The oldest cast member of **"Blazing Saddles" (1974)** at the time of filming was **Jessamine Milner**.
### Specific Details:
* **Role:** She played the **Elderly Lady** (often referred to as the "Old Lady" or "Elderly Townswoman"). She is best remembered for two iconic, provocative scenes: one where she greets Sheriff Bart with the shocking slur, *"Up yours, n—r!"*, and another where she is being beaten by Hedley Lamarr’s thugs and looks directly at the camera to ask, *"Have you ever seen such cruelty?"*
* **Age at Time of Filming:** Jessamine Milner was born on **October 4, 1894**. Filming for the movie took place throughout **1973**, making her **78 or 79 years old** during production. (She was 79 when the film was released in early 1974).
* **Context:** While many of the film’s lead actors were significantly younger—Mel Brooks was 47, Gene Wilder was 40, and Cleavon Little was 34—Brooks frequently populated the town of Rock Ridge with veteran character actors to ground the satire. Milner, who lived to be 88 (passing away in 1983), was a "late bloomer" in Hollywood, reportedly not starting her film acting career until she was in her 70s.
### Notable Older Cast & Crew:
To provide further perspective on the production's age range:
* **Count Basie (Cameo):** The legendary jazz bandleader appeared as himself. Born in 1904, he was **68 or 69** during filming.
* **Joseph Biroc (Cinematographer):** Though not an actor, the Academy Award-winning cinematographer was **70** during filming (born in 1903).
* **Liam Dunn (Reverend Johnson):** Often mistaken for being older due to his "wizened" appearance, Dunn was actually only **56 or 57** during filming (born in 1916). He died just two years after the film's release.