I've always loved Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles." It's a brilliant film. And over in the trivia section of its IMDB entry, one item stuck out:
When Mel Brooks advertised in the show business trade papers for a "Frankie Laine-type" voice to sing the film's title song, he was hoping for a good imitator. Instead, Frankie Laine himself showed at Brooks' office two days later, ready to do the job but nobody told him the movie was a parody
Frankie Laine, the man who is probably most famous for singing the theme to "Rawhide," has died at the age of 93.
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Comments (8)
It's a measure of the great... (Below threshold)1. Posted by blackcat77 | February 7, 2007 1:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's a measure of the greatness of the film that it could not be made in the politically-correct climate of today.
1. Posted by blackcat77 | February 7, 2007 1:27 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2007 13:27
2. Posted by Peter F. | February 7, 2007 1:28 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Mongo sad.
2. Posted by Peter F. | February 7, 2007 1:28 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2007 13:28
3. Posted by MunDane | February 7, 2007 5:10 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
No, it's HedLEY!"
3. Posted by MunDane | February 7, 2007 5:10 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2007 17:10
4. Posted by James Cloninger | February 7, 2007 10:38 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"Let me just whip this out..."
"Oh, it's twue! It's twue!!"
4. Posted by James Cloninger | February 7, 2007 10:38 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2007 22:38
5. Posted by James Cloninger | February 7, 2007 10:48 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"Let me just whip this out..."
"Oh, it's twue! It's twue!!"
5. Posted by James Cloninger | February 7, 2007 10:48 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 7, 2007 22:48
6. Posted by moflicky | February 8, 2007 8:59 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
"Sorry about the 'up yours n******'"
"of course, you'll have the good taste not to mention that I spoke to you."
That movie was pure genius. Brooks' best work by far. I watched it again on a cross country flight to Vegas on my laptop, and it's still as funny as it was back then. It punctured more taboos than any single movie ever, while simultaneously and scathingly pointed out the absurdity of racism.
and blackcat's right - it could never be made today.
6. Posted by moflicky | February 8, 2007 8:59 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 8, 2007 08:59
7. Posted by nogo postal | February 9, 2007 3:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The first record, as a tyke,around 1953, that I sang along to was my Dad's favorite that he played all the time. A Frankie 78. On one side was a railroad song (my dad was a railroad guy) called Gandy Dancer's Ball ..the other side was about a Pawn shop on the corner in Pittsburg Pa. ...
Thank you for sparking that memory...
Frankie had that amazing baritone. I miss my Dad..
7. Posted by nogo postal | February 9, 2007 3:27 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 9, 2007 15:27
8. Posted by nogo postal | February 9, 2007 3:29 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Oh yeah Frankie did the definitive "Ghost Riders in the Sky"
8. Posted by nogo postal | February 9, 2007 3:29 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on February 9, 2007 15:29