On another message board Blazing Saddles came up and everyone agreed it was probably the funniest movie of all time. IMHO Young Frankenstein edges it out, just barely. Someone suggested we petition Mel Brooks to bring it to Broadway when The Producers has run its course. I was about to suggest Nathan Lane as Headley Lamarr but decided to post the question here as the red:neck quotient is a bit lower.
Anyway, I see Nathan Lane as the only lock. Not so sure about Matthew Broderick as the Waco Kid though. Maybe it would work if he dialed down the nebbish a bit.
Mods I tossed a coin and put this here rather than Cafe Society, move as you deep appropriate.
GMTA, I was actually thinking of him. I can see the audition: “Let me hear you say ‘you’d do it for Randolp Scott’ … okay, again but without the cockney accent.”
Thing is, I couldn’t bear to see anyone but Madeline Kahn play Lily Von Shtupp. And the first person to suggest Bette Midler gets squashed behind a piano.
I thought about Clarke as Duncan, but that would go against the whole premise of the movie, that Bart was the only black guy around who wasn’t a peon and he was also the smartest guy in town. having Mongo black would take away from the impact. I was thinking maybe the guy who played Kubiak on Parker Lewis Can’t Lose, or maybe a pro wrestler. No no! Keep Mongo an ex-football player…Tony Bradshaw!
Argh! Madona!!! Max, help me push that piano. Dorry Kdrokodil, but this is for the greater good. Maybe Bebe Neuwirth makes up for it, she might work, but Madona doesn’t have funny bone in her body.
Max makes a good point. The movie confronts racism by making fun of it so I don’t think we can mess with too many of the choices already made in casting.
I second the Kubiak guy for Mongo, as well as Don Cheadle. Gene Wilder is so freaking likeable, he’ll be hard to replace. Ed Norton may have the right amount of friendly smartassitude, plus he can sing. He’s not quite right, but I need more time to think. Much as I hate BB Thornton, he may be good in the Slim Pickens part, provided he can sing.
But can he sing? I mean, you need someone with a great set of pipes to pull off that solo in “Mongo Only Pawn in Game of Life”, and it’s the closing number of the first act!
How 'bout we dust off Larry Hagman to play Taggart?
Not if those damn collect call commercials are any clue. How about an ex-bouncer? John Goodman has an OK voice. And bring in Billy Crystal for Governor LePetomaine. James Best as Gabby Johnson. Jack Elam as Boris the Hangman. Randy Travis as Taggert. John Larroquette as Hedley Lamarr if he can sing. Though he’s a bit old, I think Dan Aykroyd would make a great Waco Kid.
Did I say Tony? I’m so embarassed. Tony Bradshaw is a guy I went to school with. Terry is a guy I watch every Sunday morning on Fox during footbal season.
