Gene Wilder On His First & Only Argument With Mel Brooks - "Late Night With Conan O'Brien"

(Audience applauds) Wow. You are very good at what you do. I couldn't do what you do. We haven't figured out what I do yet. But whatever it is, you're good at it. Good thank you. It's a real thrill to have you here. I'm a big fan of many of your films. I wanted to start because I have an 18 month old daughter and she's not old enough to watch movies or anything yet. I can't wait to show you "Willy Wonka and the Choco

late

Factory." (Audience applauds) For my money, it's the best movie for kids and adults to watch at the same time.

And with the new technology, the DVD, so many kids are watching that movie now and have seen it over the years since it was

first

made, how do kids respond when they see it now? Her eyes light up. Yes. They don't say anything. Every four and a half years I get a new crop. Well well. Because their mothers don't let them see it until they are four and a half or five years old. Good. And then I walk down the street and I see eyes light up like that. They are too nervous to say anything most of the time.

Good. Those who are not there come and want to sit on my lap. Well, well, which could get you in trouble. (Audience laughs) It's not necessary. Do people try to sing the "Oompa Loompa" song to you? No, too difficult. Good. Because they forget the words. ♪ Oompa Loompa ♪ But then they get lost. Good. But if you've had a few drinks, that won't stop you. Know? ♪ Oompa Loompa, blibity blee ♪ (audience laughs) You'd say, "Please shut up." One of the things I like most about that movie is that it makes it work for me, which is that, unlike a lot of children's movies, they are afraid of being a threat.

And "Willy Wonka," there's some darkness to that role that you added to the character, and I think that probably scared some moms when the movie

first

came out. He did it, because it was not a commercial success. No, which always surprised me. When the movie came out, it didn't do so well and I think it was because it's a little scary. The children were not afraid, the mothers were afraid. Well, in the name of the children. In the name of the children, but the children knew it was a morality play. Good. Where do you draw the line?

And they wanted the line to be drawn. Well well. The mothers were afraid. Right, and the interesting thing is that kids grow up, parents are okay with them watching it, and then they realize there's nothing scary about this movie. Going through the tunnel, the psychedelic tunnel, it's a little scary. When I first saw that movie and you're taking the kids through the tunnel and Willy Wonka starts to seem crazy to me in a scary way, and I was scared, but then you learn that everything has a purpose. of it. I want to ask you about "Young Frankenstein," which is easily one of the funniest movies ever made. (Audience applauds) You co-wrote this movie and Mel Brooks directed it, and

only

much

late

r did I discover that my favorite scene in the entire movie, and I think for many people their favorite scene, is when Dr.

Frankenstein, You, do the number, the tap dance number, "Puttin' on the Ritz" with the monster, and it's so crazy and so absurd, and

only

later did I realize, I guess, that it was your idea and Mel Brooks wasn't. Want to do it. Alright? He would write all day and then he would come over after dinner and look at it and say, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, now we need a villain." The Burgermeister isn't a good enough villain. "We need a real villain", etc. And one

night

he came over and looked at the pages and said, "Do you tap dance to Irving Berlin?" (Audience laughs) Good, good. "In a top hat and tails with the monster?" Well well.

He said, "Are you crazy? "It's frivolous." True, true. And I started arguing and then I argued for about 20 minutes until at least my face turned red, I think it might have been blue, and suddenly he says: "Okay, that's it." And I said, "Well, why did you put me through this?" He said, "Because I wasn't sure if it was okay or not." he knew it would be wrong, "but if you really argued, he knew it was right." Actually, that's an interesting technique. So if you had said, oh, okay, whatever. Maybe it's a stupid idea, but I knew him well and that's the only

argument

we've ever had.

Yeah, I think it was also one of the first movies I saw that was a comedy where the acting was so direct. and so sincere, you know what I mean? You're believing in everything 1000% and that's what makes it so fun, 18 years of studying, to finally learn that it's as real as you can get. Do a comedy, the funnier it will be, instead of making faces and making funny sounds and doing all that. Well, that's why I've been banned from the movies (audience laughs). You did such a good job. with Richard Pryor. And you seem to have this chemistry that doesn't come up very often in movies.

Did you feel the same way about Richard Pryor? Did you feel it while working with him? Since the first day. I'll tell you what, I don't want to surprise you, but it's a little bit like sexual chemistry. It's true. Well well. You see someone and you say, "I'm really attracted to that woman." Good. And someone says: "But why her? "This girl is much prettier." She's taller, shorter, fatter, thinner. Why that one? I don't know, I am. Right. And when Richard and I did it. In our first scene some magic happened, what they call chemistry, and he improvised, I improvised in class, but not in front of the film camera, and I responded to him from one side to the other, from one side to the other. another, and we were like that.

Not so much in private life. That's interesting, didn't it translate off camera? No, uh-uh, he had his own world, his friends and all that. I'm saying something was going on when we did that first big scene in "Stir Crazy" and destroyed the place, the prison. At the same moment, we both started humming, singing, da-dum, da-dum, da-dum. ♪ Laurel and Hardy. When Sidney Poitier said, "Cut," I said, "You knew you were going to do that?" I said, "No, I didn't," but we both did it at the same time. There's something in the air, that's just magical. Yes, no one can explain that.

That's great. I was reading your book and one of the things that made me very happy, because I am a great admirer of yours and your work, is that you have been through many things, you have had incredible professional success, you have had very high moments, you have had tragedies. in your life and when you get to the end of the book it seems like you're in a very good place now, you're happy. And that made me feel really, you know, that made me feel good, because I want you to be happy. So that was good.

It's true, do you feel good? I am happier than ever in my life. That is fantastic. (Audience applauds) I wish we had more time, but the biggest advantage for me in having a show like this is that I get to meet people who influenced me and meant a lot to me like you, so thank you very much for being here. . Go out and buy this book. It's an incredible story. Gene Wilder, “Kiss Me Like a Stranger,” watch it. Thank you so much. Thank you. A true honor to have you here. (audience applauds) Brian Kiley, when we come back, stay.