|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Omnigeek
Lorien
Aug 30 2016, 3:30am
Post #1 of 10
(651 views)
Shortcut
|
|
RIP Willy Wonka
|
Can't Post
|
|
Very sad to see today that Gene Wilder has passed away due to complications from Alzheimer's.
Whether you remember him best as Willy Wonka, the Frisco Kid, Victor Frankenstein ("that's STEEN!"), or Jim "Waco Kid", the world is a little dimmer and grayer today.
Wilder's nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said the comedy legend died late Sunday in Stamford, Conn. from complications from Alzheimer's disease, a condition the actor kept private for three years so as not to disappoint fans.
"He simply couldn't bear the idea of one less smile in the world," his nephew said.
That's class and I wish I'd written him the fan letter several years ago that I thought of when going through one of my regular viewings of "Willy Wonka".
I just finished watching "Blazing Saddles" in tribute and just started "Willy Wonka" (my umpteenth viewing!). Watching the 40th anniversary Blu-ray on a large screen OLED, this is probably about the best I've ever seen or heard it since I first saw it in the theaters.
Thank you for the simple joy and laughter you gave us, Mr. Silberman Wilder.
(This post was edited by Omnigeek on Aug 30 2016, 3:30am)
|
|
|
Omnigeek
Lorien
Aug 30 2016, 6:13am
Post #2 of 10
(622 views)
Shortcut
|
That was Frederick Frankenstein ... Victor was his grandfather ...
|
|
|
zarabia
Tol Eressea
Aug 30 2016, 6:59am
Post #3 of 10
(615 views)
Shortcut
|
What a class act he was.  Of course he was brilliant and funny, but part of why I admired him so much was because of his devotion to Gilda Radner. Their relationship was so beautiful and his dedication to cancer research in her name after her passing was so moving.
But, yeah, Young Frankenstein!  Doesn't get much funnier than that. And I'm glad you mentioned Frisco Kid; it's often overlooked. No, it's not in the same class as the Mel Brooks films and collaborations with Richard Pryor, but that role as a Polish rabbi on his way to San Francisco, to me anyway, seemed the perfect vehicle for him: sweet and gentle with the hint of manic righteous indignation ready to spring forth when pushed too far.   He and Harrison Ford were great together.
It's sad, but nice to think of him and Gilda together again. 
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
(This post was edited by zarabia on Aug 30 2016, 7:02am)
|
|
|
Dame Ioreth
Tol Eressea
Aug 30 2016, 1:04pm
Post #5 of 10
(591 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I love the subtlety of his Willy Wonka;
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
you never quite knew what he was going to do next. It wasn't over-the-top crazy. It was guy-next-to-you-on-the-bus subtle. He also seemed to see the character in a way that made Pure Imagination real to me. I will never forget seeing it for the first time (at a Drive-in!) and watching as the door opened to the factory floor. As a kid, I wanted to run around and try everything. Now, I watch him. I watch him watching them. In fact, that's how a spent my last viewing - watching Wonka when someone else had the scene. It's fascinating to see how the little reactions build the character.
_
Heed WBA when building blanket forts.
ITLs don't get enough FAS. :)
Where there's life there's hope, and need of vittles.
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
|
|
|
Ettelewen
Rohan
Aug 30 2016, 2:24pm
Post #6 of 10
(587 views)
Shortcut
|
He's been one of my favorites since I was a kid.
I think I enjoy his Willy Wonka even more now than I did as a child - his deadpan, whispering reaction to Augustus Gloop's near-drowning, "Help. Police. Murder." is actually chilling.
Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles are just as hysterically funny. "It's alive. It's alive!"
|
|
|
Annael
Immortal
Aug 30 2016, 2:58pm
Post #7 of 10
(585 views)
Shortcut
|
|
and the Fox! and the Mock Turtle
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
two of my favorite Gene Wilder bits:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOA7CcVOFIs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDxq3GR9leY
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
|
|
|
Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Aug 30 2016, 6:02pm
Post #8 of 10
(577 views)
Shortcut
|
I used to feel quite guilty about how attractive I found his Willy Wonka when watching the film with my daughter! 'Silver Streak' was another of his films I remember fondly.
|
|
|
zarabia
Tol Eressea
Aug 30 2016, 11:36pm
Post #9 of 10
(566 views)
Shortcut
|
|
Apologies and condolences to his wife
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
I'm afraid I'm one of those who loved Gilda Radner, and was so touched by her and Gene's relationship, that I forgot about the poor woman who has been married to Gene and caring for him for more than twenty years. It must be especially painful for her on top of her grief to hear and read fools like me going on about Gene and Gilda being reunited.
Deepest sympathies to Karen Boyer.
You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round
~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips
(This post was edited by zarabia on Aug 30 2016, 11:39pm)
|
|
|
Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Sep 1 2016, 8:16pm
Post #10 of 10
(540 views)
Shortcut
|
|
I love YF, but my favorite image of Gene Wilder
[In reply to]
|
Can't Post
|
|
is the fox from the Little Prince: https://youtu.be/ZalwjqNHG2A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GNU Terry Pratchett
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(This post was edited by Aunt Dora Baggins on Sep 1 2016, 8:21pm)
|
|
|
|
|
