Starring:

Cleavon Little, Gene Wilder, Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn

Director:

Mel Brooks

Genres:

Western, Comedy

Tagline:

...or never give a saga an even break!

Overview:

A town—where everyone seems to be named Johnson—stands in the way of the railroad. In order to grab their land, robber baron Hedley Lamarr sends his henchmen to make life in the town unbearable. After the sheriff is killed, the town demands a new sheriff from the Governor, so Hedley convinces him to send the town the first black sheriff in the west.

Date Reviewed:

May 23, 2024

Review:

The people who say this movie couldn’t be made today, don’t understand this movie. It’s not whether or not it could be made now (it could), it’s that it doesn’t need to be. The film’s take on racism, sexism, government corruption, judicial overreach, and the fickleness of the average person is as relevant now as it was in 1974, yet isn’t preachy. And moreover, it’s funny without needing to punch down.

That it can do all of that is a testament to how great this film is. That it’s not Mel Brooks’s best only shows how’s how great his other stuff is.

Producers:

Writers:

Norman Steinberg, Mel Brooks, Richard Pryor, Andrew Bergman, Alan Uger

Cinematographer:

Joseph F. Biroc

Runtime:

1 hour and 33 minutes

Budget:

2600000

Box Office:

119500000