Thursday 24 April 2014

The genius of Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder

A lot of people won't know this, but in my early days in the Metropolitan Police Diplomatic Protection Group, circa 1974,  "Puddin on da reeeetz" became something of a cult battle cry as a direct result of 3 of us seeing this film in Kensington Road.... also, if correctly shouted, it would get us in to a lot of otherwise exclusive night clubs....after work, of course.

 

6 comments:

Trobairitz said...

They are comedic genius. I've always enjoyed any of their projects.

I even liked Blazing Saddles or when Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder did See No Evil, Hear No Evil.

BillB said...

My favorite Mel Brooks film is Blazing Saddles. Took every stereotype and turned it on its ear.

Madeline Kahn - in her ode to Destry Rides Again, out Dietriched Dietrich. (It's Twoo! It's Twoo!)

Couple of stories - the guy who was supposed to play Gene Wilder's part - forget his name - but he was very sick on the 1st day of shooting and Brooks calls his friend Gene Wilder.

Wilder comes out from NY with the script and within the day starts filming.

Also, the sheriff's part was offered to John Wayne, who saw the script.

Wayne is laughing, saying "I could never take that as it would be against my screen image, but I will be the first in line to see it".

Comic genius.

Hogdayafternoon said...

I concur with all the above comments. "The Producers" is a particular favourite of mine. To this day, whenever I am in the US and get cash from an ATM, I always say "Hello Boys" as the cash appears.

BillB said...

Hogday - I had forgotten about the Producers. A brilliant movie that was a marketing flop in 1968.

It was a bit of irony that decades later Mel Brooks turned it into a smash Broadway play.

And in my one visit to Manhattan in 2006, I wanted to see a Broadway Play.

Went to the producers at the St James theater.

Two types of seats left - the +$300 at the foot of the stage and the rear ones.

Ger one (in the rear0 and I am sitting behind a concrete piller but it didn't matter - I was at a hit Broadway play.

"Springtime for Hitler" - the black SS solders highstepping like the Rockettes - and the beautiful showgirl with a giant bratwurst headress were 2 memorable things.

Anonymous said...

Met Mel Brooks in Licester square on aid during the bombings! He asked for directions and as from an East London borough and a probable had no idea! Was a true gentleman walking in cognito I recognised him my colleague didn't! I managed to say thanks for all his films I'd watched ! Have to The camp fire scene in blazing saddles still makes me cry with laughter!

Hogdayafternoon said...

Anon: Magic!