Author: thehorsesheadblog

#162) Grey Gardens (1975)

OR “American Gothic”

Directed by Albert Maysles & David Maysles & Ellen Hovde & Muffie Meyer

Class of 2010

The Plot: Edith “Big Edie” Bouvier Beale and her daughter “Little Edie” were once East Hampton socialites, but a series of misfortunes has led to them living practically penniless in their beachside mansion, a decrepit shell of its former glory. When the Health Department threatens them with eviction, their famous relative Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis intervenes and helps finance a major repair on the house. Shortly after, filmmakers Albert & David Maysles start documenting the day-to-day life of the Beales. Most of their time is spent feeding their countless cats (and stray raccoons), reliving past victories and defeats, and endlessly arguing with each other about practically everything. Oh, and there’s a kid named Jerry who helps out around the house. He likes Big Edie’s corn.

Why It Matters: The NFR cites the film’s influence on documentaries, and calls it an “absorbing sometimes disturbing look” at its two leads.

But Does It Really?: Like many of the greats, “Grey Gardens” defies its own genre. Yes it’s a documentary, but beyond that it is a pure gothic horror story and a fascinating character study of a very intense mother-daughter relationship. These are two people whose present life is uninhabitable, leading to the constant hoarding of their past; reliving and revising it until it drives them insane. “Grey Gardens” is a Tennessee Williams drama that could only exist in the movies, yet unfolded in real-time. It is one of the most captivating documentaries ever made. Why it had to wait 21 years to make the list I have no idea.

Shout Outs: Brief references to “A Night at the Opera” and “Salesman” (another Maysles documentary). Little Edie sings “People Will Say We’re in Love” from “Oklahoma!”

Everybody Gets One: There is much speculation about what life was like for the Beales prior to the film. Little Edie returned home from New York in 1952, and stayed there for the next 25 years. The death of resident handyman Tom Logan in 1963 and a burglary in 1968 led to the Beale women shutting themselves off from the world. They came to the attention of the Maysles Brothers when a proposed documentary on Lee Radziwill (Jackie Kennedy’s sister) fell through.

Seriously, Oscars?: No Best Documentary Oscar nomination for “Grey Gardens”. That year the Academy voted for “The Man Who Skied Down Everest”, a film about… a man who skies down Everest.

Other notes

• Every time I watch this film I have to remind myself, “This is real. These are real people. This actually happened.”
• Amazingly, Little Edie’s horoscope book “It’s All in the Stars” is still in print!
• Oh Jerry. You just wanted to make some extra cash doing yard work. You weren’t looking for film immortality, it just turned out that way.
• Speaking of, “The Marble Faun” is definitely not required high school reading any more.
• Since there’s no real audience surrogate in this film, my loyalty between the two leads shifts with each viewing of “Grey Gardens”. Sometimes I sympathize with Little Edie, never truly free from her mother’s passive psychological grip. But then other times I side with Big Edie, a woman whose sad decline is only exacerbated by her daughter’s frequent dramatics. It’s endlessly complicated, and ultimately sad, but the veil of cinema makes it all slightly more palatable.
• One of my favorite shots is when the camera pans from the house to the street, where a few cars pass by. The “real” world of 1970s East Hampton is readily available to the Beales at any time.
• Little Edie is funnier than Judy Holliday? Hold my beer…
• Is there a greater metaphor for the Beales’ lives than the shot of the cat peeing on Big Edie’s portrait?
• Oh my god: Other People! Lois Wright was actually a much more prominent figure in the lives of Big & Little Edie, even living with them shortly after filming wrapped. She has written several books (and painted many pieces of art) about the Beales through the years. Very little is known about the other party guest, other than his name: Jack Helmuth.
• Part of the film’s unreliability is that Little Edie is always aware of the camera and seems to always be “on” for the Maysles. Look no further than her dance number. It’s practically an MGM screen test.
• This may be one of the few films to offer a correction during the credits. The end crawl includes the correct version of the Robert Frost poem Little Edie tries to recite.
• The version I saw ends with a delightful audio epilogue of Albert Maysles calling Little Edie towards the end of her life in the early 2000s, when she was residing in Bal Harbour, Florida. 

