Of All the Iconic Lines He’s Written, Mel Brooks Has a Favorite

Mel Brooks has written so many iconic lines over his career that it’s almost impossible to count them all. From Young Frankenstein to Spaceballs to Blazing Saddles, his scripts are packed with quotable gems that became part of pop culture.

But when asked about his personal favorite, Brooks doesn’t go with the obvious choices like “It’s good to be the king” or “We don’t need no stinkin’ badges.” Instead, he points to the quiet little exchange at the very end of Blazing Saddles.

Gene Wilder’s character asks Cleavon Little where he’s headed. Cleavon answers, “Nowhere special.” And Gene replies, “Nowhere special. I always wanted to go there.”

It’s such a perfect Mel Brooks moment: warm, funny, and a little bit absurd. Especially since right after that, the movie swerves from a classic Western ride-into-the-sunset into something completely unexpected, with the two literally abandoning their horses to hop in a car.

So yes, the man who gave us some of comedy’s sharpest one-liners says that is his favorite. Which is very on-brand for Brooks—his humor has always been about surprising you where you least expect it.