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‘I Wanted Authenticity': Mel Brooks Revealed John Wayne Was Almost Cast In THIS 70s Comedy
Mel Brooks recently admitted that John Wayne was almost cast in a 1970s comedy. This casting choice was intended to add a sense of authenticity to the film.
Mel Brooks recently shared a fascinating story about Gene Wilder's casting as the Waco Kid at a 50th anniversary screening of Blazing Saddles in Los Angeles. According to Brooks, Wilder's unique comedic talent contributed significantly to the role's success. It's worth noting that Brooks attempted to cast legendary Western actor John Wayne in one of his earlier comedies.
During a recent Q&A session after the 50th anniversary showing of director Brooks' iconic 1974 comedy Blazing Saddles in Los Angeles, the 98-year-old director recounted that he attempted—but was unable to convince 72-year-old Wayne to appear in his film as the Waco Kid.
According to IndieWire, Mel Brooks told a story about his film Blazing Saddles at a function. He believed that portraying the Waco Kid as a real-life Western actor would enhance the film's authenticity.
Brooks revealed that he got the idea for this casting after a chance encounter with John Wayne in a café on the Warner Bros. set. He approached Wayne and offered him a big role in the film.
Wayne responded positively, saying he enjoyed Brooks' previous work and wanted to read the Blazing Saddles script. Wayne's enthusiastic response and willingness to consider the role delighted Brooks.
According to Brooks, Wayne had asked to meet again at the same location just one day after Brooks had helped him secure a screenplay for a movie. Brooks recalled Wayne's response to the script, saying he laughed so hard he couldn't stop and that he thought the material was too dirty. For this reason, Wayne declined the role.
Brooks then cast another Academy Award winner, Gig Young, in the lead role of Blazing Saddles. Young initially agreed to play the part, but he struggled with his drinking and quit the production shortly after filming began. This material was later covered by the Mercury News in 2016.
In a desperate attempt to find a last substitute, Brooks enlisted the help of his friend and The Producers partner, Gene Wilder, who turned the role into a legendary comedy performance.
Three Oscars were up for grabs in the film Blazing Saddles, which chronicles the hardships of a newly appointed black sheriff in the frontier town of Ridge Rock. The well-liked comedy was named to the Film Preservation List of the Librarian of Congress in 2006, an honour granted to motion movies deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant.
In a recent Q&A, EGOT winner Brooks revealed that he received instructions from Ted Ashley, the CEO of Warner Bros. at the time, to make major modifications to his film. Brooks said that the suggestions had little merit and was irritated by the criticism. He declared that he would have preferred a much shorter film, and to show his disdain for the recommended alterations, he simply folded and threw away the notes with the improvements.
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