Legacy

• After Big Edie’s death in 1977, Little Edie continued to live in Grey Gardens for two years before selling the house to Ben Bradlee (of Washington Post/Watergate fame) and his wife Sally Quinn. The two restored the house over many years, with Quinn eventually selling it in 2017 for $15 million.
• “Grey Gardens” is one of the rare documentaries to spawn a Broadway musical. The 2006 stage version speculates what life was like for the Beales before and during “Grey Gardens”, and provides a tour-de-force performance for whoever plays young Big Edie/old Little Edie.

• In 2006, Albert Maysles cobbled together outtakes from “Grey Gardens” to make a second film, “The Beales of Grey Gardens”. It’s the “Wake Up, Ron Burgandy” of documentaries!

• Similar to the stage version (but with less songs), the 2009 HBO movie “Grey Gardens” examines the Beales over the course of 30 years. This film also reminds us that, with the right material, Drew Barrymore can be a brilliant actor.

• Jerry Torres still makes appearances at screenings of the film, as well as productions of the stage version, graciously answering questions about his time with the Beales. Fun Fact: At one point he was an assistant for Wayland Flowers and Madame!

• The internet really wants me to mention Jinkx Monsoon’s performance as Little Edie on “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. “Snatch Game” is always a season highlight, and Jinkx wins this round hands down.

• “Pitter patter, pitter patter, it’s just my heart, what does it matter…”

#161) Mrs. Miniver (1942)

OR “Vicar is Quicker”

Directed by William Wyler

Written by Arthur Wimperis & George Foreschel & James Hilton & Claudine West. Based on the book (and newspaper column) by Jan Struther.

Class of 2009

The Plot: The Minivers are an upper class family outside of London. Kay (Greer Garson) runs the household, and hides her expenses from loving husband Clem (Walter Pidgeon). Their eldest son Vincent (Richard Ney) has returned home from Oxford and falls for Carol Beldon (Teresa Wright), the well-off granddaughter of Lady Beldon (Dame May Whitty). But all of this is disrupted by the onset of World War II. Vincent joins the Royal Air Force, Clem volunteers his motorboat for various services, and Kay struggles to keep her family together during the darkest hours. They suffer loss and setbacks, but like the rest of their country, the Minivers never give up hope and keep fighting.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it “sentimental wartime melodrama”, but praises the leads, director Wyler, and its contributions to the war effort.

But Does It Really?: This is an historical yes. The entertainment value is fine, Garson in particular is giving a wonderfully grounded performance, but my takeaway was a film commenting on World War II while still being in the war. The film’s message of hope and victory is even more inspiring given that there was no guarantee of either in early 1942. It’s propaganda to be sure, but “Mrs. Miniver” is an important document of addressing the war without the blessing of hindsight, as well as highlighting what every citizen could contribute to do their part.

Everybody Gets One: This is Greer Garson’s only NFR appearance! Her star may not shine as brightly as her contemporaries, but in her day she was a box-office sensation, a seven-time Oscar nominee, and one of those actors with that indefinable “star quality”. If you’re going to have one Greer Garson picture on the list, this is the natural choice.

Wow, That’s Dated: This film takes place during that time when a man could spank his wife and we were all okay with it for some reason. Also don’t forget to buy defense bonds and stamps every pay day!

Seriously, Oscars?: A massive hit in both the U.S. and England, “Mrs. Miniver” went into the 1942 Oscars with 12 nominations (a near-record), and took home six, including Best Picture and Director for William Wyler. Greer Garson and Teresa Wright won Best Actress and Supporting Actress, respectively. Both give good performances, but were no doubt aided by their work in other Oscar contenders: Garson with “Random Harvest” and Wright with “The Pride of the Yankees”. Greer Garson may also hold the record for longest acceptance speech, clocking in somewhere in the 5½-6 minute range. There’s no complete footage of that ceremony, so we’ll never know for sure.

