He made hysteria hysterical.
Wilder, born Jerome Silberman, got his first taste of success on stage in the early 60s.
He appeared in the original 1963 Broadway production ofOne Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest, starring Kirk Douglas.
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Any actor would have looked subtle standing next to a look-at-me ham like Mostel.
But Wilder gave his nebbish accountant character Leo Bloom a hilariously high-strung humanity.
After repeatedly yelling, Im hysterical!
Mostels Max Bialystock douses Wilder with water.
To which he replies, only slightly calmer, Im wet!
Im hysterical and Im wet!
Im in pain, and Im wet, and Im still hysterical!
He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination.
Some work, some dont.
Wilders reaction to the mans kinky confession is beyond deadpan.
It takes a special kind of actor to sell a premise thatout thereand somehow make it unexpectedly moving.
Both, in their own ways, are conceptually perfect films.
Both films are deservedly in the AFIs Top 100 Comedies of All Time.
Over the next decade and a half, they would team up in four films of varying quality.
The first two 1976sSilver Streakand 1980sStir Crazy are the ones worth checking out.
Its as if each wrote the instruction manual on how to wind the other one up.
Ill be starting withYoung Frankensteinas soon as I walk in the door tonight.
