I took my 5 year old son to see it when it came out . I had no idea it was going to be a comedy- I had NO idea other than I thought we were going to see a Western movie. BOY were we surprised, and rolled with laughter through the whole show. He's 48 now and still laughs when I bring it up. You can guess his Favorite scene ?? The campfire beans of course !!!!!

I was a nearly less than new 21-year-old airman in language school at the Presidio of Monterey in 1976. Having heard of the controversy over the profanity and racial insensitivity, I had avoided the movie when it first came out. But I went to see it when it played on a double bill in the big theater downtown. I laughed my butt off and it has stayed funny for me ever since. No matter how many times I watch it, it is still funny. I don't remember what the other movie on the double bill was.
The whole point of the movie, its source of humor, is openly displaying all of the intolerance that looked under the surface of our society. We have progressed wonderfully since then, but as in modern Germany where it is illegal to display a swastika, even to ridicule the Nazis of WW2, we are so embarrassed at how we were that we can no longer laugh at it. We have lost something in the process of improving things and it shows at the decay in racial relations.
The best diplomat I know is a fully charged phaser bank.

Thought it was the funniest thing I'd ever seen then, when I was 12. Now, not so muchYoung Frankenstein definitely holds up a lot better. RIP Gene Wilder.

jcarpenter-1
You're right. They couldn't even make All in the Family in this day and age
the jefferson were a spin off of all in the family
Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

You're right. They couldn't even make
All in the Family
in this day and age.

too bad we dont have that type of comedy anymore
Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

I saw it in '74 and the entire theater howled with laughter.

I loved it
justanicknamed
And I know Prior & Murphy were from a different era of comedians as well, but if there really is no place for the "N" word anymore, then there really is no place for the "N" word anymore. It needs to stop being used by everyone, especially blacks.
yes it does but they continue it all the time
Look like Tarzan talk like Jane! HAHA

I saw it in the theater in '74 and laughed so hard I thought I would never catch my breath. The entire theater was that way. I didn't see such another uproarious response to a movie until a few years later when Animal House came out. A true comedy classic that still makes me laugh.

desierra2003- I saw this in the movie theater as well in 1974. I'm 60 now and can tell without a doubt this is still one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. I can also tell you I had to walk (run) to the bathroom during the farting scene as I was laughing so hard I almost threw up my popcorn! True story! Anyway, this movie, along with Airplane, are my 2 favorite comedies of all time!

The fart scene I don't recall laughing any harder more than that time in my LIFE! I only started breathing and seeing 5 minutes later, I laughed to tears !

I saw it in 1974 several times. people were crying laughing in the theater. I consider it the funniest movie ever made

I saw it '74. It my first R-rated movie and by the time I saw it, many of my high school classmates had already seen it and had quoted the best lines. It was still funny when I saw it though.

and that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana shaped.

As I'm a huge fan of Mel (although I am on a diet) my desire to see this resulted in my cutting out of High Skool early the that day. This was a afternoon showing (I believe it was on a Wednesday) and there were more people in my head than filling the seats. I must've looked even crazier than usual for laughing loudly without being part of a large audience. Can't recall exactly but I stayed for one or two more showings that day.

I saw it in 1974, and it was just as hilarious then as now.
If there's any difference, I think I didn't join the loud laughter at the fart scene and at Madeline's scenes. The fart scene is funnier to me now, but back in the day, everyone else thought it was one of the best scenes. I just thought it was juvenile, and since I was juvenile, I wanted to be above it.
I thought the governor's secretary was much better looking than the plain heroine, and was disappointed she wasn't the love interest for the Wako Kid.
Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!

I was there in 1974. Having grown up watching all of the tv westerns, not to mention the movies, I can honestly say that I found this refreshing at the ripe old age of 18.
I'm serious! This was like nothing my friends and I had never seen before.
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night"

Thought it was hilarious.
"Forget it, Jake. It's the internet."

Saw it 3X in 74, and every time, the whole audience was in hysterics.

My good friend and I went to see it and it was so funny we were laughing all the way home.
They who give up liberty to
obtain a temporary safety deserve
neither liberty or safety

I saw it in the theater when it came out, and I loved it. I still watch it when it is on a commercial-free and un-cut network, and it still makes me laugh out loud.

41 years later the effect is not the same. Some of the humor had the same effect, but not as funny as many years ago. Hearing the "N" word thrown around even when it was big part of the plot because "The Sheriff is a N.." was repeated way too many times.
And now the PC Police arrives! I am so sick of you over sensitive fools!
If you were paying any attention to this film you would be able to understand the whole point of the story. It made fun of the racists and bigots!
Why can't people listen to what people are saying instead of griping about the way they are saying it?
Give it a rest already. This film was and still is great "N-WORD" and all.
Did you count the number of times the N-word was uttered? You didn't when you first saw this but now that it is no longer PC, you gripe about it!
EDIT:
OP I modified your heading slightly. Think it makes for more interesting discussions. If you agree please modify your original heading. If you don't it's not a problem
You took it upon yourself to "MODIFY"??????
WOW! That's another reason that I do not like you.
Do you burn books as well?
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night"

I was a young woman when this movie came out. I thought it was funny, irreverent and quite silly, just fun. I couldn't even tell you when I first heard the "n" word, probably Richard Pryor. It is far more said today (by the long shot) by black people (the very people who pretend they are harmed by it), but it wasn't acceptable then and surely isn't now. It was "funny" in this movie because they were so casual with it and it was quite overdone. Most of us hadn't heard it said outloud before.

You've actually said both things. That you are ok with current comics using the "N" word, but you didn't find it as funny when it was used 41 years ago.

I've said that for many years.