Madeline Kahn

This scene is exceptional. In just two short minutes, she makes you laugh, she makes you hurt, then she makes you laugh again. She was brilliant. So underrated.

Teutonic Twat!

I just read a biography about her.

It was kind of sad. She was so talented but very insecure.

And it's a pity that the last thing she did in the business was a TV show with a serial rapist.

I've never even heard of this bitch before. I had to google her. Nope, don't know her.

R4 is the biggest Philistine of the month so far.

I miss Beth Howland

So lovely...

What about Madeleine McCann? Do you miss her?

What about Madeleine McCann? Do you miss her?

R7 According to the book, Madeline was not happy about being asked to sing that song.

She wanted to be taken "seriously" as a singer and didn't want to do a funny song. So she had to be talked into it.

It's sad when people don't play to their strengths. Because she sang that song better than anyone else could.

But Kahn could be quite difficult.

She was stealing focus as Gooch. So I had her fired.

Thank god. MAME wouldn't have been the same picture otherwise!

I went down the rabbit whole a while back and fell on some blogspot from about 10 years ago that was planning an authorized biography on her. Not sure it ever happened, but it had a lot of interesting things in there, and she was (surprise) extremely insecure about her weight.

It's not clear if Madeline was fired from Mame because:

1. Lucy didn't want a younger, redhead comedian in the film;

2. Lucy didn't like Madeline's methody refusal to "do a voice NOW!" during the table read; or

3. Madeline tried to get fired because she knew Blazing Saddles would be much better.

Flames!

No reason it couldn't be a combination of all three.

John on Madeline...

What are you wearing?

She was on fire in the 70s! Such amazing performances. Paper Moon, What's up, Doc, Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstien!

The Eunice Burns.

She is nothing short of brilliant in What's Up, Doc? Love that movie.

I miss Patrice Munsel

LOve this

She's still here, r21....

Great talent, but was difficult at times. Gave Lucy the run around on Mame so she could do Blazing Saddles. Hal Prince regretted hiring her for On The Twentieth Century, she almost sunk the production with her antics.

Streisand was not happy with her either.

R24 Well, Babs is a cunt who didn't like being outshined by someone with more talent.

Well, r24, she was a very unique talent/personality. She had her own way of doing things. It would have helped if Hal had understood that. She *was* the "name" in that show after all.

[quote]she almost sunk the production with her antics.

Oh, dear.

Kahn said in interviews years after WHAT'S UP, DOC that Streisand was aggressively rude to her from Day 1 and that it was disappointing. Completely non-responsive to her. Kahn (naively) thought they with all they shared in common (goofy, funny Jewish girls from the Northeast, theatre and singing backgrounds, etc) that they would actually become friends.

Barbra doesn't do "friendship" with female costars.

Madeline GONE

Do y’all remember Kahn’s hot dogs

She didn't show up half of the time to On The Twentieth Century because she said she couldn't maintain the same level of performance every night. She left the show for good several months into it, and much earlier than what was in her contract. I think it did wind up losing money, and she didn't do Broadway for quite a few years afterwards because of the negative press she got.

On the other hand, it's a testament to her talent that she wound up still getting a Tony nomination when anyone else would have been easily snubbed.

What made her “difficult” per se? Was she just a perfectionist about her work?

From that blogspot I read, playing frumpy parts early in her career played into her insecurities, so I’m guessing she also became somewhat particular about how she would look and if she didn’t like it would get testy.

She was extremely neurotic and afraid of hurting her voice. She drove people crazy. Very funny on stage and screen though.

Well, she got through Glitter and Be Gay...

R34, that was for only one performance.

In fairness to her, "On the Twentieth Century" is one of the most difficult scores in Broadway history for the female lead to sing.

But when she nailed opening night, Hal Prince lost all his apprehensions about her and told her she was amazing.

She turned to him and said, "You don't think I'm going to do that every night do you?"

That is a very strange attitude for a Broadway star.

According to the book I read, Streisand was nice to Kahn during the filming.

But Kahn made Streisand very insecure at the table read, when Kahn got laughs with every line and Barbra got none. Barbra complained to the director: "I'm a supporting actor in my own movie!"

Kahn did tell friends that she did a comedic song routine between takes to kill time and Streisand though it was so funny she stole it from her.

Shortly before "On the Twentieth Century" she did "She Loves Me" for a couple of weeks and sometimes wouldn't sing her high note and that was only a B.

R38 That was when the cocaine rumors started. But I have never seen them substantiated.

I'm aware of that, r35, all I said was she got through it. They first asked Cook to do it but she couldn't hit *that* note any longer.

She redeemed any B'way sins with the Sisters Rosensweig.

SR

R41 ugh I saw that with my parents right after she left production and guess which DL favorite — sitcom star slash would be scat/ singer — took her place?

Oh, no, not Lavin!

R44 she was pretty good though, actually. I mean, she certainly fits the type.

