R.I.P. Gene Wilder

[jimmy olsen]

Such a great actor. One of the funniest comedians ever.

I saw the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory so many times as a kid. It was my Dad's favorite movie.

[mongers]

Damn, a great comic actor. 

Not sure why the BBC is billing him as the star of Willy Wonka, as I think that's a lesser film compared to The Producers, Blazing Saddle or his work with Mel Brooks or Richard Prior. s

[Eddie Teach]

It's his best-known work.

[CountDeMoney]

He retired in either the late 80s or early 90s it seems like. I could be wrong but I have not seen him in anything since then. It is nice when a great artist dies decades after they were relevant. As one should.

He said he had pretty much checked out from Hollywood--said films simply had far too much unnecessary profanity, violence....and just bad.  Just didnt want to work in that environment.

Said he still got roughly a dozen or so letters a day from fans about Willy Wonka, how much it meant to them.  All ages.

Really good interview from 2012, covers a lot of ground.  Explains how he was Mel Brooks' 3rd or 4th choice for Blazing Saddles, took an overnight flight to be there the next day after Gig Young got the DTs. 
http://youtu.be/ezfVc5MGmIU

[CountDeMoney]

Not sure why the BBC is billing him as the star of Willy Wonka, as I think that's a lesser film compared to The Producers, Blazing Saddle or his work with Mel Brooks or Richard Prior. s

Because generations of children grew up seeing him there first, you cynical cyclist.  Cycling cynic.  Butthead.

[mongers]

Not sure why the BBC is billing him as the star of Willy Wonka, as I think that's a lesser film compared to The Producers, Blazing Saddle or his work with Mel Brooks or Richard Prior. s

Because generations of children grew up seeing him there first, you cynical cyclist.  Cycling cynic.  Butthead.

I appreciate the effort, sadly cynic isn't in my repertoire. 

[lustindarkness]

[grumbler]

I remember his brilliant use of character development in The Producers.  It was the first time I'd seen him, and his wimpy act at the beginning seemed irredeemable, but the show saw him slow change into the cheerful, optimistic con man by the end, and I realized i'd seen Zero Mostel himself upstaged.

[Martinus]

I'm colorful.

Black is not a colour. It's a lack of colour.

[Josquius]

Willy wonka is dead

[DontSayBanana]

I realized i'd seen Zero Mostel himself upstaged.

I wouldn't go that far, but yeah, Gene Wilder had a knack for shallow-to-rich character portrayals: the zany chocolatier hell-bent on continuing his legacy, going from comic relief as a washed-up gunslinger to the chief enforcer of the town, the vacationing surgeon trying to nurture as well as create life, etc.

[Razgovory]

How do you figure?

Granted maybe a movie can be gay without two adult males of age meeting at any point during the film

It's colorful and whimsical, there are lots of song and dance numbers, and the Oompa-Loompas.  Come on, you know those dudes are gay.

It's not colorful and whimsical.  It's creepy and depressing.

The movie bothered me as a kid.

[Admiral Yi]

NPR reaired an interview from 2005(?).  Didn't know Gene had a co-writer credit on Young Frankenstein.

[Duque de Bragança]

Another great one.

RIP

[Barrister]

NPR reaired an interview from 2005(?).  Didn't know Gene had a co-writer credit on Young Frankenstein.

I watched the link Seedy posted last night (tough watch - in hindsight you could tell he was struggling with his memory).  It was actually Wilder's idea for the movie.