[2Wycked]

Gene Wilder has passed on due to complications from Alzheimer's disease:

Quote:

Gene Wilder, who blended manic energy, quiet irony and quirky humanity in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and other classic comedies of the 20th century, has died at the age of 83.

Wilder’s agent confirmed the actor’s death. A statement from Wilder’s nephew Jordan Walker-Pearlman said the star had died at his Connecticut home due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease.

Wilder was a pillar of cinematic comedy from the late 1960s through the 1980s, starring in classics such as western spoof “Blazing Saddles” and Broadway farce “The Producers.”

“One of the truly great talents of our time,” read a tweet from the verified Twitter account of filmmaker Mel Brooks, who directed Wilder in those two films. “He blessed every film we did with his magic & he blessed me with his friendship.”

Wilder was born as Jerome Silberman in Milwaukee, Wisc., in 1933. He became Gene Wilder at age 26, choosing the professional name out of admiration for the character Eugene Gant in “Look Homeward, Angel” and the playwright Thornton Wilder. He started acting at age 12 before attending the University of Iowa and the Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol, England.

Following a stage career in New York, Wilder moved to Hollywood in the late 1960’s and soon secured roles in some of the most famous movies of the era. His first part was in 1967′s seminal “Bonnie and Clyde,” in which he played pleasant-natured hostage Eugene Grizzard. His second was in “The Producers.”

In “The Producers,” his turn as Leo Bloom, one of the scheming schlocksters behind the intentional flop “Springtime for Hitler,” began a collaboration with Brooks that would include “Blazing Saddles” and monster-movie sendup “Young Frankenstein,” which the two men wrote together. Their “Young Frankenstein” screenplay was nominated for an Academy Award, while Wilder also received a best supporting actor nomination for “The Producers.”

Wilder’s signature role, one that has made him a favorite actor of multiple generations of children and their parents, was in the 1971 musical Roald Dahl adaptation “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” He played the mysterious, mephistophelean factory proprietor of the title, duping spoiled children into ironic fates. Wilder’s performance of the song “Pure Imagination” is widely considered a classic film moment.

Wilder’s other famous screen collaboration, with comedian Richard Pryor, started with 1976′s “Silver Streak” and continued on through 1980′s “Stir Crazy,” 1989′s “See No Evil, Hear No Evil” and 1991′s “Another You.”

After his then-wife, comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” star Gilda Radner, died in 1989, Wilder helped found Gilda’s Club, a charity which works to help cancer sufferers and their families find support and resources.

Wilder had taken a step back from his acting career in recent years. His most recent credit on IMDb, a voice role in the 2015 children’s film “The Yo Gabba Gabba! Movie 2,” was his first turn since appearing on sitcom “Will & Grace” in 2003.

Anybody remember the parody of Willy Wonka in Family Guy?

RIP

[H1N1]

[8ball]

My favorite movie from him will always be:

[Mr. D]

[YossariansRight]

(08-29-2016 04:33 PM)8ball Wrote:  

My favorite movie from him will always be:

Yep. RIP Gene.

Kelly LeBrock was pretty much perfect back then. And her carpet matched the drapes.

The 80s were fun.

[Moma]

Gene was cool and goofy. I liked him. He did many pairings with Richard Pryor (also RIP). Stir Crazy, See no Evil, Hear no Evil come to mind.

[eradicator]

Blazing Saddles will always be one of the all time classic films, and he was amazing in it. Even more important is that Gene gave us one of the best memes of all time

[IvanDrago]

(08-29-2016 04:10 PM)H1N1 Wrote:  

"Hey, Where da white women at?"

Every time I've seen that since a little kid it has my crying I'm laughing so hard.

[puckerman]

I'm partial to this scene, but only because I got to do it in an acting class once:

http://www.videodetective.com/movies/the...wet/450458

[Chowder Head]

RIP The Waco Kid aka Jim.

[LeoneVolpe]

One thing that sucks about getting older is seeing all the people who helped make your childhood feel like a magical time start passing away. For me, this certainly includes Mr. Wilder.

I'm thankful I had the chance to meet him several years back at one of his book signings. He was very kind and soft-spoken. Needless to say, he will be greatly missed.

[Sam Malone]

One of the few movies I can watch again and again and still laugh..



"You're blind ?"
"Yes I'm blind, what are you fucking deaf ?"
"YES, I'M FUCKING DEAF !!"



RIP Gene

[ivansirko]

hilarious. RIP Willy Wonka

[Private Man]

(08-29-2016 03:51 PM)2Wycked Wrote:  

After his then-wife, comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” star Gilda Radner, died in 1989, Wilder helped found Gilda’s Club, a charity which works to help cancer sufferers and their families find support and resources.

I have great respect and gratitude for Wilder because of Gilda's Club. I've been to the local club to attend support meetings and they call me periodically to make sure I'm still alive and kickin'.

[WalterBlack]

(08-29-2016 04:33 PM)8ball Wrote:  

My favorite movie from him will always be:

(08-29-2016 09:14 PM)Sam Malone Wrote:  

One of the few movies I can watch again and again and still laugh..



"You're blind ?"
"Yes I'm blind, what are you fucking deaf ?"
"YES, I'M FUCKING DEAF !!"



RIP Gene

[Truck'n]

I am sorry, but along with the boxoffice weekend champion, American Idol Winner, and the human interest story of the week, I don't give a fuck.

So he is dead. Who the fuck cares? He lived a full life, but his death is not in the least newsworthy.

