Mckinney Courier-gazette > News
'Blazing Saddles' star recounts path to showbiz
Dan Eakin/Staff Photo - Actor Burton Gilliam, left, points his six-shooter at Collin County Sheriff Terry Box, middle, and C.C. Theophine, president-elect of the McKinney Rotary Club. Gilliam, known for his role in the country-Western film, 'Blazing Saddles,' addressed the Rotarians on Friday in downtown McKinney.
By Dan Eakin, deakin@acnpapers.com
Burton Gilliam started out as a firefighter. He spent 15 years with the Farmers Branch Fire Department, the Lake Highlands Fire Department and the Dallas Fire Department.
One day, in the early 1970s, he read in the newspaper that producer Peter Bogdanovich was coming to Dallas to look for actors in an upcoming movie called "Paper Moon." Gilliam thought it would be fun to go down and try to get a job as an extra. Instead, he got a role. He played Floyd the desk clerk in the movie.
Gilliam told members of the McKinney Rotary Club on Friday that he still was not convinced he should go into the acting. But a couple of years later, while at work, he got a phone call from Mel Brooks.
"That name meant nothing to me, so I hung up," Gilliam said. He soon got another call from a man who said, "This is Mel Brooks; please don't hang up."
Brooks told Gilliam he wanted him to play a role in the upcoming movie, "Blazing Saddles." Gilliam said he made three trips to Hollywood before accepting the role.
After the second trip, Gilliam said, he got a call.
"This is Richard," the caller said.
"Richard who?"
"Richard Pryor," the caller answered. Gilliam said Pryor helped write the script for "Blazing Saddles" and had hopes of getting the role of Black Bart in the movie. Gilliam was still reluctant to take any movie role.
Later, he was asked, "How much money would it take to get you to take the part?"
Gilliam, making $12,000 a year as a firefighter, thought he would end their pleas when he said he would need an entire year's salary to take it. He later realized he could have gotten even more.
Either way, the rest was history. Gilliam eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in showbiz for a quarter-century, in more than 45 films, with well-known movie names such as Brooks, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Stewart and Roy Rogers.
Asked Friday by a Rotarian who his favorite actors were, Gilliam named Madeline Kahn, who worked with him in both "Paper Moon" and "Blazing Saddles," and Richard Chamberlain.
Gilliam is now partly retired and lives in Allen with his wife, Susan.
Frank Walker Jr., who was last year's McKinney Rotarian of the Year, said he and his son, Frank Walker III, had met Gilliam at a gun show in Dallas. He said his son suggested that he ask Gilliam to come and speak to the McKinney Rotary Club. Gilliam agreed.
Gilliam was also a Golden Gloves boxing champion in his younger days.
"I had 217 fights, and I won 201," Gilliam told the Rotarians.
Toward the end of his talk, after jokes and cherished recollections, Gilliam got a little more serious.
"There are three kinds of people in the world," he said. "No. 1, there are those who won't work and don't have any goals. No. 2, there are those who work, but don't have any goals; and No. 3, there are those who work and have goals."
Gilliam said he has reached every goal he set over the past 35 years.
He conceded that goals should be practical, returning to a jovial tone.
For example, he said, "I know that I shouldn't set a goal to be president of the United States. I am 73 years old. That's too bad. That's their loss."
In more recent years, Gilliam has been more noted, at least around Dallas, for his punch line advertising vehicles, "I don't kere how you git here. Just git here!"
He was nationally known as the Pace Picante Sauce spokesperson for 12 years, who said in the commercial, "Hey, that stuff's made in New York City!"
The Rotary Club meeting ended with Gilliam leading the Rotarians in singing two songs from "Blazing Saddles," -- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and "Camp Town Ladies, Won't You Come Out Tonight?" He danced around while singing just like he did in the movie.
One day, in the early 1970s, he read in the newspaper that producer Peter Bogdanovich was coming to Dallas to look for actors in an upcoming movie called "Paper Moon." Gilliam thought it would be fun to go down and try to get a job as an extra. Instead, he got a role. He played Floyd the desk clerk in the movie.
Gilliam told members of the McKinney Rotary Club on Friday that he still was not convinced he should go into the acting. But a couple of years later, while at work, he got a phone call from Mel Brooks.
"That name meant nothing to me, so I hung up," Gilliam said. He soon got another call from a man who said, "This is Mel Brooks; please don't hang up."
Brooks told Gilliam he wanted him to play a role in the upcoming movie, "Blazing Saddles." Gilliam said he made three trips to Hollywood before accepting the role.
After the second trip, Gilliam said, he got a call.
"This is Richard," the caller said.
"Richard who?"
"Richard Pryor," the caller answered. Gilliam said Pryor helped write the script for "Blazing Saddles" and had hopes of getting the role of Black Bart in the movie. Gilliam was still reluctant to take any movie role.
Later, he was asked, "How much money would it take to get you to take the part?"
Gilliam, making $12,000 a year as a firefighter, thought he would end their pleas when he said he would need an entire year's salary to take it. He later realized he could have gotten even more.
Either way, the rest was history. Gilliam eventually moved to Los Angeles, where he worked in showbiz for a quarter-century, in more than 45 films, with well-known movie names such as Brooks, Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Stewart and Roy Rogers.
Asked Friday by a Rotarian who his favorite actors were, Gilliam named Madeline Kahn, who worked with him in both "Paper Moon" and "Blazing Saddles," and Richard Chamberlain.
Gilliam is now partly retired and lives in Allen with his wife, Susan.
Frank Walker Jr., who was last year's McKinney Rotarian of the Year, said he and his son, Frank Walker III, had met Gilliam at a gun show in Dallas. He said his son suggested that he ask Gilliam to come and speak to the McKinney Rotary Club. Gilliam agreed.
Gilliam was also a Golden Gloves boxing champion in his younger days.
"I had 217 fights, and I won 201," Gilliam told the Rotarians.
Toward the end of his talk, after jokes and cherished recollections, Gilliam got a little more serious.
"There are three kinds of people in the world," he said. "No. 1, there are those who won't work and don't have any goals. No. 2, there are those who work, but don't have any goals; and No. 3, there are those who work and have goals."
Gilliam said he has reached every goal he set over the past 35 years.
He conceded that goals should be practical, returning to a jovial tone.
For example, he said, "I know that I shouldn't set a goal to be president of the United States. I am 73 years old. That's too bad. That's their loss."
In more recent years, Gilliam has been more noted, at least around Dallas, for his punch line advertising vehicles, "I don't kere how you git here. Just git here!"
He was nationally known as the Pace Picante Sauce spokesperson for 12 years, who said in the commercial, "Hey, that stuff's made in New York City!"
The Rotary Club meeting ended with Gilliam leading the Rotarians in singing two songs from "Blazing Saddles," -- "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," and "Camp Town Ladies, Won't You Come Out Tonight?" He danced around while singing just like he did in the movie.
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