Sunday Matinee #178 Blazing Saddles
You'd subscribe to this newsletter for Randolph Scott!
Inspiration from the past can save the future.
Blazing Saddles | 1974
IMDb | Letterboxd | RRMC
Context: In this cutting-edge social satire dressed up in cowboy hats, a corrupt bureaucrat (Harvey Korman) appoints a Black man named Bart (Cleavon Little) as the sheriff of Rock Ridge, a small town he wants off the map so he can put a train through. The town has resisted Sheriff Bart over and again because racism. Now, he’s got one last shot to convince them to give it one last shot.
The entire town of Rock Ridge prepares to leave town.
SHERIFF BART: Now wait a minute, wait just one gol’ darn minute here! Just give me twenty-four hours to come up with a brilliant idea to save our town. Just twenty-four hours. That’s all I ask.
ROCK RIDGE: No.
SHERIFF BART: You’d do it for Randolph Scott.
ROCK RIDGE: Gasp! Randolph Scott!
ANGELIC CHOIR: RAN-DOOO-OLPH SCOOOOOTT!!!
Mayor Johnson nods to Howard Johnson.
HOWARD: All right, Sheriff. Twenty-four hours.
Romans 4:13-25 | EnterTheBible.org
Second Sunday after Pentecost | 06.07.2026
Context: The Apostle Paul writes to a young church in Rome, a community he knows by reputation. Early in his letter, Paul declares since God sent Jesus into the world, people can be in right relationship with God by embracing this truth by their faith. He gives an example of faith in God, telling of a story that many in the young church would have been familiar with, that of Abraham: their faith is a continuation of his.
16 For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, 17 as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. 18 Hoping against hope, he believed that he would become “the father of many nations,” according to what was said, “So shall your descendants be.”
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Reflection:
Okay, so just who is Randolph Scott, anyway?!
That’s the sort of question you might ask if you didn’t know Randolph Scott was in over 100 movies in his 4-decade acting career, starting in silent movies and working until he retired in 1962, with dozens of westerns under his bullet-laden bandolier belt. If you knew Westerns when Blazing Saddles came out in 1974, you knew Randolph Scott. If you knew movies period, you knew Randolph Scott. Even if you’ve never seen a George Clooney movie (you haven’t seen Out of Sight yet? It’s in my top ten!), you’re aware of who George Clooney is. Same deal. Big deal.
Randolph Scott is a big deal.
When Sheriff Bart asks the township of Rock Ridge to give him twenty-four hours to figure out their next move, they resist. He invokes Randolph Scott and they immediately have a change of heart. As a comedy, it’s a meta moment. The writers put the name of a Western actor in the mouth of a character, allegedly in his very real Western world. It’s a self-aware joke that breaks the fourth wall. It makes us laugh because we get not only how invoking “Randolph Scott” would encourage the town, it also makes us recall all of those old Westerns and their lessons.
Even if we didn’t see them all, even if we didn’t see a bunch starring Randolph Scott, we know that Westerns are often about the little people who eke out a living finding a way to triumph over evil in a wild west setting. We know a hero will rally people. And we know through how Clevon Little delivers his dialogue and the exaggerated response by the town (and, um, the off-camera angelic choir and full orchestra?!) that it’s supposed to be funny.
If you didn’t know Randolph Scott was a big deal, you still got the big deal moment.
Previously, on R-Rated Movie Club…
Okay, so just who is Abraham, anyway?!
That’s the sort of question you might ask if you didn’t know Abraham and his wife, Sarah, were promised a child in their old age and a great nation from their descendants, a beloved people, and that Abraham time and again demonstrated profound trust and faith in God. If you knew the Jewish faith when you joined this new church celebrating Jesus, you knew Abraham. If you knew of religion in the region period, you knew Abraham. Even if you’ve never seen a George Clooney movie (I gave you at least 30 seconds to start Out of Sight already, what’s going on?!), you’re aware of who George Clooney is. He’s the guy who starred in the parenthetically aforementioned Out of Sight. Same deal. Big Deal.
Abraham is a big deal.
The Apostle Paul is writing to a young church about how he sees faith in Jesus working. Many of his letters in the Bible were written to the faith communities he founded, but not Romans. He’s never even been to this new church, but he respects what they’re doing and reaches out in good faith. Some of his letter affirms them, some of it teaches new ideas, some of it outright declares this is the way to do it.
To convince them of one of his theology, Paul invokes Abraham. This ancestor and the testament to his faith? You can rely on that to inspire your faith. Your faith is a continuation of his. We are all connected to him (Paul especially presents this with his comment on the universal “father of all of us” claim). We can do this. Sheriff Bart says you’re all connected to Randolph Scott when he invokes his name. We can do this. Who from your past inspires you today? Is there a family member who inspires you and others? What family story do you continue in your life?
Also previously, on R-Rated Movie Club…
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Glad you’re here today, Dear Reader. God’s peace and good movies to you!