The Cheat Sheet

John Wayne Turned Down Playing Waco Kid in ‘Blazing Saddles’ Because It Was ‘Too Dirty,’ But He Wanted to Be ‘First in Line’ to See It

Mel Brooks directed Blazing Saddles based on a screenplay that he wrote with Norman Steinberg, Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, and Alan Uger. The story is a satirical take on the Western film genre.
Yahoo

John Wayne Was Almost Cast in This Classic '70s Comedy, But He Decided 'It's Too Dirty'

Mel Brooks recently recalled how he came to cast Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid at a 50th anniversary screening of 'Blazing Saddles' in Los Angeles Silver Screen Collection/Getty; Bettmann/Getty Gene ...
MassLive

Here’s where, when you can see ‘Blazing Saddles’ on the big screen again

Fifty years ago, actor and director Mel Brooks released what many consider to be one of the greatest films in American cinema, “Blazing Saddles,” a movie that highlighted the struggles of the American ...
Iowa Public Radio

50 years ago, 'Blazing Saddles' broke wind — and box office expectations

Mel Brooks' satirical Western Blazing Saddles got mixed reviews when it opened in February 1974, but it became the year's biggest box office hit. Above, Cleavon Little, left, as Sheriff Bart and Gene ...
collider

This Kirk Douglas Western Was a Major Inspiration for 'Blazing Saddles'

Namwene Mukabwa is a Collider author based in Nairobi, Kenya. He has a penchant for Westerns, classics, historical, and underrated movies and television series. He became hooked on screens at the age ...
People

John Wayne Was Almost Cast in This Classic '70s Comedy, But He Decided 'It's Too Dirty'

Mel Brooks recently recalled how he came to cast Gene Wilder as the Waco Kid at a 50th anniversary screening of 'Blazing Saddles' in Los Angeles Luke Chinman is a writer at PEOPLE. He joined PEOPLE in ...