Anyone who hasn’t seen Mel Brooks’ History Of The World: Part One should drop everything, go get it, view it and love it. Because, seriously, who doesn’t love the late (and so great) Madeline Kahn selecting her soldiers for the forthcoming orgy? A monster. That’s who…
Speaking of monsters, watch Kahn and Grover do a little ditty – after the jump, of course!
GoodBuddy
I always like “Young Frankenstein”
Tim in SF
I like Young Frankenstein, too. And I’ve loved Madeline Kahn since I was a very small child. Her voice is so different and musical. And she was so funny. She died way too young and I miss her very much.
I loved her in all her SNL appearances. She was in a movie with a dog, once (not Rin Tin TIn but something like it). Blazing Saddles, of course, is simply not to be missed. And if you’re gay you should see What’s Up, Doc? for a Madeline+Streisand twofer.
I’d advise people to pass on History Of The World: Part One, though. It’s extremely dated and hasn’t aged well. The portrayal of gay people in the movie is excruciatingly bad and the way they throw the word “fag” and “faggot” around so casually is not simply unfunny, it will take the smile off your face and might drain whatever good feelings you may have for Mel Brooks right out of your body. Don’t risk it.
Andy Peters
Actually, I like HISTORY OF THE WORLD a lot (and this scene is just one of many in which Madeline shines). Much of what Brooks does is non-PC and intentionally so. Brooks is an equal opportunity skewerer of stereotypes.
Madeline Kahn was nothing short of a national treasure who never once failed to bring 100% to everything she did. Of course, who can forget her gutbusting performance in CLUE? If you don’t titter through her entire “Flames!” speech, you have no soul.
Howard Bannister
Thanks for these – fantastic.
(But now I have to go rent “What’s Up, Doc.”)
jeem
I’ve always thought that her song from Blazing Saddles would be great for a drag queen.
Tim
I miss Madeline Kahn terribly.
History of the World is highly recommended, if not a Brooks’ best film. Beyond Ms. Kahn’s work, I recommend the Inquisition sequence highly. It’s priceless.
Kahn is the best part of ‘Clue’, though there’s some joy in watching Tim Curry work up a lather. (It’s kind of fun to watch Jane Wiedlin’s very brief appearance as a singing telegram.) I have been quoting the whole ‘Flames…! Flames around her face!’ since I saw it as a child.
Joeb1212
Truly one of the greatest comediennes to have ever lived! I can’t think of a single role in which I wasn’t bowled over with laughter.
While “What’s Up Doc?” is a little dated, it is still a great movie with not only Streisand, Ryan O’Neal and many, many others, this movie actually is “Introducing Madeline Kahn”……a must see for any comedy fan!
Mikey
And while you’re at it, be sure to pick up Paper Moon, with Madeline at her all-time best. She’s only on-screen for about 15 minutes, but she is screechingly hysterical.
OKLAHOMO!
Oh, I remember when I had to break it to a group of my close friends as we ate our mediocre steaks at Outback Steakhouse. We had wine and shared memories…oh Maddy, we hardly knew thee. Actually, we didn’t know you at all. But still…you practically raised us.
I still haven’t been back to the Outback.
Because their steaks aren’t very good.
Cynthia Alexander
She was a one of a kind and her comedy was brillant.