Several years ago, I did an Advocate cover story about our neighborhood’s favorite ex-fire fighter, Burton Gilliam. (Later this year, assuming all works out, we’ll actually have those archives on line). Gilliam played Lyle, Slim Pickens’ sidekick, in Mel Brooks’ classic Blazing Saddles.
Gilliam, whose career has included Paper Moon and the original Pace picante commercial (Git a rope!), told me that Blazing Saddles was the best thing he ever worked on. And he practically waxed poetic discussing the talent involved — Brooks, Pickens, Madeline Kahn, Gene Wilder and Harvey Korman. And yes, the word genius was used more than once.
Korman died yesterday at the age of 81. So sample this from stewielips at YouTube and have a chuckle. And that’s Burton in the black hat, red shirt and black vest next to Pickens.
