# Your favorite Slim Pickens role

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [August 17, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065 "2011-08-17T19:15:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 18\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/1 "2011-08-17T19:15:52Z")

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Check out the [Filmography by rating for Slim Pickens](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001620/filmorate) to see IMDb’s ratings for Slim’s work, just to remind you of the many great movies he contributed to.

What’s your favorite one?

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**Author:** ![PSXer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/48db29/32.png) [@PSXer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PSXer)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/2 "2011-08-17T19:16:47Z")

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he was in movies besides Dr. Strangelove?

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**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/3 "2011-08-17T19:23:49Z")

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> [@PSXer](#):
>
> he was in movies besides Dr. Strangelove?

He was in Blazing Saddles too: with a resume including leading roles in those two, how much more can you expect of a man who never started of wanting to be a comic actor?

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**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/4 "2011-08-17T19:33:00Z")

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I never was much for Westerns, but he was hilarious in Blazing Saddles.

“Somebody’s gotta go back and get a shitload of dimes!”

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/5 "2011-08-17T19:34:14Z")

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I had intended including in the OP some of the trivia discussed in [What movie did this quote come from?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=12863166) since it was found to be the movie I most associate with Slim, although I would have to say my very favorite was [The Getaway (1972)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0068638/) because he did so much with such a tiny role.

[note that that linked thread is from right at a year ago.]

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**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/6 "2011-08-17T19:47:23Z")

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I’m voting for his role in One Eyed Jacks directed by Marlon Brando. My favorite line (as I remember it):

_“If you’re lookin’ to get your back broke, sonny, I’m the feller around here that takes care of that sort of thing.”_

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/7 "2011-08-17T19:59:06Z")

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> [@PlainJain](#):
>
> I’m voting for his role in One Eyed Jacks directed by Marlon Brando. My favorite line (as I remember it):
> 
> _“If you’re lookin’ to get your back broke, sonny, I’m the feller around here that takes care of that sort of thing.”_

Excellent choice! One of my top five, in fact. There are so many great lines in that one! I used to be able to rattle off dozens of them. Brando’s especially. They made a lot out of the censorship on language in those days that kept them from using the real stuff, by having some amusing alternatives instead.

Slim was instrumental in making that movie work as well as it did. Ben Johnson, too.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/8 "2011-08-17T20:07:30Z")

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Gotta go with _Blazing Saddles_, also.

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**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/9 "2011-08-17T20:07:33Z")

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As great as he was in _Blazing Saddles_, he topped that and then some as Major King Kong in _Dr. Strangelove …_.

The rousing speech to his crew, personally going back to see why the bomb hadn’t dropped. All over the top but somehow very realistic at the same time.

“Shoot, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.”

Checking his resume, I saw only two of his films in the theater: _Blazing Saddles_, of course, and (I’m so embarrassed)

_Tonka_.

(And since there’s no love for _1941_, I’ll say “Hollis P. Wood” just to get it out there.)

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**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/10 "2011-08-17T20:12:09Z")

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I always loved him as Major “King” Kong in Dr. Strangelove,  
Hollis “Holly” Wood in 1941 and  
“California” Joe Milner in the Custer series.

I think he makes any show he’s in better, but maybe it’s just when his character has a nickname.  
🙂

ETA: once again, curse my slow typing. I should make this my sig.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/11 "2011-08-17T20:35:34Z")

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As luck would have it, Slim’s entire role is in this clip from [The Getaway: McQueen and MacGraw: End of the Movie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOCDBAM-Big) which is so far superior to the Baldwin-Basinger remake as to be criminal.

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**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/12 "2011-08-17T22:54:44Z")

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> [@Giles](#):
>
> He was in Blazing Saddles too: with a resume including leading roles in those two, how much more can you expect of a man who never started of wanting to be a comic actor?

He didn’t even know Dr. Strangelove wasn’t a drama until after it was done - Kubrick shot his scenes separately from the rest of the movie, keeping him apart from the rest of the cast. Pissed him off a little to find out, but then the checks started coming in, so you know.

That said: "Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader’s mule, the radio is gone and we’re leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower, why, we’d need sleigh bells on this thing… but we got one little budge on them Rooskies. At this height, why, they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain’t gonna spot us on no radar screen! "

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**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\
**Post date:** [August 17, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/13 "2011-08-17T23:29:58Z")

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> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> He didn’t even know Dr. Strangelove wasn’t a drama until after it was done - Kubrick shot his scenes separately from the rest of the movie, keeping him apart from the rest of the cast. Pissed him off a little to find out, but then the checks started coming in, so you know.
> 
> That said: "Well, boys, we got three engines out, we got more holes in us than a horse trader’s mule, the radio is gone and we’re leaking fuel and if we was flying any lower, why, we’d need sleigh bells on this thing… but we got one little budge on them Rooskies. At this height, why, they might harpoon us but they dang sure ain’t gonna spot us on no radar screen! "

\*“Survival kit contents check. In them you’ll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.” \*

Dr. Strangelove.

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**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/14 "2011-08-20T04:12:44Z")

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> [@koeeoaddi](#):
>
> \*“Survival kit contents check. In them you’ll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days’ concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella’ could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.” \*
> 
> Dr. Strangelove.

Yes, one of the best scenes in a totally amazing film. I vote for this as well.

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**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\
**Post date:** [August 20, 2011, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/15 "2011-08-20T13:00:25Z")

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> [@KneadToKnow](#):
>
> Gotta go with _Blazing Saddles_, also.

I’m gonna change my vote. His work in _The Apple Dumpling Gang_ was fantastic. He perfectly conveyed every profanity his character wanted to deliver while still keeping the whole thing safe for kids.

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**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/16 "2011-08-22T04:22:18Z")

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> [@Zeldar](#):
>
> Ben Johnson, too.

Crow bait! haha

Yes, there were many great lines in that movie.

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**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/17 "2011-08-22T04:33:15Z")

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> [@PlainJain](#):
>
> Crow bait! haha
> 
> Yes, there were many great lines in that movie.

One of the better scenes: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2x\_Xhjofww](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2x_Xhjofww)

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2011, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-favorite-slim-pickens-role/593065/18 "2011-08-22T05:33:13Z")

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I’ll stick for Rancho Deluxe, he did a great job as the sly private eye who seemed to be a bumbling old fool.
