# Re-cast "Blazing Saddles" using today's actors **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 25, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689 "2014-01-25T14:30:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/1 "2014-01-25T14:30:58Z")
In the recent thread [What’s your favorite Mel Brooks movie?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=714011) [Gagundathar](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17045810&postcount=24) said > [@](#): > > It was a tie between Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein until I realized that there is no way in the green earth that Blazing Saddles could ever be made today. So my vote went to Blazing Saddles. to which [I replied](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17045836&postcount=25) > [@](#): > > Excellent point. Quentin Tarantino might try but has he had any real success at comedy? > > But you know what might be a fun idea: recast Blazing Saddles from today’s crop of actors. > > Might even make a fun thread! So here we are! Here’s the first page of the cast list: Cleavon Little … Bart Gene Wilder … Jim Slim Pickens … Taggart Harvey Korman … Hedley Lamarr Madeline Kahn … Lili Von Shtupp Mel Brooks … Governor William J. Lepetomane / Indian Chief Burton Gilliam … Lyle Alex Karras … Mongo David Huddleston … Olson Johnson Liam Dunn … Rev. Johnson John Hillerman … Howard Johnson George Furth … Van Johnson Jack Starrett … Gabby Johnson (as Claude Ennis Starrett Jr.) Carol Arthur … Harriett Johnson Richard Collier … Dr. Sam Johnson Cast the ones you have a good feel for and skip the others. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/2 "2014-01-25T15:50:30Z")
Going with a sort of Tarantino/Coen theme… Samuel L. Jackson … Bart John Travolta … Jim Larry the Cable Guy … Taggart George Clooney … Hedley Lamarr Uma Thurman … Lili Von Shtupp Jeff Bridges … Governor William J. Lepetomane / Indian Chief John Goodman … Mongo Steve Buscemi … Olson Johnson Josh Hartnett … Rev. Johnson William H. Macy … Howard Johnson ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/3 "2014-01-25T15:52:19Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Jeff Bridges … Governor William J. Lepetomane / Indian Chief Christoph Waltz. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/4 "2014-01-25T16:15:34Z")
> [@](#): > > There is no way in the green earth that Blazing Saddles could ever be made today. Why does this idiotic notion keep coming up? We actually just had this conversation a few months ago and the general consensus is that the people who say it either stopped watching movies in 1979 or are being willfully ignorant of modern entertainment: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=700030&highlight=blazing+saddles](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=700030&highlight=blazing+saddles) ---
**Author:** ![Sr\_Siete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@Sr\_Siete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sr_Siete)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/5 "2014-01-25T17:14:45Z")
What current comedic black actors can fill a role thought for Richard Pryor? Maybe Chris Rock? Dave Chapelle? Either Key OR Peele? Definitely not Eddie Murphy… his cred as a Pryor-sized comedian died a few years back, even if he still looks young. Maybe go younger and get Donald Glover. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/6 "2014-01-25T17:35:32Z")
Kevin Hart would be great. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/7 "2014-01-25T17:43:43Z")
How about Dule Hill? ---
**Author:** ![NeonMadman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58f4c7/32.png) [@NeonMadman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NeonMadman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/8 "2014-01-25T17:50:13Z")
IMHO, _Blazing Saddles_ is one of those near-perfect movies that was done almost perfectly the first time, and remaking it would only spoil it. Like _Casablanca_, or _Citizen Kane_, or _The Godfather_. Not that it necessarily falls into the “Great Cinema” class as those others do, but I can’t imagine a remake that would live up to the original. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/9 "2014-01-25T17:58:47Z")
> [@NeonMadman](#): > > IMHO, _Blazing Saddles_ is one of those near-perfect movies that was done almost perfectly the first time, and remaking it would only spoil it. Like _Casablanca_, or _Citizen Kane_, or _The Godfather_. Not that it necessarily falls into the “Great Cinema” class as those others do, but I can’t imagine a remake that would live up to the original. In my mind that’s the main point to this thread! 🙂 Even if you could pick an active actor for one or a few roles it would be close to impossible to produce enough of a cast to pull off what Brooks did. Big example: who could you find to replace Basie’s band? One of the sterling bits is that thing with Dom DeLuise at the end. Who could pull that off today? I’ve been mulling the two main characters (Cleavon and Gene) and just can’t make anybody working today get even close. And there will never be another Slim Pickens! ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/10 "2014-01-25T18:03:26Z")
I mentioned this thread to Madame Pepperwinkle, and her immediate thought was that Bart wouldn’t be black, he’d be ostentatiously gay. Blazing! ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/11 "2014-01-25T18:07:25Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > I mentioned this thread to Madame Pepperwinkle, and her immediate thought was that Bart wouldn’t be black, he’d be ostentatiously gay. Blazing! Sharp lady! Flaming Saddles? ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/12 "2014-01-25T19:30:15Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Why does this idiotic notion keep coming up? We actually just had this conversation a few months ago and the general consensus is that the people who say it either stopped watching movies in 1979 or are being willfully ignorant of modern entertainment: > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=700030&highlight=blazing+saddles](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=700030&highlight=blazing+saddles) I can’t provide a cite, but in a fairly recent (within the last 10 years or so)interview Mel Brooks said _he_ couldn’t have made Blazing Saddles in the current environment. He further said that the only way he got BS made was his contract with Warner Brothers gave him complete editorial control over the film. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/13 "2014-01-25T20:39:24Z")
I think Don Cheadle would work as Bart. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/14 "2014-01-25T20:52:03Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > I’ve been mulling the two main characters (Cleavon and Gene) and just can’t make anybody working today get even close. Dwayne Johnson and Robert Downey Jr? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/15 "2014-01-25T21:18:30Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Dwayne Johnson and Robert Downey Jr? That would be interesting! But I don’t know if Dwayne is “black” enough for the role. Dule Hill certainly has the facial expression talent; maybe him and James Roday as Jim? ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/16 "2014-01-25T21:50:33Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I think Don Cheadle would work as Bart. > [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Dwayne Johnson and Robert Downey Jr? > [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > That would be interesting! But I don’t know if Dwayne is “black” enough for the role. Dule Hill certainly has the facial expression talent; maybe him and James Roday as Jim? The Rock would surely make for a different take on the movie! I really like what Cheadle can do with roles of varying types so thinking of him with Downey isn’t all that hard to see. I have to confess ignorance on Roday so he might work. Dule Hill was great on _The West Wing_ but I haven’t seen him to know it since then. I’m starting to think I’d have to see the remake just to learn who some of the younger actors are. Unless I see them in small roles on TV shows I watch, it’s unlikely I’d see them otherwise. What about casting against type just to see what might happen and go with [Ben Foster](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0004936/?ref_=nv_sr_1) for Gene’s role? He and Cheadle would at least be cool! Is there anybody who could do Harvey Korman’s role? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/17 "2014-01-25T21:57:26Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > One of the sterling bits is that thing with Dom DeLuise at the end. Who could pull that off today? The guy from Modern Family (ironically, the straight actor who plays Cam) would be perfect. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/18 "2014-01-25T22:00:31Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > Dule Hill certainly has the facial expression talent; maybe him and James Roday as Jim? I think you’ve just written an episode of Psych! ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/19 "2014-01-25T22:37:18Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Is there anybody who could do Harvey Korman’s role? John Lithgow. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689/20 "2014-01-25T22:43:35Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > John Lithgow. Ought to be in the running at least. He can do anything! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/re-cast-blazing-saddles-using-todays-actors/679689.md?page=2)