Wild man: The late Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein, with Peter Boyle.
GENE WILDER TRIBUTE: The star of Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein was one of the funniest and most daring comic actors of his generation, says 3AW film expert Jim Sherlock.
The versatile comic actor Gene Wilder, who helped push American film comedy to new extremes in the 1970s, passed away this week, age 83.
Best known for his roles in Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Producers, Wilder's collaboration with director Mel Brooks and actor Richard Pryor made him one of the leading comic actors of the 1970s and '80s.
His other major credits include: Bonnie & Clyde; Silver Streak; Stir Crazy; Hanky Panky; See No Evil, Hear No Evil and Start the Revolution Without Me.
Wilder was born Jerome Silberman on 11 June 1933. He died 29 August 2016 from Alzheimer's disease.
Click play for Jim Sherlock's special tribute to Gene Wilder