Other notes

• Of the Miniver family, only Greer Garson and Clare Sanders (Judy) were actually British. Richard Ney, Teresa Wright, and Christopher Severn (Toby) were American, while Walter Pidgeon was Canadian, and appears to not be attempting any sort of accent.
• Greer Garson definitely had “movie star eyes”. So expressive, so full of emotion. You can’t help but watch her.
• Purely by coincidence, this is my second consecutive film (and third in two months) to feature Henry Travers, a.k.a Clarence in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. If you’ve ever wanted to hear him say “horse manure”, this is your movie.
• “Fun” Fact: Shortly after the film’s release, Greer Garson married Richard Ney, her on-screen son. Watching the film through that lens gives everything a disturbing Oedipal flavor.
• Vincent does a lot of mansplaining in his first scene with Carol. And then he fat-shames her! And she’s not even fat!
• Eddie Izzard was on to something about the Church of England. Spice it up, lads!
• In one of my favorite Oscar What-Ifs, if “Casablanca” hadn’t missed the 1942 eligibility deadline, would it have beaten “Mrs. Miniver” at the Oscars? Or would it have been the other way around?
• Toby, Shut. Up. Side note: How Christopher Severn never got cast as Tiny Tim in appalling.
• Clem volunteers to help at the Dunkirk evacuation. Say hi to Christopher Nolan’s impressive production value for me!
• The scene where Kay confronts a German soldier is when things really start to pick up for this film. Definitely a highlight.
• Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon do have some lovely chemistry. No wonder they made so many movies together.
• Dame May Whitty’s role would be played today by either Maggie Smith or Judi Dench. I love her scene with Kay regarding Carol’s marriage, which is comprised almost entirely of one uninterrupted take.
• It’s kind of hard to tell if the gas detector changes color in a black and white movie.
• It takes forever to get there, but the Vicar’s speech is worth the trip out. Word has it Henry Wilcoxon rewrote his own speech with William Wyler. Well done, team.

• Aircraft flying in V formations. Subtle.

Legacy

• Winston Churchill was often quoted as saying “Mrs. Miniver” did more for the war effort than most military action. FDR was so moved by the film’s final speech that he requested it be shipped out to theaters as a separate short.
• Garson and Pidgeon had already worked together in “Blossoms in the Dust”, but this film led to six more pairings, most memorably in “Madame Curie”.

• “The Miniver Story” was a 1950 sequel that followed the Minivers in their post-war life. Nothing is said about Vince, who presumably died in the war. And that’s why you don’t marry your leading lady!

• “Mrs. Miniver” was remade for TV in 1960 starring Maureen O’Hara. [Footage Not Available]
• Henry Wilcoxon would play another religious figure in… “Caddyshack”?

Further Viewing: A TCM tribute to Greer Garson narrated by Keith Carradine, who I guess is a big fan.

#160) The Invisible Man (1933)

OR “Claude Rains’ Easiest Paycheck”

Directed by James Whale

Written by R.C. Sherriff. Based on the novel by H.G. Wells.

Class of 2008

No original trailer, but here’s a fan-made one.

The Plot: In a small pub in Iping in Sussex, a strange man (Claude Rains) arrives, covered in bandages, asking for a room and some privacy. The staff quickly discovers that the bandages are hiding the fact that the man is invisible. We learn that he is Dr. Jack Griffin, a scientist who tested his new invisibility chemical on himself, but could never change back. Griffin forces his old lab partner Dr. Kemp (William Harrigan) to assist him as he goes mad and takes it out on the townsfolk. Griffin’s fiancée Flora (Gloria Stuart) may be the only person who can stop his descent into madness.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises Rains, Whale, and the special effects team, and then goes on to spoil the ending! Jeez, NFR!

But Does It Really?: It’s not one of the main Universal Monster films, but it certainly holds up better than most other monster films of the era. James Whale had a knack for turning low-budget monster movies into films of artistic merit, and “The Invisible Man” is no exception. I give it a pass for its impressive special effects, its ongoing legacy, and the fact that it’s only 70 minutes long.

Everybody Gets One: Screenwriter Robert Cedric “R.C.” Sherriff is best known today as the playwright of the WWI drama “Journey’s End”. The original stage production was directed by James Whale, who didn’t forget about his collaborator when he started directing in Hollywood. Unsatisfied with Universal’s previous attempts at an “Invisible Man” script, Sherriff found the novel in a second-hand bookstore and crafted a screenplay that is quite faithful.

Wow, That’s Dated: This film dates itself to 1933 exactly during the opening credits when Universal declares itself a member of the National Recovery Administration. We do our part…until the Supreme Court tells us we legally can’t!

Take a Shot: This is a good drinking game movie. Most references are to “an invisible man”, but about halfway through the film they start calling him “the invisible man”. Keep your pouring hand at the ready.

Seriously, Oscars?: No Oscar love for “The Invisible Man”. The category for Best Visual Effects wouldn’t exist for another six years.

