Blazing Saddles was on TV the other night (oddly enough, on the redneck channel) and I was reminded that I’ve never really got the reference in the line, “Please, baby, I am not from Havana!” Can somebody enlighten me?
The best cigars supposedly came from Havana. The sheriff is refusing to be “smoked”.
At one time Havana was known as a den of sex-crazed hedonists. I particularly like this phrase from Wikipedia, referring to the “debauched excesses of the famous 50s.”
I like mine better. 
Especially since the previous scene originally ended with the exchange:
“Tell me, schatze…is it true what they say about how you people are…gifted?”
ziiiiip
“Oh, it’s twue. It’s twue, it’s twue!”
“Pardon me, but you’re sucking on my arm.” (This line was edited out of the theatrical release.) 
I’ve got to go with Lute on this one. Havana may have been known for hedonism, but so are a lot of places. Cigars and Havana though, that’s a clear link. I thought about cigars when I heard the line, but somehow didn’t quite make the connection! :smack:
Great, ignorance duly fought. Now can someone explain just what “the French mistake” is supposed to be?
If I had to guess, it’d be the guy ending up in the wrong hole… or, to put it in a non-homophobic way, the unintended hole. But that’s just my guess.
Nitpick. I’m pretty sure that’s supposed to be “elbow.”
Never mind
Urban Dictionary sez: “When an otherwise straight male is persuaded to, or on a whim in the heat of the moment, engages in a homosexual act of which he later regrets and is ashamed. Alluded to in the musical number of the same name in Mel Brooks’ film Blazing Saddles.”
All these years I thought they were saying, French mystique. :smack:
Somebody’s gotta go back and get a whole shitload of dimes!
Ah, that I didn’t know, but it makes sense:
Throw out your hands!!
Stick out your tush!!
Hands on your hips
Give them a push!!
You’ll be surprised
You’re doing the French Mistake!!
:eek: I always thought they were talking about a dance, you know, other than the horizontal mambo. Works nicely with the “I’m parked out by the commissary” joke, though.
“One and two, and watch me faggots!” So politically incorrect, yet so hilarious.
“They hurt Buddy! Let’s get 'em, girls!”
I have always heard the last line was:
“I hate to disappoint you ma’am, but that’s my arm you got a hold of.”
Anyway you think of it, it’s a great line.
ETA: 15 schnitzengruben is also my limit.
…not according to Kris Kristopherson who told the story at the tribute to Richard Pryor (who cowrote Blazing Saddles and was originally supposed to play the lead)
Mel Brooks has said that people assume that Pryor came up with all the edgy racial jokes but he says Pryor actually wrote almost none of the racial humor in the movie. He says that what Pryor did do was invent the character of Mongo and write all his lines.
Cross-reference to Godfather Part II (which came out the same year, by the way.) Fredo takes Michael to a sex club in Havana. The featured performer is wearing a Superman costume. The performer, hidden from the camera by his cape, poses for the audience.
Hint: he was Superman, not Robin the Boy Wonder.
When Mel Brooks himself was on the old Bob Costa Later show he said the cut line was, “You’re sucking my elbow”.
Blazing Saddles was filmed in 1973, and released in February 1974. The Godfather, Part II was filmed between October 1973 and June 1974, and released in December 1974.
Back when Cuba was under Batista and still a wretched hive of scum and villainy for depraved Americans to get their kicks, there was a nightclub performer, as well-known as he was well-endowed, who went by the moniker of “Superman” and specialised in live sex shows. He gets a fair bit of mention in the literature of the period, including Graham Greene’s Our Man In Havana.