I remember watching the original Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory film many years back. RIP Gene Wilder.
“There is no life I know
To compare with pure imagination
Living there, you’ll be free
If you truly wish to be”
I’m not going to lie. I refuse to watch Willy Wonka. I have no idea why but that movie has scared me ever since I was little. I’ve tried rewatching it a few times now that I’m older and it still for whatever reason just scares me.
But I loved Blazing Sadles and many of his other films.
Best tribute I saw was Jim Carrey’s tweet: “If there’s a heaven, he has the Golden Ticket.” Hope he and Gilda are making angels laugh.
It’s very sad that he lost Gilda Radner but he was happily married for the last 25 years to Karen Boyer, who has now lost him.
I didn’t realize until his death that he had been married twice before he married Gilda, or maybe I just forgot. In one of his books, he related how he met Karen and became attracted to her while Gilda was sick. At the time the book came out, I remember people being upset with him for what they perceived as his betrayal of Gilda. There was also offense taken at his descriptions of Gilda’s emotional neediness during their courtship and marriage.
It seems his last marriage was his happiest.
He was in two of my favorite movies, Blazing Saddles and See No Evil, Hear No Evil. He was outstanding and will be missed. RIP.
RIP Gene Wilder. May you be in our hearts, thank you for making my childhood special, and helping my imagination stretch beyond reach!
I guess you can tell by my user name that I am a fan. RIP
I loved him in most things he did (the scene in “Stir Crazy” when he goes up to the big, kind of psycho looking inmate to show him some love was hysterical), but my favorite probably was “The Producers”, he and Zero Mostel just floored it (“Max, he’s wearing a Dress!” “So what?”).
One funny thing I remember was Mel Brooks when Young Frankenstein describing Gene as 'This rock, never misses a line, never gets out of character, man is a professional" while showing clips from the set where he kept cracking himself up, and flubbing lines [there was a great scene where Peter Boyle chased Gene after he cracked up again, causing another take.].
He also had major impact on the movies he did, Young Frankenstein was actually his idea, he had to convince Mel brooks to go along with it, and he did more then a bit of things with Blazing Saddles that helped make it even more funny.I am glad he found happiness in married life, what happened with Gilda Radner was tragic, they had relatively little time together, and also that he led a long, productive life. From what I read in his obituary, he had demons that somehow never destroyed him, maybe acting and writing helped him cope:)
I thought it was “Frahnkenshteen” !!
The doctor pronounces his name:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxxSIX3fmmo
That scene was so funny. “What hump?”
Don’t forget that hilarious NBC TV show Wilder had in the 1990s wherein he played an older nerd-ish man with a gorgeous young wife and twin toddlers. The plot was all about the insecurities of being a late-middle aged husband and father. Actor Gregory Itzin, who played President Logan on ‘24’ for five years, was Wilder’s similarly situated neighbor. The show was a subtle riot but unfortunately lasted barely one season.
I thought Silver Streak was the funniest movie ever when I saw it in 8th grade.
I never saw it and don’t remember it at all. I do remember him on Will and Grace. He was really good, and IIRC, he received an Emmy nomination for his performance.
Damn. I decided to go to YouTube and watch YF in 5 minutes. Now I know what I’ll be doing for the next two hours. I’m going to watch GW stuff just for fun starting with an interview with Mel Brooks asking him his favorite YF scene. The YF in 5 minutes was amazing. I remember YF as brilliant beyond words and I managed to underestimate it. I forgot the name of the one actress who ends up with Frankenstein but she was totally perfect for that role and the scene when Dr. F. asks Igor to help him with the bags and he says sure you take the Blonde and I’ll take the other one is so ridiculous and stupid, welcome to humor 101, you can’t help but laugh and the actors reaction to what Igor says and does is just perfection in action.
Madeline Kahn was the actress you referenced. That line is so funny because he does it in Groucho Marx voice.
Madeline was brilliantly funny in this movie, as well as several other Mel Brooks projects.
Madeline Kahn’s first movie was “What’s up Doc?” and it is hilarious too. She’s great!
Madline Kahn was a genius, her portrayal of Lili Von Schtupe in Blazing Saddles was one for the ages (ie Marlena Dietrich). Funny part was, she never saw herself as funny (I also loved her in a pretty silly Movie “City Heat” with Burt Reynolds and Clint Eastwood).
Funny part about Gene Wilder was he could take a roll that seemingly was totally idiotic, and make you almost think it was normal…see his role in “Everything about sex”…
@LakeWashington That was Something Wilder. Great show!