Other notes

• The special effects team definitely earned all the praise this film gets. Shout-out to John P. Fulton, Bill Heckler, Roswell A. Hoffman, Frank D. Williams, and John J. Mescall, who seemed to have fun throwing models off of cliffs.
• It’s weird to think that H.G. Wells was still alive when this film premiered. I guess I associate him more with the late 1800s. For the record, he liked the film, except for some fundamental character changes made with Griffin.
• Quick question about the Universal logo: how big is that plane?
• The pub in this film is called The Lion’s Head. Coincidentally, that’s also the name of a film blog by some bloke who’s watching 700 British films. (We watched “Bridge on the River Kwai” together.)
• Wow, everyone is aggressively British in this film.
• Very disappointed that we never got the spin-off “Dr. Clarence, AS-2”.
• Having only been familiar with Gloria Stuart’s work in “Titanic” (when she was 86 years young), it’s astonishing to see her at 23. It needs to be said, however, that she looks nothing like Kate Winslet.
• Speaking of, the role of Flora is not in the book. In fact, the only female character in the book is Janny Hall (“What, did you grow up in Norman Rockwell painting?”).
• We don’t get a soundtrack until the very end, but we get to hear every second of Janny screaming her lungs out? Great. Just great.
• Just a reminder that our main character is nude for most of the film.
• Some of Griffin’s invisible trickery is physically impossible. One of the shots in the pub would have required him to be standing on the table and on the floor at the same time. Also, that floor is filthy, yet he tracks no footprints. He’s lucky none of this takes place on Crait.
• So being invisible makes you more of a germophobe than Howard Hughes?
• “He’s mad, and he’s invisible” There’s your tagline.
• It seems the only requirements of the Iping Police Force is to have big moustaches and goofy facial expressions.
• When Griffin starts to go mad, Claude Rains almost does the Nelson laugh.
• Towards the end, Kemp comes down with a severe case of overacting.
• That’s Dwight Frye from “Dracula” as one of the reporters. He’s the John Ratzenberger of the Universal monster movies!

Legacy

• This was Claude Rains’ American film debut, and it set his career off immediately, trading invisible lead roles to visible supporting roles.

• Like the other Universal monster movies, this one had so many sequels. The higher the sequel number, the further they strayed from the source novel.

• After almost 20 years of films, the Invisible Man finally met the Kiss of Death…I mean, Abbott and Costello.

• I don’t care what anybody says, the best sequel is “Son of the Invisible Man”.

• The film version of “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” features AN Invisible Man, but due to copyright issues it is definitely not THE Invisible Man.

• A TV series adaptation in the early 2000s is notable for a guest appearance by…Gloria Stuart!

• A loose adaptation starring Kevin Bacon, 2000’s “Hollow Man” was a disappointment for everyone involved, including director Paul Verhoeven. But film critic David Manning called it “one hell of a scary ride!”

• “Invisible Man” was due to get the Dark Universe treatment with a remake starring Johnny Depp. Perhaps we have been spared.

#159) The House I Live In (1945)

OR “A Man and His Musings”

Directed by Mervyn LeRoy

Written by Albert Maltz

Class of 2007

The Plot: While on a smoke break from recording his latest album, Frank Sinatra (Frank Sinatra) witnesses a group of kids bullying another child because he is Jewish. Frank stops the boys and teaches them an important lesson about what it truly means to be American. And then he sings a song and…oh I get it. The house is America! It all makes sense now!

Why It Matters: The NFR says the film “exhorts the message of religious tolerance and post-war hopefulness.” And then they just tell you what happens in the short.

But Does It Really?: Meh. It’s an interesting little time capsule of America picking up the pieces following the war, and it’s fun to see Sinatra early in his career, but the film very much shows its age, and then it’s over before it can really make an impact. I can’t help but wonder what other movies could have gotten this spot on the list. For now let’s just say my opinion of this film is “The Fence I Sit On”.

Everybody Gets One: Producer Frank Ross was best known for his work on this, the 1939 version of “Of Mice and Men”, and the 1953 epic “The Robe”, the first CinemaScope film. Ross also wrote the screenplay to the 1943 comedy “The More the Merrier” starring his then-wife Jean Arthur.

Wow, That’s Dated: A quick reference to smallpox, casual pipe smoking in a recording studio, and – brace yourselves – frequent usage of the term “Japs”. And with the amount of WWII films I have yet to cover, this will only get worse.

