Gene Wilder was an American comic actor who has appeared in a number of films, including several slightly manic type roles. The highlights are the Mel Brooks films and was a major star in the 1970's. He trained as an actor in America and England and after World War 2 studied at The Actors Studio under Lee Strasberg. He started working on the stage and met Mel Brooks. His first film role was a minor role in Bonnie And Clyde. His firt major role was in the Mel Brooks film The Producers. This was followed up with the historical film Start the Revolution Without Me which was his role as swashbuckling hero. He was then Willie Wonka in Charlie And The Chocolate Factory which was his legacy film and defined him to a generation of film goers. With the Woody Allen film Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask he sought commercial success. Rhinoceros was a differnt type of comedy as people tuned into a rhinoceros. He teamed up with Mel Brooks again for Blazing Saddles in a parody of the western with every cliche in the western films.
The third Mel Brooks collaboration was Young Frankenstein and was in many ways the best film he made. The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother was the first film he directed. Silver Streak was his first film with Richard Prior. The Frisco Kid was a western with Harrison Ford. In 1980 he teamed up again with Richard Pryor for Stir Crazy directed by Sidney Poitier and the director followed this with Hanky Panky. He returned to directing with The Woman In Red which was a commercial success. Haunted Honeymoon was his third with Gilda Radner who was his second wife. Another You was his final mjor screen role and was again with Richard Pryor.
