Discussion: Actor Gene Wilder Dead At 83

Sooooo sad. Hope he’s with Gilda…

2 Likes

The sad part is that virtually everyone from Young Frankenstein is now dead.

I’d make a brain repository joke, but I’ll let the video take over…

2 Likes

Can anyone remember the last time Hollywood made a comedy on par with this stuff? Today’s comic films have one comic and a cast of straight men but in Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein (should include What’s Up Doc?) we had whole casts of comics…

2 Likes

Yes. Remember the draw scene where he shoots a number of villains, but you never see his hands move because he is in the exact same position after as before the shootings. A classic.

6 Likes

Comedy is hard. Comedy on film as opposed to on stage is even harder. It is much easier to use green screens and lots of fake blood.

4 Likes

Monty Python and the Holy Grail is the only one that comes to mind…

3 Likes

This one hurts.

8 Likes

I’m grieving for his loss, and I rarely say that about anyone whom I never met personally. But he was such a warm, gentle, decent, caring man, who gave freely so many smiles, belly laughs, warm fuzzies, snickers, snorts, and thoughts to ponder even while laughing, that I deeply feel his absence from the world. Most of all I always think of that mischievous twinkle in those bright eyes. He’ll surely live on for a long time in the hearts of those who loved him. Rest gently, Gene Wilder.

7 Likes

Sad news indeed loved him and so many of the things he was in. If there is an afterlife, hopefully he is now with his equally funny wife, Gilda.

R.I.P. Willy Wonka

6 Likes

Gotta go with the classic Mel Brooks plus Wilder for zany irreverence: Blazing Saddles

4 Likes

Still has better hair than Trump.

2 Likes

Or The Producers in its original incarnation.

7 Likes

Yes, even if you factor in the low expectations for humorists from the UK.

It’s like there’s some kind of weird Melbrooksian connection…

4 Likes

He was great opposite the immortal Zero Mostel in the original version of The Producers.

Young Frankenstien, Blazing Saddles, Silver Streak, Stir Crazy, Willy Wonka, the list goes on and on.

6 Likes

Just watched Young Frankenstein again recently (I probably watch it every few years). Great movie. And Wilder was absolutely and utterly superbly perfect in the role.

4 Likes

"particularly when Pryor provided Wilder with directions on how to “act black” as they tried to avoid police in “Silver Streak.”

I was gonna bring that up too haha…man, that scene was piss-your-pants funny. I absolutely loved those two together. I was a huge Pryor fan growing up (think “The Toy”…I lost count of how many times I watched that haha).

R.I.Laughs.

3 Likes

RIP

I hope he’ll be watched by generations to come and make them laugh too.
Maybe some of the kids who only know him from the Willy Wonka meme will do some research into his body of work.

3 Likes

Willy Wonka is probably the first movie I saw him in. They gave out free Willy Wonka chocolate bars. Thanks for the memories Gene!

And if I could

3 Likes

:cry:

1 Like