I remember watching Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein as a young person and loving the work of Gene Wilder. The man had a wonderful sense of comedic wit and I enjoyed watching almost everything he created. He passed away on Monday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. I also remember reading about the tragic death of his wife Gilda Radner, and as someone who watched Saturday Night Live as a kid I knew of their love story over the many years.

One of the most touching roles for me was his portrayal of Willy Wonka, and the song Pure Imagination is one of my all-time favorite musical tunes. I leave it here on my blog for as long as YouTube will let it exist as a memory of a great comedian and actor.