R40, I don't know whether Barbara Cook was asked to do that 1968 CANDIDE concert but she certainly could have hit *that* note. She was only forty-one at the time. But there's a lot more to that aria than *that* note. She sang "Glitter and Be Gay" with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in 1961. And she considered doing it for her 1975 Carnegie Hall concert but she would have had to have taken the time and effort to get herself into the vocal shape to sing that style of music. The other problem is she would have to do "Glitter and Be Gay" at the end of a full evening of singing because what could follow that?

I'm trying to remember where I read that, r46. Possibly in the Madeline bio or Cook's memoir.

She was especially funny in Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. When I was 12, my older brother and his girlfriend sneaked me in to see Blazing Saddles. I loved the farting, the dirty language, the sexual humor and especially Ms Kahn as the exhausted whore.

R28, link? I am not a Streisand apologist, but I read what R37 said. You're comment R28 doesn't hold water - "aggressively rude" and "non responsive" are opposites.

I adore her.

Last night I watched a movie from 1980 called 'Simon', starring Alan Arkin. I thought Madeline would've had a bigger part since she's listed second in the credits on IMDB, but she was only in maybe 10-15 minutes in the middle of the film, and then never shows up again. :(

She cheats on a couple of notes on Glitter but still sounds fantastic and she would have been SO funny as Cunegonde. She had a truly unique talent and I wish she had been able to maintain her health much longer.

Check out 2:40-2:50 in the link for her hilarious reading of the line, "I'm not well !" from "(Not) Getting Married Today." Also on YouTube, Johnny Cash (!) and Madeline Kahn perform "Singing in the Bathtub."

By the way, I remember that when Madeline was on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show," she also performed "Singing in the Bathtub." She told Rosie in the interview segment that she loved working with Barbra Streisand.

I think she considered herself an opera singer and certainly could have done it on an opera house's schedule as opposed to 8 shows a week.

^^ for r51

[quote] Streisand was not happy with her either.

Barbara did not like another woman in the same film who was funnier than she was? NO!!

That's like saying "The sun rose in the east that morning."

I worship her. I'm like F. Murray Abraham bowing down to Geraldine Page about her. I'm that embarrassing.

She was brilliant in Young Frankenstein and her "Taffeta, darling" line has entered the American lexicon.

She was awarding. That voice! Hee comedic chops!

Her Vanilla Ice Cream...

Tremendous!

Had she not been taken so soon - I often wonder what roles would have played.

[quote]Barbara did not like another woman in the same film who was funnier than she was? NO!!

BarbAra? Turn in your gay card.

And dearie, when it comes to kissing...

(There's nothing missing!)

No, not a BIT!

[quote]She was awarding. That voice! Hee comedic chops!

Whom was she awarding? What does this mean?

She and Carol Burnett are hysterically funny in a classic sketch.

The Cheap Detective

It was so unusual her voice was perfect for operetta but not really for opera. But she got lots of opportunities to use it.

"How do you do, my name is Bessie Bellwood..."

"LIAR!"

The Kangaroo Hop

[quote]"aggressively rude" and "non responsive" are opposites

They aren't, though. That's a weird thing to say. Refusing to respond to a co-worker is aggressively rude in and of itself, and I would assume where Barbra was involved, she was being aggressive by yelling about her co-stars at directors, producers, and/or agents instead of at the co-stars themselves.

I really like Barbra and think she gets shit on when she doesn't deserve it, but she also has a documented history of having people around her to do her dirty work for her.

Mixed Nuts 1

Mixed Nuts 2

Mixed Nuts 3

Deleted scene...

It seems like she should've been in "Murder By Death," but she wasn't. She could've played Eileen Brennan's part (although Eileen was wonderful.)

Eileen and Madeline both had their own unique comic styles and both had perfect-for-operetta voices.

^^Eileen, Madeline and Marian Mercer were the three funniest women in show biz of their time.

Loved Mercer...

R65 I just watched "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother" last night and was completely disappointed. A great cast meandering around in a weak script that tried so hard to do what Mel Brooks had done before. Gene Wilder scored the year later with "The World's Greatest Lover", but "Adv. of SH SB" is unfortunately not that funny outside the fight between Gene & Leo McKern on top of a cabby, the ballroom scene with the back of Wilder & Marty Feldman's tux chopped off, and the operetta spoof that was a mix of Gilbert and Sullivan parody and a nod to "A Night at the Opera". The three stars try their best, but perhaps Gene shouldn't have directed what he was writing and starring in since the script seemed rushed together to play off on their success in "Young Frankenstein".

I'm utterly shocked that Kahn played Cunegonde! I had no idea her vocal chops were *that* good. She's no Chenowith but she certainly holds her own, and is a much better fit for the part. Thank you for that clip, R34.

r77, the story is that the studio bosses were really impressed with "Young Frankenstein," and knew that Wilder had somehow got the best out of Mel Brooks and (wonder of wonders) got him to tone down all the toilet humor (always Brooks's downfall, although as he got older he was able to rein it in himself). So they basically let him do a film on whatever he wanted. HE was the one who insisted on working with Madeline and Marty Feldman again--he just adored doing "Young Frankenstein," and felt he had never worked with such talented people, and wanted to do it again right then.

