… And you don’t know
where to go to,
why don’t you go
where fa-shion sits…
I needed something to cheer me up, and this classic is perfect. I wanted to watch Haunted Honeymoon last night but apparently I didn’t own it, or lost it somewhere, I watched Young Frankenstein a few months ago, and don’t own Blazing Saddles either. I AM A FILM ENTHUSIAST FRAUD. But I have seen countless others of his – The Frisco Kid, The Producers, The World’s Greatest Lover, and of course, Willy Wonka.
I’m not going on some tirade about how 2016 is the worst year ever or something. It’s not. As our generation ages, more and more of our icons will pass. Think about how grandparents don’t read gossip magazines about actors and actresses of their generation – there are only a handful left, most of the time. It’s just part of aging.
But it still sucks.
For an indication of Wilder’s intelligence and thoughtfulness toward every role he played, look no further than his notes on the Willy Wonka costume, helpfully displayed on the blog Letters of Note a few years back.
I’ve just received the costume sketches. I’ll tell you everything I think, without censoring, and you take from my opinion what you like.
I assume that the designer took his impressions from the book and didn’t know, naturally, who would be playing Willy. And I think, for a character in general, they’re lovely sketches.
I love the main thing — the velvet jacket — and I mean to show by my sketch the exact same color. But I’ve added two large pockets to take away from the svelt, feminine line. (Also in case of a few props.)
I also think the vest is both appropriate and lovely.
And I love the same white, flowing shirt and the white gloves. Also the lighter colored inner silk lining of the jacket.
What I don’t like is the precise pin pointing in place and time as this costume does.
Read the whole thing – the man was a genius in every way!
Anyway, let’s drag this back out of ennui. I hope your Tuesday is great, and the rest of the week even more so!
The boys and I watched Blazing Saddles last night. They loved it, of course; the beans scene, or the big fight with all the cowboys against the gay tap dancers, but it was the subtle moments that made us laugh the most. Gene Wilder was truly a comedic genius.
He really was! I mean the whole movie was comedy genius, but he was always a shining star in anything he did. His use of facial expressions in Young Frankenstein was its own master course in subtlety!
One of my favorite songs by one of my favorite actors. Thanks for sharing 🙂
You’re welcome! I just got bummed out seeing his picture with the birth/death dates all over social media last night and decided to do something fun to remember him by. 🙂
The one thing that always floored me about Blazing Saddles was the ending where one of the characters breaks the fourth wall. I loved it.
Oh, Thank you for this video! This made my morning. Now, I’m all smiles.
This is the loveliest way for a person to be remembered. I hope I’ve delivered even half as many laughs and smiles before I’m gone.
Blazing Saddles was genius in so, SO many ways! I wish Cleavon Little had spent more time with us, and that he and Mel and Gene had worked together again.
Yes, if all of us worked half as hard as Gene did to spread laughter in the world, it would be such a better place! 🙂