Every Gene Wilder Movie, Ranked
The late great Gene Wilder was one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood. The actor, comedian, filmmaker, and writer made millions worldwide smile with his performances and loved doing it.
Sadly he passed away in 2016 at the age of 83 from complications of Alzheimer's disease. He left behind a legacy that movie fans will never forget.
However, you may be surprised that he appeared in less than 25 films. Most of them were excellent, and we'll rank them all in this piece, ending with his finest.
23. Funny About Love (1990, directed by Leonard Nimoy)
Funny About Love is a rom-com about a New York City cartoonist who falls for, moves in with, and marries a gourmet chef. The movie chronicles the problems they experience in trying to have a baby.
It was Wilder's first film playing a romantic lead, and it's terrible. He played cartoonist Duffy Bergman opposite Christine Lahti's chef Meg, and they lacked chemistry. Funny About Love is unfunny, poorly written, and, quite frankly, insensitive and distasteful.
22. Another You (1991, directed by Maurice Phillips)
Another You is a comedy movie about a former mental patient and pathological liar who gets mistaken for a missing millionaire, resulting in a con man exploiting the situation.
It stars Wilder as George, the man mistaken for the wealthy man, and Richard Pryor as Eddie Dash, the con man. It was the fourth and final movie in which the pair appeared together, the last in which they both played leading roles and Wilder's final appearance in a feature film. Sadly, it's not very good. Hints of the classic chemistry between the pair are there, but Another You is messy and incoherent, with poor dialogue and few laughs.
21. The World's Greatest Lover (1977, directed by Gene Wilder)
The World's Greatest Lover is a comedy movie about a neurotic baker who heads to Hollywood to attend an audition to find an actor to rival the “Latin Lover” Rudolph Valentino. To a degree, he succeeds.
Wilder directed, wrote, produced, and starred in this one, and it wasn't his finest hour. He plays the baker-turned-actor Rudy Hickman, AKA Rudy Valentine, and he's a bit off the rails and out of form. The World's Greatest Lover isn't funny or intelligent. It's just loud and disorderly, bordering on hysterical. Some people will find entertainment in that, but most won't.
20. Haunted Honeymoon (1986, directed by Gene Wilder)
Haunted Honeymoon is a comedy horror movie about two radio murder mystery actors who decide to get married, one of whom gets overcome by his on-air panic attacks. For 36 hours, a shrink attempts to scare the bejesus out of him to cure him during a family reunion at an eerie castle.
In addition to directing and starring in it, Wilder co-wrote this one. He plays Larry Abbot, the panic-stricken radio actor, and his real-life lover Gilda Radner plays Vickie Pearle, his co-star and wife. Haunted Honeymoon isn't great; its jokes are a little tame and repetitive, and its scares are sparse, but it's an easy, harmless watch.
19. See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989, directed by Arthur Hiller)
See No Evil, Hear No Evil is a comedy movie about one blind man and one deaf man who, after witnessing a murder together, use their collective senses to thwart those responsible.
Richard Pryor plays Wallace “Wally” Karew, the blind man, and Wilder plays David “Dave” Lyons, the deaf man. It's the third movie in which the pair starred together. Both men are great in this and display their chemistry well, and Joan Severance and Kevin Spacey provide superb support. See No Evil, Hear No Evil‘s writing is poor, but it's performed to the point that it's watchable, and if you take it for what it is – a silly hoot – you'll enjoy it.
18. The Woman in Red (1984, directed by Gene Wilder)
The Woman in Red is a rom-com based on the 1976 French comedy movie Pardon Mon Affaire. It's about a married man who develops an infatuation with another woman and his humorously unsuccessful attempts to meet and get close to her.
Wilder plays Theodore “Teddy” Pierce, the advertising worker who becomes infatuated with the eponymous Charlotte, played by Kelly LeBrock. In this movie, which he also wrote and directed, watching Wilder's Teddy think of new ways to get to Charlotte is funny. However, The Woman in Red has poorly developed characters, and beyond Teddy's extramarital efforts, it's incredibly tepid.
17. Hanky Panky (1982, directed by Sidney Poitier)
Hanky Panky is a comedy thriller about an innocent architect inadvertently tied up in a web of government secrets when a woman carrying a mysterious package joins him in a taxi. After her subsequent murder, he is considered the prime suspect and goes on the run.
Wilder plays Michael Jordon, the architect, and Gilda Radner plays Kate Hellman, who assists him while on a personal revenge mission. Wilder and Radner got together during filming, and their chemistry is evident. That said, Hanky Panky isn't great. It does have some funny moments and plenty of fast-paced action, but it's forgettable and sometimes tasteless.
16. Sunday Lovers (1980, directed by Bryan Forbes, Édouard Molinaro, Gene Wilder, and Dino Risi)
Sunday Lovers is an internationally co-produced rom-com anthology movie split into four segments, each from a different country (the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and Italy).