It was his first film script flying solo (and also his first directing job), and he just didn't know quite what he was doing. The film is hilarious in clips (especially when music is involved), but the in-between parts don't work at all.

[quote] I'm utterly shocked that Kahn played Cunegonde! I had no idea her vocal chops were *that* good. She's no Chenowith but she certainly holds her own, and is a much better fit for the part.

She wasn't the singer Chenoweth is, but she's a much funnier comedienne. Listening to Kahn on the OBC album of On the Twentieth Century and Chenoweth on the revival is really astonishing. Chenoweth just isn't as funny--and part of it is because she's never fully committed to the part. She's al;ways winking she's in on the joke. Kahn always committed fully 100%--she just disappeared into her characters, but retained her genius timing.

[quote]She wasn't the singer Chenoweth is, but she's a much funnier comedienne. Listening to Kahn on the OBC album of On the Twentieth Century and Chenoweth on the revival is really astonishing. Chenoweth just isn't as funny--and part of it is because she's never fully committed to the part. She's al;ways winking she's in on the joke. Kahn always committed fully 100%--she just disappeared into her characters, but retained her genius timing.

That's a fantastic assessment, R80.

First Family was another one that should have been a classic given the talent involved but just completely misfired.

The less said about Mixed Nuts the better.

No one watched "Oh, Madeline!" when it was on ABC?

I think all the eps of Oh Madeline are on Youtube now.

“Daddy you better find me a bathroom right quick cuz this lil’ ole baby’s gotta go winky tink!”

Does anyone remember New York News with Madeline, MTM and Gregory Harrison?

I've never heard of that show R85.

There's an episode of "Oh, Madeline" where somehow she winds up in a West Side Story-like musical and she's supposed to dance in a funeral scene for a gang leader and she has absolutely no idea what she's supposed to be doing, Does anyone know what I'm talking about? At the time it was really funny, but that was something like 35 years ago (I was a preteen at the time).

I found a failed sitcom pilot she shot in 1986. Something called 'Chameleon.'

It's uneven, but it has its charms, r82. Liev Schreiber is rather endearing in it.

[quote] she almost sunk the production with her antics.

Oh, dear.

r27, Darling, if you don't point out what prompts the "Oh, dear," --- "sunk" instead of "sank" --- how do you think they'll ever learn? Oh, well, it's probably too late, anyway. Pity.

R83 Thank you....I copied them onto disc for viewing onto my big screen TV.

I don't recall much about the show other than it being on and off, but I believe there was one episode where she found something funny and instead of reacting like most people quipped "I laugh at that!"

Even with bad writing, she is the tops!

This favourite scene from "Betsy's Wedding" shows off Madeline's comedic genius - the nervous energy, the perfect timing, the human touch, and that unique line delivery!

R92 Anything had to be better than that hideous wedding dress they made Molly Ringworm wear.

R93 Nothing could be worse than the hideous prom dress Molly "made"

Not even this, r94?

Madeline & Carol

R96 I remember when Madeline Kahn did a "Eunice" skit where she played the director of the Pepper Pot Theater Company and came over to coach Eunice for a part she got in a play.

I just remember Madeline saying, "In our circles, in our circles, in our circles, in our circles..."

How did I never see Betsy's Wedding? Must remedy that soon.

It's the first sketch (I think) at r63, r97.

[quote] [R41] ugh I saw that with my parents right after she left production and guess which DL favorite — sitcom star slash would be scat/ singer — took her place?

Boppity bop!

R100 that makes me so mad I just.....I just wanna slap her!

She sure did some crappy movies, but she was always the funniest thing in them.

Mixed Nuts was a interesting movie but a mess, but she was great in it.

R99 Yes! That's it! I didn't see it up there. Thank you!

Madeline doing Weill not really...

Gemini

She should have won the Oscar for "Paper Moon", not that little cunty brat Tatum O'Neal. The Academy REALLY fucked up that time.

Although Tatum was stunning in that part.

R4 needs to hand in his gay card. She stole every scene she was in.

r107 She should've won for "What's Up, Doc?" too.

[quote]Although Tatum was stunning in that part.

Tatum's performance was stitched together from hundreds of takes.

Yes, Tatum O'Neals "stunning" performance had to be pulled out of her, bit by bit, piece by piece. She even had to be bribed to say her lines.

R112 Well, it all worked and she came off wonderfully. I think both she and Madeline were deserving of their nominations, but I personally would have preferred Madeline.

Kahn was a great talent but a true and total supporting character actress. She didn't have the charisma for the leading lady. She came off as odd, annoying and shrill in leading parts. Take nothing away from her because she was indeed wonderful, but a little of her went a long way.

One of the very best SNL musical moments...