Director Mel Brooks and actor Gene Wilder collaborated on a few great film projects including Young Frankenstein, which they co-wrote.
During a past appearance on the ABC News show Nightline, Brooks revealed that he and Wilder only had one major argument ever on any of their projects, and it was over the now-iconic “Puttin’ on the Ritz” scene from Young Frankenstein.
This was Wilder’s idea and Brooks wasn’t convinced that it was going to work. They argued back and forth until Brooks compromised.
Brooks explained: “I had this one big fight with Gene when he had this idea that he and the monster would sing and dance. I said “Gene, I’ll film it and if one person in that screening, one person says it’s silly or it’s stupid, it’s out.’ We filmed it…the audience went crazy. And I said ‘Gene, I apologize’.
Wilder once talked about the argument while appearing on Late Night With Conan O’Brien in 2005. He said: “One night he came over and he looks at the pages and he says, ‘You tap dance to Irving Berlin? In top hat and tails with the monster?’
“…He said, ‘Are you crazy? ‘It’s frivolous.’ And…I argued for about 20 minutes…all of a sudden he says, ‘Okay, it’s in.’ And I said, ‘Well why did you put me through this?’ He said, ‘Because I wasn’t sure if it was right or not. And if you didn’t argue for it, I knew it would be wrong, but if you really argued I knew it was right.”
This just more proof that you never bet against Gene Wilder! That guy is one of my all-time favorite actors and he was a comedy genius.
Joey Paur
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