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ELEVISION WESTERNS NEARLY DIED by the 70s and have never dominated the small screen like they did in the 50s and 60s. The three existing networks were filled with westerns during this period. Since then, westerns have struggled to stay on the small screen—most have only lasted a season or two. An occasional TV movie came along once in a blue moon to appease the appetite of western fans. In 1975 a television show was created based on the movie Blazing Saddles. It was called Black Bart, and it was a show no one was meant to see.
Before we jump into the series, we need more information on the movie Blazing Saddles. It came to life in the mind of Andrew Bergman. It originally was titled Tex-X and was to star James Earl Jones as Bart with Alan Arkin to direct. That version fell through, and later Mel Brooks got involved with the project. Mel Brooks brought Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger into the fold, with five writers working on the script. Originally Richard Pryor was to be cast as Black Bart, but Warner Brothers studio was nervous about Pryor’s reputation for drug use and declared he was uninsurable. Another version was that before filming could begin, Pryor called Mel Brooks and told him he was in Cleveland and didn’t know how he got there. Either way, Cleavon Little got the role of Black Bart. Next came the casting of The Waco Kid. Gene Wilder wanted the role, but Brooks wanted an older actor to play the kid. John Wayne was offered the part and read the script. He told Brooks that
LOUIS GOSSETT, JR. AS THE TITULAR BLACK BART, JOINED IN THE BACKGROUND BY NOBLE WILLINGHAM AS MAYOR FERN MALAGA, MILLIE SLAVIN AS BELLE BUZZER AND STEVE LANDESBERG AS REB JORDAN.