Wilder plays the part of Skippy in the segment of the same name. It's the United States segment and is the poorest and dullest of the four, but he does okay. Roger Moore's English segment, “An Englishman's Home,” in which he plays the insatiable Harry Lindon, is excellent. The French part is called “The French Method,” and the Italian one “Armando's Notebook,” both adequate. There are some funny scenes in this anthology, but there's a reason you've probably never heard of it, and that's because it's forgettable.
15. Rhinoceros (1974, directed by Tom O'Horgan)
Rhinoceros is a comedy movie based on Eugène Ionesco's 1959 play Rhinocéros. It follows a mild-mannered young office clerk who finds that everyone in his large town is changing into a rhinoceros and believes he'll end up as the only human left.
It's a crazy concept for a film, but it's an absolute riot. Wilder plays Stanley, the office clerk, and he has excellent support from Zero Mostel, who plays his best friend, John, and Karen Black, who plays his girlfriend, Daisy. Rhinoceros is loud and madcap, but it will make you laugh heartily (and wonder what on Earth you just watched).
14. The Frisco Kid (1979, directed by Robert Aldrich)
The Frisco Kid is a Western comedy movie about a Polish rabbi traveling to San Francisco to lead a synagogue. Along the way, he is nearly burned at the stake by Native Americans, almost killed by outlaws, and befriends a bank robber.
Wilder plays Avram Belinski, the rabbi, and Harrison Ford plays Tommy Lillard, the bank robber, and they make a fun team. The Frisco Kid is a largely benign comedy with gentle humor. It's very watchable thanks to its likable, terrific leads, technically excellent, and boasts plenty of action.
13. Expo: Magic of the White City (2005, directed by Mark Bussler)
Expo: Magic of the White City is a direct-to-video historical documentary movie chronicling Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, which celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492.
Wilder narrates this one in his final screen credit, and he does a magnificent job of it. Expo: Magic of the White City brilliantly captures a significant moment in time and the sheer scale of the event, which will surprise many people. It's an informative and insightful documentary film that's undoubtedly worth watching, regardless of your current awareness of Chicago's World's Columbian Exposition.
12. The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975, directed by Gene Wilder)
The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a musical comedy movie that follows Sherlock's younger sibling's attempts to steal his older brother's thunder by solving a major case with the help of a Scotland Yard detective and an actor.
Sigerson Holmes, Sherlock's younger brother, is played by Wilder with bags of madcap charm. Marty Feldman plays Orville, the detective, and Madeline Kahn plays Jenny Hill, the actress. Both provide superb support in the film. The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother is a slapstick gem that's well-written and fun. It's the best movie that Wilder wrote and directed.
11. Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970, directed by Waris Hussein)
Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx is a comedy movie about the eponymous Irish horse dung collector who falls headlong for an American exchange student when she almost runs him over in her car, then heads to the United States to pursue her.
Wilder plays Aloysius “Quackser” Fortune, the manure guy, and Margot Kidder plays Zazel Pierce, the American student, and they have great chemistry, making an odd but likable pair. Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx is a bizarre, impactful, nostalgic, sweet, and gently funny film.
10. The Little Prince (1974, directed by Stanley Donen)
The Little Prince is a sci-fi fantasy-musical movie based on Count Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 1943 novella and one of several live-action adaptations of the book. The plot concerns a pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert, meeting a little boy who is a prince from outer space, and the stories the boy tells of his journeys through the cosmos.
Steven Warner plays the eponymous prince, Richard Kiley plays the pilot, and Wilder plays a fox who offers the former sound life advice. His character is an actual fox but appears in human form, with Wilder mimicking the actions of such an animal soundly and amusingly. The Little Prince is a beautiful, tender, dramatic film with lovely well-performed songs.
9. Stir Crazy (1980, directed by Sidney Poitier)
Stir Crazy is a prison buddy comedy movie about two friends, a struggling actor, and a struggling playwright, getting framed for a bank robbery and given 125-year prison sentences. There, they make new friends, and hijinks ensue.
It was the second film in which Richard Pryor and Wilder starred together, and it's also the second-best of them. Pryor plays Harold “Harry” Monroe, the actor, and Wilder plays Skipper “Skip” Donahue, the playwright. They're brilliant together, and it's clear they have lots of fun. Georg Stanford Brown, JoBeth Williams, and Craig T. Nelson also appear. Stir Crazy is a little chaotic after a strong opening, but it's funny in parts, lively and cheerful, and boasts energetic and high-spirited performances.
8. Silver Streak (1976, directed by Arthur Hiller)
Silver Streak is a buddy comedy thriller on a long-distance train trip, where a book editor finds romance but also finds himself in danger of being killed or pushed off the train and gets help from a car thief.
It's the first and best movie where Wilder and Richard Pryor worked as a pair, and they're both excellent. Wilder plays George Caldwell, the book editor, and Pryor plays Grover T. Muldoon, the car thief. Jill Clayburgh ably supports the duo as Hildegarde “Hilly” Burns, George's love interest, and Patrick McGoohan and Ned Beatty also play prominent parts. Silver Streak is a fantastic, funny, suspenseful, and sometimes sexy film with intrigue and mystery galore.
