In memoriam: Gene Wilder

I was sorry to learn that Gene Wilder, who in my opinion was one of the best comedic actors of his generation, has died.  His movies gave me hours of pleasure, and his sometimes whimsical yet always well-grounded interpretations made me think.  Not many actors have done that, over the years.

There are many films for which he'll be remembered.  My favorite is 'The Frisco Kid', a comedy in which he plays a rabbi making his way through the Wild West to San Francisco (with Harrison Ford as a reluctant and less-than-honest sidekick).  Perhaps it's because I'm a pastor that it appeals so much to my sense of humor.

Rest in peace, Mr. Wilder, sir.  Thanks for the memories.

Peter

EDITED TO ADD:  Perhaps the best comment I've seen on Mr. Wilder's passing, from the Telegraph, which compared him to "a latter-day Chaplin":

"Wilder's characters were less loose cannons than untethered hosepipes, that could uncoil at any given moment, flail neurotically and spritz everyone in sight. That he seldom actually did this was the best part of the joke, and the cause of much ecstatically tense laughter throughout his career."