“At the time, I didn't know why, but I know now that when I was a little boy, I was scared to death of the Frankenstein films ... and in all these years later, I wanted it to come out with a happy ending, and I think it was my fear of the Frankenstein movies when I was 8 and 9 and 10 years old that made me want to write that story [Young Frankenstein].” ThinkingKnowsWantWritingYearsLittlesMadeStoriesWantedFilmYoungBoysScaredHappy EndingsLittle Boys Author:Gene Wilder
“I met Richard Pryor for the first time in Calgary, in Canada. A very quiet, modest meeting.” FirstsMetsQuietFirst TimeMeetingsCanadaModestCalgary Author:Gene Wilder
“We gave each other a hug, [Richard Pryor] said how much he admired me, I said how much I admired him, and we started working the next morning, and we hit it off really well, and he taught me how to improvise on camera.” WellsSaidNextMorningTaughtCamerasHug Author:Gene Wilder
“I met [Gilda Radner] on the first night of filming ... Hanky Panky that Sidney Poitier was directing. And it's funny, I was in costume and makeup - my tuxedo and makeup because I'd done a few shots before she arrived, and she told me later that she cried all the way in, in the car, because she knew that she was going to fall in love with me and want to get married.” WayWantFirstsDoneNightFallCarMetsMarriedShotsFalling In LoveMakeupCriedCostumesTuxedos Author:Gene Wilder
“Gene Wilder made his movie debut in "Bonnie And Clyde," starred in the Mel Brooks films "The Producers," "Young Frankenstein" and "Blazing Saddles," played opposite Richard Pryor in "Silver Streak" and "Stir Crazy" and portrayed the candy-maker in "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory."” MadeFilmYoungCrazyOppositesProducersSilverChocolateMakersFactoriesGenesCandyBrooksStreaksBlazingDebutSaddlesWilderStir Crazy Author:Terry Gross
“When we spoke, Gene Wilder had just written a memoir called "Kiss Me Like A Stranger." The title was suggested by his late wife Gilda Radner three weeks before she died in 1989.” ThreeWifeWrittenWeekKissingLateDiedStrangerMemoirTitlesSpokesGenesKiss MeWilder Author:Terry Gross
“With Mel [Brooks], only one time and that was later on during "Young Frankenstein" - never with Zero [Mostel] and never with Mel except I was writing every day, and then Mel would come to the house and read what I'd written. And then he'd say, yeah, yeah, yeah, OK, yeah, OK. But we need a villain or we need whatever it was.” NeedsWritingYoungHouseWrittenYeahZeroOne TimeVillainBrooksWriting Every DayYeah Yeah Yeahs Author:Gene Wilder
“Because we had to convince the scientific members of Transylvania that with the procedure I was using on the creature, Dr. Frankenstein could be taught to be a civilized human being, what I called a man about town. Instead of a monster who's going to kill their children, it was someone who could sing and dance.” MenHumansChildrenHuman BeingsTaughtCreaturesMembersTownsMonstersConvinceCivilizedDrsProceduresTransylvaniaDr Frankenstein Author:Gene Wilder
“My agent at the time, Mike Medavoy, before he became a movie mogul, called me up and said, how about a movie with you and Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman? And I said, well, what makes you think of that? He said because I now handle you and Peter Marty.” ThinkingWellsSaidHandleAgentsPeterMikeMake You ThinkMogulsMarty Author:Gene Wilder
“And Mel [Brooks] - you have to understand this important point - he had done "The Producers" for $50,000 over two years, and he didn't make a penny from it. And then he did "The Twelve Chairs" - $50,000 for two more years and didn't make a penny from it. That's four years of work. And then they offered him quite a bit of money to direct "Young Frankenstein," and he took it.” YearsTwoImportantDoneYoungBitsFourDirectProducersChairsTwo YearsFour YearsTwelvePenniesBrooks Author:Gene Wilder