7. Start the Revolution Without Me (1970, directed by Bud Yorkin)
Start the Revolution Without Me is a period comedy movie and a parody of several works of historical fiction. It's set in revolutionary France and concerns a pair of peasants getting mistaken for the famous Corsican Brothers after two sets of identical twins get switched and mixed up at birth.
Wilder plays one pair of identical twins, Phillipe and Claude, and Donald Sutherland plays the other, Pierre and Charles. They both do remarkable jobs. Start the Revolution Without Me is a hilariously zany parody film with fabulous costumes, tons of wit, and full-blooded performances, and it is wholly engaging.
6. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) (1972, directed by Woody Allen)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) is a sex comedy anthology movie with seven vignettes loosely inspired by David Reuben's 1969 book.
Wilder appears in the second segment “What Is Sodomy?” as a character called Dr. Ross, who falls in love with a sheep. While it sounds ridiculous, he's brilliant in the role, and the segment is excellent, as are the others, including “What Happens During Ejaculation?”, which features white-uniformed sperm getting dispatched paratrooper-style. Other actors involved include John Carradine, Lynn Redgrave, and Burt Reynolds. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex* (*But Were Afraid to Ask) is creative, audacious, funny, and absurd in a good way.
5. Bonnie and Clyde (1967, directed by Arthur Penn)
Bonnie and Clyde is a biographical neo-noir crime movie about the eponymous waitress and her ex-con lover who embark on a violent crime spree throughout the United States, which involves stealing cars and robbing banks.
Faye Dunaway plays Bonnie Parker, and Warren Beatty plays Clyde Barrow. It was Wilder's first feature film appearance, and he plays Buck Barrow, Clyde's older brother. The whole cast is terrific in this one. Bonnie and Clyde received nominations for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Dunaway, and Best Actor for Beatty. It won two, for Best Supporting Actress for Estelle Parsons and Best Cinematography. It's a funny, beautiful, violent, and heartbreaking film everyone should watch.
4. Blazing Saddles (1974, directed by Mel Brooks)
Blazing Saddles is a satirical Western black comedy movie about a corrupt politician who attempts to ruin an Old West town by appointing a black Sheriff. Still, his plans backfire when the Sheriff quickly becomes his most formidable adversary.
It's one of the funniest films ever made and has a fantastic cast. Cleavon Little plays Sheriff Bart, Wilder plays the alcoholic gunslinger Jim the Waco Kid, and Slim Pickens, Harvey Korman, Madeline Kahn, and Mel Brooks (in several roles) appear prominently. Everyone performs fabulously, with Wilder at his hilarious best. The movie received three Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Kahn, but won none. Blazing Saddles is rib-ticklingly amusing, manic, irreverent, wonderfully obscene, and features a fabulous eponymous song.
3. The Producers (1967, directed by Mel Brooks)
The Producers is a satirical black comedy movie about a theater producer and his accountant who opt to produce the worst stage musical they can think of as part of a scam. When they come across a script celebrating Adolf Hitler and the Nazis, they choose to use it. It became a musical in 2001, which, in turn, became a 2005 film.
It's a fantastic movie with a stellar cast that includes Zero Mostel as corrupt Broadway producer Max Bialystock, Wilder as nervous accountant Leopold “Leo” Bloom, and Dick Shawn as flower power hippie Lorenzo Saint DuBois, AKA L.S.D. The film received two Academy Award nominations, including Wilder's nomination for Best Supporting Actor, and won the gong for Best Story and Screenplay. The Producers is extremely funny, intelligent, and addictively raucous, and Mostel and Wilder's joint scenes are some of the finest you'll ever watch.
2. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971, directed by Mel Stuart)
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is a musical fantasy movie and an adaptation of Roald Dahl's 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It's about a young boy from a low-income family who, after finding a Golden Ticket in a chocolate bar, gets the rare opportunity to visit Willy Wonka's enigmatic chocolate factory with four other children of varying backgrounds and nationalities.
Wilder stars as the eponymous and eccentric Willy Wonka in his most iconic and recognizable role, which has created some of the 21st century's most viral memes. He's outstanding and bursting with energy throughout. Peter Ostrum is also superb as Charlie Bucket, the young boy. Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory is lively, visually intriguing, and thoroughly entertaining, with memorable songs, and offers a worthwhile message about greed and temptation. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.
1. Young Frankenstein (1974, directed by Mel Brooks)
Young Frankenstein is a black-and-white comedy horror movie that parodies the classic horror film genre and focuses on the life of a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein.
The eponymous character, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, is played by Wilder, who also co-wrote the film with Brooks. It's a performance on par with, if not better than, his performance as Willy Wonka. He's exceptional and plays Frederick with so much energy. Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, and Cloris Leachman are among the excellent supporting cast. Young Frankenstein is side-splittingly funny, witty, a visual treat, and an absolute riot. It received nominations for the Academy Awards for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Sound but didn't win any, which is a crying shame.