Mel Brooks begged Pryor for 'N' word blessing

Comedy legend MEL BROOKS had to call on RICHARD PRYOR's help while making cult movie BLAZING SADDLES - because there were so many jokes surrounding the 'N' word.

The moviemaker admits he was so worried about upsetting black people with unsavoury language in the film, he needed the comedian's blessing for gags about the plot's African-American lawman, played by Cleavon Little.

He explains, "We used the 'N' word a lot, so I called Richard and I said, 'Richard, I need you to bless the 'N' word'."

And Brooks insists the film is so politically incorrect, it could not be made today.

He tells late night chat show host Jimmy Kimmel, "They (censors) wouldn't let you (make it)... When we had a preview... there was a guy running the studio... and he was going with a girl, his fiancee, and they had this preview and people went crazy; they laughed, they enjoyed it. He grabs me by the collar and shoves me into the manager's office... and he says, 'OK, here's a legal pad, here's a pencil, take these notes'.

"He says, 'N word. Out...! We don't say it.' He said, 'No punching a horse...! Around the campfire, cut out the farting... You can't punch an old lady...' I said, 'Yes sir, it's gone. It never happened. Come back tomorrow and it's all out of the movie.' He leaves and I crunch it (note paper) up and I go all the way across the room and put it in the waste basket.

"I had final cut, so I said, 'What do I care?'"