Surprise Hit
Perhaps because of the controversial nature or the lack of laughs at the first screening, the film’s producers did not expect Blazing Saddles to be a major success. Even though they agreed to release it, they did so in February, one of the least popular months for movies. In fact, Blazing Saddles is one of the only films in history to have debuted in February and yet reached number one at the box office! It held the record for a whopping 44 years, until Black Panther was released in 2018.
Surprise Hit
Boorish Boris
The executioner is one of Blazing Saddles’ most famous and humorous characters. But have you ever wondered where the concept for the name came from? The fact is that he was named after Boris Karloff, notably his character Mord from the 1939 classic The Tower of London. Mord was a royal assassin hired to eliminate any of Richard III’s opponents and maintain him on the throne.
Boorish Boris
