeister]

For that matter, The Fantastiks has an entire number on the subject of rape, and it's quite jolly. I think the word was used more to mean "abduction" than forceable sex. I wonder if the Broadway revival will include this sequence, but it would be a major rape of the libretto to remove it.

"Raaaaaaaape, such a pretty rape..."

There was a filmed version of The Fantasticks (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113026/maindetails) which was made in 1995 but had only a very limited theatrical release in 2000. "It Depends On What You Pay" (the "rape song") was filmed but then replaced with a new song written for the movie. It is, however, included as an extra on the DVD. I agree that the original song is vital to the story as written, although this may be due in part to the fact that it was one of my late wife's favorite songs in the show; she would occasionally sing lines from it for no apparent reason.

[mobo85]

As George Carlin said he can PROVE rape is funny. "Imagine Porky Pig....raping Elmer Fudd."

Zero Mostel: Next time we'll play The Rape and Abduction of Lucretia.
Old Lady: I'll be Lucretia.
Zero Mostel: I'll be rape!

Just the way he says that makes me laugh.

[Scissorjack]

There are also casual racist jokes through the whole thing.

I don't think the jokes themselves are racist: the joke is in gleefully poking fun at the racists: "Camp-town Lay-dees?". Bart, The Kid, and the black and Chinese railroad workers - OK, and Mongo, who's too simple to be racist - are the only admirable characters in the film. All the rest are the common clay of the Old West. You know, morons.

[Hamadryad]

I don't think the jokes themselves are racist: the joke is in gleefully poking fun at the racists: "Camp-town Lay-dees?". Bart, The Kid, and the black and Chinese railroad workers - OK, and Mongo, who's too simple to be racist - are the only admirable characters in the film. All the rest are the common clay of the Old West. You know, morons."Is it twue what they say about men of youw......wace? .................. Oh, it's twue! It's TWUE!"

Voila. Racist joke. Not ANTI-black, but still a racist joke.

[Scissorjack]

"Is it twue what they say about men of youw......wace? .................. Oh, it's twue! It's TWUE!"

Voila. Racist joke. Not ANTI-black, but still a racist joke.

To be fair, it was originally his elbow she was sucking on {see earlier posts}, which was making fun of the hung black stud stereotype. See also:

"They told me you was hung!"

"And they was right."

[silenus]

"Is it twue what they say about men of youw......wace? .................. Oh, it's twue! It's TWUE!"

Voila. Racist joke. Not ANTI-black, but still a racist joke.

If we are going to call "racism." at least get the line right.

"Excuse me, Schatze...is it true what they say about how you people are....gifted?"

[mbh]

"Excuse me, while I whip this out."