Madeline Kahn

Born: 29th September 1942
Died: 3rd December 1999
Country: USA
Occupation: Actress, Singer
Quote: "A wed wose, how womantic!"

Comediennes come and go, but some are legendary. In my humble opinion, Madeline Kahn fell into the latter group. She didn't get a lot of press, but boy oh boy you didn't forget her. She made her material legendary too.

For example, I enjoyed the movie Clue, but the only line I can remember from it is Kahn as Mrs. White saying "I was angry...I was sooooo...flames...on the sides of my face. Flaming...burning..."

She had this amazing voice. It reminds me of a Loon (the bird, not the mind set) <G> In What's Up Doc, Kahn nearly upstaged Barbra Streisand as the screechy Eunice Burns. Upstaging La Streisand cannot be an easy thing to do...

- Tam

Madeline Kahn was an Oscar® nominee and Tony award winner whose memory will live on due to her wonderful performances in movies such as Paper Moon and her films with Mel Brooks - Blazing Saddles (a great favourite with our forum members) Young Frankenstein, High Anxiety and History of the World: Part 1. Brooks described her as one of the most talented people that ever lived.

Latterly Ms Kahn had been appearing on the small screen on the Cosby Show in the role of Pauline. Though she had been battling ovarian cancer for over a year she didn't announce the fact to the public until a month before her death at the age of 57. It making the statement, that she was undergoing "aggressive treatment" for the disease, she declared that "It is my hope that I might raise awareness of this awful disease and hasten the day that an effective test can be discovered to give women a fighting chance to catch this cancer in its earliest stage"

Movie Picks :

Blazing Saddles (USA, 1974) As saloon singer Lili Von Shtupp her Marlene Dietrich take-off is one of the highlights of what is arguably Mel Brooks best film.

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Paper Moon (USA, 1973) Alongside Ryan and Tatum O'Neal, Kahn more than lived up to her character's name - Trixie Delight.

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What's Up Doc (USA, 1972) In a movie that harks back to the screwball comedies of the Thirties, Kahn plays the fiancee from hell that we find ourselves strangely warming to.

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As Brooks said, "either in stand-up comedy, or acting, or whatever you want, you can't beat Madeline Kahn". Join us in paying tribute to the actress and her movies (not to mention sharing our favourite Blazing Saddles quotes).

- Movie Cat

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