Trivia: When Lamarr tells Le Petomane that his name is Hedley Lamarr and not Hedy, Le Petomane says that since it's 1874, Hedley could sue her. In 1974, actress Hedy Lamarr filed a lawsuit against Mel Brooks claiming the joke infringed on her privacy. The lawsuit was settled out of court.
Trivia: The language that the Indians speak is actually Yiddish. (00:39:55)
Trivia: The late Richard Pryor, who helped write the screenplay, was originally supposed to play Bart. However, his controversial stand-up comedy routines made it difficult to secure financing. Cleavon Little was eventually cast in Pryor's place.
Trivia: The governor's name, Le Petomaine, means the "fartomaniac" or "Farting Maniac" in French. It references the stage name of French flatulist Joseph Pujol. (00:18:25)
Trivia: When this was first shown on American TV, the campfire scene was heavily dubbed over with horse whinnies in order to mask out the farting and not cause possible offence. (00:41:15)
Trivia: During a September 2017 interview on the BBC 4 Today programme, legendary comedian and comic filmmaker Mel Brooks was asked if he thought he could make some of his most famous films (such as "The Producers," "Blazing Saddles," and "Young Frankenstein") in today's over-sensitive, thin-skinned political climate. Brooks replied: "Maybe Young Frankenstein, but never Blazing Saddles, because we have become stupidly politically correct, which is the death of comedy. It's OK not to hurt the feelings of various tribes and groups. However, it's not good for comedy. Comedy has to walk a thin line, take risks. Comedy is the lecherous little elf whispering in the king's ear, always telling the truth about human behavior."
Trivia: As Sheriff Bart and The Waco Kid are first getting acquainted, The Kid demonstrates how fast he is by snatching a chess piece from the board before Bart can grab it. Even though Bart plainly captures the chess piece in both his hands, he is stunned to find the piece missing when he opens his hands again a moment later (all in the same shot). No special effects were necessary, because actor Cleavon Little used a simple tabletop magic illusion: As he clapped his hands together around the chess piece and drew it back from the table for a split second, he smoothly dropped the piece into his lap and then immediately opened his hands for the surprising reveal. (00:36:02 - 00:36:28)
Answer: Shvartses! (Blacks!) No, no, zayt nisht meshuge! (Don't be crazy!) Loz im geyn! (Let him go!) Cop a walk, it's all right. Abi gezint! (As long as you're healthy!) Take off! Hosti gezen in dayne lebn? (Have you ever seen such a thing?) They darker than us! Woof!
Greg Dwyer