Re: Blazing Saddles - the movie

Posted by Michael on November 06, 2001

In Reply to: Re: Blazing Saddles - the movie posted by Bruce Kahl on November 06, 2001

: : There's one line in the movie that I have never been able to figure the meaning to. When they are hanging people, Harvey Korman says of one of the hangees, "Oh yes, the Dr. Gillespie killings." Does anyone in the civilized (or uncivilized) world know what he is referring to?

: Civilized?? Hmmm......

: Boris the hangman is about to hang a dignified-looking older gentleman in a wheelchair and Hedley Lamarr says: "Yes, the Dr. Gillespie killings."

: The dignified-looking older gent is supposed to be Lionel Barrymore who played Dr. Gillespie in a series of films in the early to mid forties.
: Mr. Barrymore was stricken with a very serious condition of arthritis which had him confined to a wheelchair. He was only supposed to live a year or so but that year lasted long enough to become several years' worth of books and movies that went on and on and on.
: He continued acting in his wheelchair playing crotchety Dr. Gillespie, mentor of Dr. Kildare as played by Lew Ayres.
: The films are:
: Dr. Gillespie's New Assistant
: Calling Dr. Gillespie
: Dr. Gillespie's Criminal Case
: So "The Dr. Gillespie Killings" is Mel Brooks' twisted take on what he considers should have been the last Dr. Gillepsie film.

: =======================================
: Another Quote from the movie. This one is a job description of the bad guys with a coupla oxymora thrown in:

: "I want rustlers, cutthroats, murders, bounty hunters, desperados, mugs, pugs, thugs, nitwits, halfwits, dimwits, vipers, snipers, con-men, Indian agents, Mexican bandits, muggers, buggerers, bushwhackers, hornswogglars, horse thieves, bull-dykes, train robbers, bank robbers, ass-kickers, sh**-kickers, and Methodists!"

Thanks a million.