_{During the filming of Madeline Kahn’s scenes in Blazing Saddles, the cast and crew kept laughing, so Mel Brooks asked an assistant to go out and buy more than a hundred handkerchiefs. Whenever anyone on set started to laugh he or she would stifle the sound of laughter in a handkerchief.} 

Blazing Saddles is coming to Blu Ray again to celebrate the 40th anniversary. Pre Order here.

_{Lili Von Shtupp: Hello, handsome, is that a ten-gallon hat or are you just enjoying the show?}

_{Blazing Saddles (1974)}

_{At that moment, instead of screaming she bursts into song. And the song he(Mel Brooks) had originally in the script was Cheek to Cheek. As I was worked on it, I was like I wish there was a song that would start on an ‘Oh’ or an 'Ah’ as if I were in fact going to scream but I found myself singing. 'Ah Sweet Mystery of Life’ Oh! That’s perfect! Gathering my courage I managed to ask Mel if we could try that song. And he said 'Ok, we can try it.’ And the rest is history.}

_{-Madeline Kahn}

Happy 87th Birthday Mel Brooks! (June 28, 1926)

He understands me somehow and he loves me somehow. And allows me to be myself to a greater degree more than other people do. I feel very liberated around him. He accepts my raunchier humor.

-Madeline Kahn

Mel Brooks and Madeline Kahn on the set of Young Frankenstein, 1974

Madeline Kahn on working with Mel Brooks

I’m in tears thinking about Madeline. What an incredibly gifted gift from God, Madeline Kahn. The funniest and most talented comedienne I think, including people like Carol Burnett, who are great, you know, and Gilda Radner who was magnificent. But nobody — listen to me, David Bianculli — nobody could approach the magnificence and wonder of Madeline Kahn.

“She was really a great gift to us all. … I saw art [in her], not just funny. But I saw a person who was gifted with art. She’s the only one who actually could have worked in opera as an opera singer, as a coloratura. She was that talented. Or I think she could have worked as a longshoreman in New Jersey. I don’t think there’s anything that Madeline Kahn couldn’t do.

-Mel Brooks

Listen to a Mel Brooks interview here. And don’t forget to watch Mel Brooks: Make a Noise tonight 9m central standard time on PBS! Can’t tune in/overseas? Fear not it is being released on dvd. You can purchase it on places like Amazon.

Be sure to tune in to PBS’s American Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise Monday May 20, 9 pm central standard time (check your local listings). Madeline will no doubt be mentioned. According to the website they will feature an ‘archival interview’ of Madeline. So watch!

wandrlust:

Mel Brooks and Madeline Kahn taken on the set of Young Frankenstein, c. 1974 — Steve Schapiro