Brooks is just one of the people praising Wilder in the doc. Others include Alan Alda, Carol Kane, Eric McCormack, Ben Mankiewicz, Alan Zweibel, and Rain Pryor (Richard’s daughter). We also hear from Wilder himself, via recordings of the audiobook of his 2005 autobiography, “Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art.”
The documentary is full of clips from Wilder’s career, from his small supporting role in “Bonnie and Clyde” to his breakout in “The Producers” and “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” to Wilder’s two masterpieces with Brooks, “Blazing Saddles” and “Young Frankenstein.”
I’m a big fan of Wilder’s severely underrated 1999 comedy, “The Frisco Kid,” and learned something I did not know The original plan was to pair him with John Wayne, but a shortsighted Columbia executive got stingy at the last minute and tried to get Wayne to lower his salary demand despite the budget being big enough to handle the one he’d originally agreed to. Insulted, Wayne’s response was an immediate “I’m out!” Fortunately, someone smart recommended replacing him with an up-and-coming Harrison Ford, who turned in a very amusing performance opposite Wilder.
There’s also a longer segment on the movies Wilder made with Richard Pryor, beginning with “Silver Streak,” where their chemistry was so good (even though Pryor had the much smaller role) that they were re-teamed for “Stir Crazy,” which went on to be a big hit. But when they reunited nine years later for “See No Evil, Hear No Evil,” their double act had worn thin, the threadbare plot did them no favors, and Pryor’s drug use and muscular dystrophy didn’t help.
The documentary doesn’t admit it, but after “Stir Crazy,” Wilder’s movies were never as good. He made three in a row with Gilda Radner (who he married), but no one remembers them — or the two that followed without her. After his star burned so brightly for so long, Wilder had to handle Gilda’s cancer and eventual death at the same time his creative output was waning severely.
Once the movie roles stopped coming, Wilder segued to being a guest star on several sitcoms, including a recurring role on “Will and Grace.” He also married again to a woman named Karen who ended up guiding him through the last years of his life when his capacities were diminished by Alzheimer’s. She’s the one who provided the home movies of Gene which director Ron Frank uses judiciously through the documentary.
For anyone who enjoyed his work, especially during his heyday, “Remember Gene Wilder” is a funny and touching look back at his life. I give it an 8 out of 10.
After being screened at a few film festivals last year and a brief theatrical release, the documentary is now streaming on Netflix.