THE HAT SQUAD: "THE FRENCH MISTAKE"

On April 4th, 1975, CBS broadcast "Black Bart", a pilot based on the Mel Brooks movie "Blazing Saddles". In the roles created by Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder, Lou Gossett and Steve Landesberg played Bart and the Waco Kid, respectively (although Landesberg's character was now known as Reb Jordan. Also in the cast were Noble Willingham, Gerrit Graham, and Brooke Adams.

I bring this up as an excuse to play a clip from the movie universe - that of Dom DeLuise's cameo in "Blazing Saddles" as Buddy Bizarre, director of Hollywood musicals.

When this movie came out during my freshman year at college, I was having a great time laughing at all the crude humor. But when the camera pulled away during the big fight scene to pan across the studio lot, I knew was watching pure genius.

And then Buddy Bizarre's girls go into "French Mistake".

So here it is - probably the funniest fight scene in movie history and perhaps the perfect tribute to Dom DeLuise....



(But for me, it's Slim Pickens who has the best line in this scene. I always thought the stage-hands at the Broadway theatres for the Mel Brooks' musicals should have had his quote emblazoned on their work shirts....)

BCnU!