AlthoughJohn Wayneturned down Mel Brooks’ iconic Western spoofBlazing Saddles, this ironically saved the iconic parody movie.John Wayne’s many Western moviesmight contain moments of comedic relief, but the star was hardly known for his on-screen levity. Although some of JohnWayne’s most underrated movies likeThe Quiet Manwere comedies, the star’s stoic, self-serious screen persona was what made him famous and remains a hallmark common to many of his most famous roles.
As such, it was no great shock to find out that JohnWayne turned down Stanley Kubrick’sDr. Strangeloveimmediately after he was asked to play the role of Major Kong in the anarchic anti-war satire. The politics of the project likely clashed with Wayne’s outspoken patriotism. Screenwriter Terry Southern even admitted another actor’s representatives dismissed the script as “Too pinko” in their rejection, according to a Lee Hill interview collected inBackstory 3: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 60s by Pat McGilligan.
Gene Wilder Was A Huge Reason Why Blazing Saddles Worked
Wilder’s Unique Comedic Performance Elevated Brooks’ Iconic Comedy Western
What is slightly more surprising is the fact that, even though it soon became the definitive Western parody movie,John Wayne turned down a lead role in 1974’sBlazing Saddles. Hot off the success ofThe Producers, director Mel Brooks wanted “Authenticity” when he cast the parody. Brooks toldIndiewire”I wanted the Waco Kid to actually have been a Western movie actor so that he would lend a kind of authentic character to the movie.” When the legendary director saw Wayne in a studio café, he pitched the project to him then and there.
As a fan ofThe Producers, Wayne was intrigued enough to ask for the script. He soon rejected the role, telling Brooks it was “Too dirty” for him, but assuring the director that he’d be first in line to see the finished film once it was made. While John Wayne isthe Western genre’s most famous starsave for arguably Clint Eastwood, it is secretly a good thing that he turned down the role. The actor who went on to play the Waco Kid brought a unique comedic verve to the role that was miles from Wayne’s repertoire.
Gene Wilder was cast as the alcoholic gunslinger after earlier lead roles inThe Producers,Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask), andCharlie and the Chocolate Factory. Wilder was far from the first choice, only gaining the role after Dan Dailey dropped out, and Gig Young fell ill. However, he brought a giddy, dreamy quality to the Waco Kid that made the quirky, offbeat antihero an instantly memorable comedy protagonist.
John Wayne Would Have Changed Blazing Saddles' Main Dynamic
Wayne’s Stoic Screen Persona Wouldn’t Have Fit With Blazing Saddles
With Wilder in the role of the Waco Kid, Cleavon Little’s sheriff Bart was the straight man to Wilder’s funny guy. However, this would not have been the case with Wayne in the lead role. Throughout his entire career,Wayne rarely cracked wise, even in his most broadly comedic movies. As such, there is no doubt he would have played the role of the Waco Kid dead straight. This would have made Little’s Bart a more comedic character, which could have hurt the movie’s entire story.
Wayne rejecting the role was a blessing in disguise for the tone of Brooks' movie as a whole.
Much of what makesBlazing Saddlessuch a classic Western parodyare Bart’s constant asides and his deadpan reactions to the surrounding lunacy. In a debauched, corrupt, racist Wild West, he is often seemingly the only sane man left. This dynamic would have been ruined if Wayne had played the Waco Kid and Little’s Bart was thus forced to become the wisecracking comic relief. As such, Wayne rejecting the role was a blessing in disguise for the tone of Brooks' movie as a whole.
Casting John Wayne Would’ve At Least Suited Blazing Saddles' Meta Ending
Wayne Playing The Waco Kid Would Have Fit Brooks’ Madcap Finale
That said,there is one major part ofBlazing Saddlesthat could have been improved by Wayne’s presence. In one of the most audaciously inane finales ever produced, Brooks’ movie ends with the main characters spilling out of the movie’s set and out into the studio backlot. They then brawl through the Warner Bros studio lot and throughout the town of Burbank before returning to the world of the movie by attending the premiere ofBlazing Saddles.
The Waco Kid being mistaken for John Wayne upon entering the real world would have made the ending even better.
This twist works extraordinarily well thanks to the sheer absurdity of the gag, a live-action cartoon joke that calls to mind the most inspiredLooney Tunesmoments. However, ifBlazing Saddleswas one ofJohn Wayne’s Western movies, the joke would work even better since the actor was such an instantly recognizable presence in real life. The Waco Kid being mistaken for John Wayne upon entering the real world would have made the ending even better, althoughBlazing Saddleswas still better off with Wilder in the role written forJohn Wayne.
Sources:Backstory 3: Interviews with Screenwriters of the 60s, Pat McGilligan (viaAmazon)
