# Movies where  a character acknowledges they are in a movie

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [December 4, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809 "2006-12-04T14:34:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 5

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**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809/81 "2007-01-01T17:46:02Z")

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You know, reading over this thread, I get the feeling that Mel Brooks could really shock people by _not_ breaking the fourth wall in his next movie …

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809/82 "2007-01-01T17:49:51Z")

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[QUOTE=Spoons]  
Yet another Mel Brooks film: _Blazing Saddles_.

When the chaos of _Blazing Saddles_ gets out of control and escapes its sound stage on the studio property. It spreads to another sound stage where a musical is taking place, and the musical’s tuxedoed dancers end up fighting with the cowboys.

Shortly after that, Harvey Korman’s character ducks into a theatre showing–naturally–_Blazing Saddles_.  
[/QUOTE]

Well before that there’s a scene with Cleavon Little riding through the desert while a Count Basie song is playing. The camera pans to reveal…the entire Count Basie Orchestra, on a bandstand, in the desert. ISTR Cleavon and the Count nod to one another.

I love that scene.

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**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809/83 "2007-01-01T18:06:49Z")

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[QUOTE=Scuba\_Ben]  
**The Producers (2005)** does the same thing. So stay all the way through the credits.  
[/QUOTE]

Actually, that was the last song in the Broadway musical as well.

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**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2007, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809/84 "2007-01-01T21:49:35Z")

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From the screwball comedy **Hi Diddle Diddle** (1943):

> [@](#):
>
> [Looking at hat check girl]  
> **Senator Simpson:** You know, I’ve seen that girl somewhere before.  
> **Liza Prescott:** She’s a very particular friend of the director who’s making this picture. He sticks her in every scene he can.  
> **Janie Prescott:** Mother, shh! Somebody might hear you!

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**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2007, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movies-where-a-character-acknowledges-they-are-in-a-movie/382809/85 "2007-01-02T10:00:33Z")

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In Trading Places, there’s a scene when the Dukes are explaining to Billy Ray Valentine about commodities trading as if he were 5 years old. Billy Ray looks straight into the camera with a “gimme a fuckin’ break” sort of expression.

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