james_davis_nicoll: (Default)
james_davis_nicoll ([personal profile] james_davis_nicoll) wrote2008-06-01 03:42 pm

Black Bart

Because Harvey Korman just died, I rented Blazing Saddles. One of the extras was the pilot episode of Black Bart, which I had never seen before.

It wasn't good in a not-good way peculiar to the mid-1970s. It was interesting how they tried to stick as close to the characters from the film while at the same time removing anything even vaguely edgy or amusing from the characters. It was as devoid of actual humour content as you might wish, although it was still funnier than Black Fly, and the laugh track just highlighted how inept the writing was.

I note that the alcoholic Kid is now the alcoholic "Reb" Jordan, although they didn't make much of him having fought for the south, which since Black Bart is established as a former slave you'd think would come up in conversation now and then. Reb is played by Steve Landesberg, whose early pre-Dietrich choices of roles were not always the best (He was also in When Things Were Rotten).

[identity profile] trinfaneb.livejournal.com 2008-06-01 10:19 pm (UTC)(link)
One reason he didn't have much work was the variety show format pretty disappeared in the '80s. I saw an interview he did for some entertainment show not that many years ago and he admitted that he didn't have those elusive qualities needed to headline a show himself and I guess he didn't feel like being the second banana or wacky neighbor on some 80's style sitcom. I do wish he would have gotten more film work.

[identity profile] james-nicoll.livejournal.com 2008-06-02 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
The interview he gave that was included in the extras indicated that he thought he was the actor people turned to only after they discovered they could not get the ones that they wanted.

[identity profile] trinfaneb.livejournal.com 2008-06-03 01:21 am (UTC)(link)
Well that was stupid thinking. I'm glad Mel Brooks didn't believe that.
ext_63737: Posing at Zeusaphone concert, 2008 (Default)

[identity profile] beamjockey.livejournal.com 2008-06-03 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
How do you know Mel Brooks didn't believe that?

[identity profile] trinfaneb.livejournal.com 2008-06-04 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know that for sure, but it sure seems that way because Brooks cast him in several movies and had very nice things to say when he died.