This all goes back to Rush's thread about Hollywood is run like a Satanic cult. This is part of it, adoring irrelevant, inconsequential Hollywood stars who lived completely different lives from the characters they played on the screen. Talk about his life off the screen and how great of a role model that was. I don't give one fuck about how much his character roles meant to the masses, it is all an illusion.

[chicane]

(08-29-2016 09:46 PM)Private Man Wrote:  

(08-29-2016 03:51 PM)2Wycked Wrote:  

After his then-wife, comedian and former “Saturday Night Live” star Gilda Radner, died in 1989, Wilder helped found Gilda’s Club, a charity which works to help cancer sufferers and their families find support and resources.

I have great respect and gratitude for Wilder because of Gilda's Club. I've been to the local club to attend support meetings and they call me periodically to make sure I'm still alive and kickin'.

Well, you never write, you never call...

[H1N1]

(08-30-2016 12:47 AM)Truckn Wrote:  

I am sorry, but along with the boxoffice weekend champion, American Idol Winner, and the human interest story of the week, I don't give a fuck.

So he is dead. Who the fuck cares? He lived a full life, but his death is not in the least newsworthy.

This all goes back to Rush's thread about Hollywood is run like a Satanic cult. This is part of it, adoring irrelevant, inconsequential Hollywood stars who lived completely different lives from the characters they played on the screen. Talk about his life off the screen and how great of a role model that was. I don't give one fuck about how much his character roles meant to the masses, it is all an illusion.

As far as 'who cares' goes, I don't think that is a meaningful question in the current context. He made enjoyable movies that lots of us remember fondly. I'm sure none of us 'cares' that an old man who had a decent life has died. The event itself, however, has presented many of us here with a reason to share clips from movies we enjoyed. I'm sure many of us have laughed at some of the clips here, and that's really the point. Guys around the world, who've never met and probably never will, are able to make each other laugh and share a real human moment with each other. In a sense that's as good a testament to a life as any other.

I had forgotten about The Young Frankenstein. I remember watching that with my dad as a boy. He was really excited to show it to me. He'd gone to some trouble to find a copy on VHS, and we eventually sat down to watch it together. My dad is a pretty serious, tough man, and I remember the way he laughed all the way through the movie. He doesn't laugh much, or even smile very often. As a young boy it was quite a thing for me to see that side of him. It's a touching memory that I'm glad has been dredged up by this thread. I may see if he wants to watch it again some time.

[Mercenary]

(08-30-2016 12:47 AM)Truckn Wrote:  

I am sorry, but along with the boxoffice weekend champion, American Idol Winner, and the human interest story of the week, I don't give a fuck.

So he is dead. Who the fuck cares? He lived a full life, but his death is not in the least newsworthy.

This all goes back to Rush's thread about Hollywood is run like a Satanic cult. This is part of it, adoring irrelevant, inconsequential Hollywood stars who lived completely different lives from the characters they played on the screen. Talk about his life off the screen and how great of a role model that was. I don't give one fuck about how much his character roles meant to the masses, it is all an illusion.

[Chowder Head]

(08-30-2016 12:47 AM)Truckn Wrote:  

I am sorry, but along with the boxoffice weekend champion, American Idol Winner, and the human interest story of the week, I don't give a fuck.

So he is dead. Who the fuck cares? He lived a full life, but his death is not in the least newsworthy.

This all goes back to Rush's thread about Hollywood is run like a Satanic cult. This is part of it, adoring irrelevant, inconsequential Hollywood stars who lived completely different lives from the characters they played on the screen. Talk about his life off the screen and how great of a role model that was. I don't give one fuck about how much his character roles meant to the masses, it is all an illusion.

[eradicator]

(08-30-2016 12:47 AM)Truckn Wrote:  

I am sorry, but along with the boxoffice weekend champion, American Idol Winner, and the human interest story of the week, I don't give a fuck.

So he is dead. Who the fuck cares?

I care. He brought a lot of joy and laughter to people's lives, I see no problem with mourning Gene's death.

Robin William's death hit me harder because it was a suicide, but this is pretty sad as well.

[The Beast1]

When irrelevant actors like lilo, Amy Schumer, that fat Ghostbuster, James Franco, Jennifer Anniston, and well almost every actor in the 90s forward dies I'll say who cares.

Wilder was a good one, just like Robin Williams. Life well lived.

[chicane]

I just ran across an interesting bit of trivia - Willy Wonka was funded by the Quaker Oats Company.

From "The Stuff They Don't Want You to Know"

[MdWanderer]

(08-30-2016 11:33 AM)The Beast1 Wrote:  

When irrelevant actors like lilo, Amy Schumer, that fat Ghostbuster, James Franco, Jennifer Anniston, and well almost every actor in the 90s forward dies I'll say who cares.

Wilder was a good one, just like Robin Williams. Life well lived.

Well said. Many actors and musicians, while we may not know them personally, bring joy to our lives and can give us something to relate to when nobody in the real world can. As an 'alternative' light-skinned black kid growing up who was seen as different and weird, I always looked up to Prince. I'm 31 years old and he's the first celebrity death I actually shed some tears for, and I've been through some big ones (Michael Jackson, George Harrison, Robin Williams, Bernie Mac, etc). Adding to the depression was Beyoncé coming out with a new album literally the week after he died.

Wilder's passing is sad, but he lived a long, full life.

[infowarrior1]

Christopher Lee,Robin William and now Gene Wilder. 2016 was the year that all of those beloved men are taken from us.