RP --

One of my all-time favorite movies is Blazing Saddles. Black Bart has been pardoned from execution and appointed sheriff of Rock Rim. He rides into the railroad camp where he had worked, and one of the workers greeted ihm: Bart! Bart! We thought you was hung."

Black Bart (the late great Clevon Little looks down from his horse and drawls, "I am."

Another scene has Cloris Leachman (over)playing the chanteuse/prostitute Baroness von Shtup. I saw the movie for the first time with a Jewish lady I dated quite seriously many years ago. We both laughed so hard we thought we'd throw up.

Another memorable scene was when Mel Brooks, dressed as an Indian chief (you have to see it to believe it) rides his horse up to the covered wagon driven by the young Bart's father; he looked at the black trio and said in wondreful Yiddish accent, "ugh, shvartzes! Cop a walk."

We had tears coming out of our eyes and suddenly realized we were the only people in the audience who got this. I stil hear from Carmen occasionally. Her maiden name was Carmen Cohen; her mother called her Carmen and her father called her Cohen. In the long run she didn't know whether she was Carmen or Cohen.

TEd


TEd