Title Track: The title song was written in 1942, with music by Earl Robinson and lyrics by Abel Meeropol. Both men were members of the Communist party whose work dried up through the Blacklist. Yeah, we’d hate for America to be subverted by two songwriters preaching religious tolerance.

Seriously, Oscars?: In lieu of competing in the Live-Action Short category, the Oscars went ahead and gave “The House I Live In” an honorary Oscar, one of the rare shorts to achieve this honor. The film also won a Golden Globe in the short-lived category “Best Film Promoting International Understanding”.

Other notes

• In addition to the composers, screenwriter Albert Maltz would be blacklisted within a few years of this film’s release. Sinatra tried to get Maltz a screenwriting job in the early ‘60s, but a public outcry led to Sinatra backing down. You can cut the irony with a machete.
• I guess I’m just used to older Sinatra, but I was struck by how young Frank is in this. He was 29 during filming, and that’s a face of a man who’s still married to his first wife and has yet to have an infamous career slump.
• Any write-up on Abel Meeropol will be quick to mention that he also wrote “Strange Fruit”, and this page will be no different.
• Say what you will about Sinatra, no Auto-Tune.
• In a nice bit of cost cutting, the conductor in the film is played by this film’s composer, Axel Stordahl.
• “Nazi werewolves”. It’s not just the phrase Frank uses to describe the bullies; it was also the name of my high school alt-rock band.
• But seriously, are they Nazis that turn into werewolves, or werewolves that believe in some sort of “master species”? I feel like this is some uncharted science-fantasy historical fiction territory. Get on it, Internet!
• Yes, never persecute any one religion, because we all worship the same God. …Wait, what?
• Oh my god, stop saying “Jap”! It’s kinda hard to take this film’s social message seriously when they keep vilifying the Japanese.
• Wow, these kids are really patient while Frank sings at them. The kids I know would have bolted two bars in.

Legacy

• Sinatra included “The House I Live In” in his repertoire for many years, even singing it at the Statue of Liberty rededication in 1986.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuKjd5inGFo

• Paul Robeson covered the song in 1947, including the verse about racial equality deleted from this film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3syulBjkng

• Ladies and gentlemen, Patti LaBelle!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2PtttoaXT8

Listen to This: Nine years after “The House I Live In”, Sinatra recorded the album “Songs for Young Lovers”. In the interim years he had gone through a slump, a divorce, a comeback, a second marriage (to Ava Gardner, no less), and an Oscar for “From Here to Eternity”; and this, the definitive Sinatra album, defines this era of the Chairman’s career. “Songs for Young Lovers” was one of the first 50 recordings selected by the National Recording Registry in 2002.

#158) Blazing Saddles (1974)

OR “Pie Fight at the O.K. Corral”

Directed by Mel Brooks

Written by Brooks & Norman Steinberg & Andrew Bergman & Richard Pryor & Alan Uger. Story by Bergman.

Class of 2006

The Plot: When the town of Rock Ridge comes between him and his railroad construction, Attorney General Hedy Hedley Lamarr (Harvey Korman) hatches a plan. He gets a black railroad worker named Bart (Cleavon Little) appointed sheriff, in the hopes that his race will cause the all-white town to vacate the land. Bart, alongside has-been gunslinger the Waco Kid (Gene Wilder), helps defend Rock Ridge from a brute named Mongo (Alex Karras), a Marlene Dietrich-esque chanteuse (Madeline Kahn), and Lamarr’s band of criminals and Methodists. All of this wrapped in a comedy that skewers every Western, takes down the racial inequality of the ‘70s, and doesn’t so much break the fourth wall as it does bulldoze it to the ground.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls it a “riotously funny, raunchy, no-holds-barred Western spoof” and praises Brooks and the cast. There’s also a detailed essay by NFR staple Michael Schlesinger.

But Does It Really?: Full disclosure: This is my favorite Mel Brooks movie. Some are better films overall, but this one makes me laugh the hardest. Brooks managed to take a dying genre and a script by five writers and turn in into one of the funniest films ever. And in the midst of all the lowbrow humor, Mel comments on American racism more effectively than most “message movies”. There’s the frequent refrain of “you could never make ‘Blazing Saddles’ today”, and that may be true, but when the original is this good, why would you want to?

