Taking a look back at the magic of Gene Wilder

Gene Wilder is one of those performers that managed to showcase such a different side of himself over his lengthy career in film. From his work with Mel Brooks to his turn as Willy Wonka to his work with Richard Pryor, he proved just how deep his talent went time and time again.

Gene Wilder is the subject of a new documentary, titled Remembering Gene Wilder. The film – which premieres at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival next week – takes a look back at the life and career of Wilder, from his start onstage to his work in films. It’s filled with interviews from those who worked with him and knew him, including Mel Brooks, Carol Kane, Peter Ostrum, Alan Alda, Rain Pryor, and his widow, Karen.

When you look back on his work today – though he only made no more than 35 movies -, it’s remarkable to think about just how many of his performances have managed to become iconic. Perhaps none have become more iconic than that of Willy Wonka.

“The very first time I met Gene,” recalls Peter Ostrum, who played Charlie Bucket in Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory -, we were doing all the exterior shots of Charlie running delivering papers. I actually was in Munich a little bit before Gene got there. We were filming Charlie running, and I remember meeting Gene on set. He smiled at me, gave me a big hug, and said ‘Boy, if I see you run one more time… This has got to end.’ Very warm and welcoming right off the bat.”

Ostrum continues, “Gene had that relationship with everybody. He was as easygoing as anyone could be. Very private, kind of kept to himself. But he was very low key, had a great sense of humor on and off the set. It was a pleasant experience, to say the least.”

When you think back on Gene Wilder, that warmth will perhaps be the first thing you think of. So infectious was it, and it had this familiar feeling. It was as if you knew someone just like him. But there was also this other side to his characters.

Time and time again, he demonstrated his ability to throw his all into the craft. Audiences would watch him be subtle and sweet, and then do a complete 180 and become manic. It was all at the top of a hat, and he made it all look so easy.

“In the tunnel scene,” Ostrum says of the infamous psychedelic scene on the boat in the film, “he held back in rehearsal. But then, he unleashed his venom at all the kids when we actually did it.”

A gifted performer by himself, Wilder also had multiple partnerships that were essential to his career. Of course, there was Mel Brooks, with whom he made The Producers, Blazing Saddles, and Young Frankenstein. Then you had Gild Radner, with whom he made Hanky Panky, before falling in love and getting married. And then, there was Richard Pryor.

On paper, Richard Pryor and Wilder as a team may not jump out at you right away. But the second you saw them together, you realized you were watching something special. There was an ease to their chemistry, as if they had known each other all their lives. To an outsider, it would be totally easy to believe that they were the best of friends, because they were always that way on screen.

Off screen, it may surprise you, was a bit of a different story.

“They were cordial and nice to each other,” says Rain Pryor, daughter of Richard. “They just wouldn’t hang out as people. My dad wasn’t Gene’s speed. And Gene, I guess, was not my dad’s speed, in a way. My dad was like a wild child. And Gene was very together. Very ‘I’m here to do my work.’ And it really presented this great chemistry on camera together.”

That chemistry served the pair well through four films. First, there was Silver Streak. That was followed by Stir Crazy – perhaps their best remembered work -, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and then the little-remember Another You. Regardless of the film, each has their moments of brilliance between the two men.

As far as comedy duos go, you’d be amazed at the list of those that never socialized once the cameras stopped rolling. But when the cameras were on, so were they. There’s a reason why their pairing will go down in history among the greatest comedy duos.

Another rarity among comedy duos is the ability to work just as well independently as you do as part of a team. And both men had that. Their careers were not dependent on the work they did together. But when they would get together for a project every few years, magic would ensue.

“I think they were people of a different time,” Rain Pryor says of their work together. “The craft of what you did – especially because it was comedy and humor and acting – was taken so much more seriously than it is now. It was few and far between; because they had to be at the top of their game.”

Rain continues, “They trusted each other. You trusted each other’s talent. My dad knew how to improv. Gene knew how to improv. They’d know what the character is. They were scientists at their craft. And that just made gorgeous, funny, memorable work. We’re still talking about it. That’s awesome.”

As Rain recalls, she only got to meet Gene Wilder once. It was on the set of See No Evil, Hear No Evil. Wilder was exactly as you’d want him to be.

“Gene was so lovely and kind and nice and warm and welcoming and didn’t mind that I was there watching everything,” Pryor recalls. “My dad was funny and nervous.”

Wilder always contended that he was not funny. He swore it was the biggest misconception about him. He didn’t get why people laughed. Whether he understood it or not, it doesn’t matter. There’s nothing more to understand, other than this: He made us laugh. Plain and simple. And that’s why we find ourselves keep going back for more time and time again.

Remembering Gene Wilder premieres May 18th at the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival. Tickets can be found here.