Yep... My favorite two films from 1974 are both from Mel Brooks. This one edges out Blazing Saddles for me because of the interesting female characters. Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and Peter Boyle are great, but Madeline Kahn, Cloris Leachman, and Teri Garr really sell this one for me. Elizabeth, Frau Blucher, and Inga complement the leading men in such a way that humanizes all of them more than any other of Brooks' movies. It may not have taken as many risks as Saddles, but for me it is funnier and much more timeless.
I was lucky enough to catch a theatrical production of the musical version of this in Winston-Salem a few years back and I was reminded how much I adore this story.
Here's my take from 2010.
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