Shout Outs: Lots of films spoofed in this one, notably NFR entries “High Noon”, “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”, “Morocco”, “Cabaret”, and “Destry Rides Again”. And keep an ear out for a brief allusion to Mel’s own “The Producers”.

Everybody Gets One: Writer Andrew Bergman, actors Cleavon Little, Harvey Korman, Alex Karras, and Count Basie.

Wow, That’s Dated: Racial politics aside for one moment, let’s instead focus on the cultural references that were already dated in 1974: Mel and company note such obscurities as Richard Dix, Dr. Gillespie, Olsen & Johnson, “You Do Something To Me”, and most importantly, Randolph Scott.

Title Track: We get ourselves one hell of a title song!

Seriously, Oscars?: In a year dominated by “The Godfather Part II” and “Chinatown”, the Academy was hip enough to give “Blazing Saddles” three nominations: Editing, Song (for the title number), and Supporting Actress for Madeline Kahn. The film lost all three nominations, but thanks for inviting them to the party. And sadly, in his plight to destroy Rock Ridge, Harvey Korman risked an almost certain Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Other notes

• In the “You couldn’t make it today” discussion, I would argue that they have. Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” is, like “Blazing Saddles” before it, a film that tackles racism in America through an unconventional genre (in Peele’s case, a horror film). The comparisons end there, but “Get Out” is as much a comment on racism today as “Blazing Saddles” was for the ‘70s.
• How did Cleavon Little not become a film star after this? His performance is flawlessly charming, sympathetic, and uproariously funny. It’s a shame his film career never took off.
• This film brings about what I call “The Mel Brooks Ratio”: the more screen-time Mel Brooks has in his own movie, the worse it is. “Young Frankenstein”? No Mel, a classic. “Life Stinks”? Well…
• Harrumph!
• Gene Wilder is the last person you would expect to play a washed-up alcoholic gunslinger (Gig Young was originally cast), but whatever quality the Waco Kid needed, Gene had it and boy does it work.
• A western spoof with fart jokes doesn’t need to have outstanding cinematography, but there’s some excellent work being done throughout by Joseph Biroc. Fun Fact: He also filmed “It’s a Wonderful Life”!
• REDFACE WARNING. I love this movie, but you don’t get off that easy, Mel.
• Ah, the infamous campfire scene. Burton Gilliam’s inaugural flatulence changed movies, and definitely not for the best.

• Speaking of iconic moments, I shouldn’t laugh at Mongo punching a horse, but here we are.
• Two words: “I’m Tired”. Oscars, you nominated the wrong song.

• Speaking of, I’ve always had a soft spot for Madeline Kahn. She was one the rare actresses in the vein of Carole Lombard who could be simultaneously funny and sexy. Kahn was consistently great no matter the movie (and she did a few turkeys in her time).
• During this viewing I realized that there isn’t a single excessive scene in the film. Elements of certain scenes are unnecessary, but every scene either advances the plot or develops character. Find me a modern comedy that does that.
• That ending is very bizarre. But hey, if you’re going to write yourself out of a corner, that’s a fun way to do it.
• Here are just a few of my favorite lines:

“Well, that’s the end of this suit.”

“If you shoot him you’ll just make him mad.”

“The bitch was inventing the candygram.”

“Mongo only pawn…in game of life.”

“Hey where are the white women at?”

“They lose me right after the bunker scene.”

And the best line not in the movie: “You’re sucking on my arm.”

Legacy

• This was Mel Brooks’ first bona fide hit as a director. When “Blazing Saddles” was released, Mel was already working on his next project; a screenplay by Gene Wilder called “Young Frankenstein”.

• Try this one on for size: Mel had a stipulation in his “Blazing Saddles” contract that if Warner Bros. wanted to maintain the rights to the film, they’d have to produce a sequel or a TV series within six months of the film’s release. Nowhere did it say that the TV series ever had to air, so for four years Warner Bros. filmed a TV show called “Black Bart” starring Louis Gossett Jr. that was never intended to be seen. When Warner Bros. finally gave up on a sequel, they cancelled the show and gave the rights back to Mel. The pilot for “Black Bart” aired only once on CBS. Weird, right?

• “Blazing Saddles” still gets referenced and quoted quite a bit, but probably by no one more than Mel himself.

• A confident black leader takes over a bigoted town, where have I seen the real-life, mostly inspiring but ultimately depressing version of this? Hmmm…