Madeline Kahn Biography

Hofstra graduate Madeline Kahn was trained for an operatic career, but found her most gainful employment in musical comedy and revue work. While reducing audiences to tears of laughter as a member of New York's Upstairs at the Downstairs satirical troupe, Kahn made her first appearance in the short-subject Bergman lampoon The Dove (1968). She was "officially" discovered for films by director Peter Bogdanovich, who cast her as Ryan O'Neal's frowsy fiancee in What's Up Doc (1972). Kahn was nominated for Academy Awards for her portrayals of Southern doxy Trixie Delight in Bogdanovich's Paper Moon (1973) and Dietrich-like chanteuse Lilly Von Schtupp ("Oh, it's twue, it's twue, it's twue!") in Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles (1974). Kahn went on to co-star in Brooks' Young Frankenstein (1974) and High Anxiety (1975), and made a return trip to the Bogdanovich fold in the disastrous At Long Last Love (1976) Her manic comedy style could be appealing, but, to paraphrase the late film encyclopedist Leslie Haliwell, it became a quickly overplayed hand. On Broadway, Kahn co-starred with Danny Kaye in Two by Two and was starred in the musical version of Twentieth Century, a grueling experience that all but destroyed her singing voice. She won a Tony award for her non-musical performance in Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosenzweig in 1992. Kahn's TV projects include the 1983 sitcom Oh, Madeline (based on the British series Pig in the Middle), a single season as George C. Scott's virago sister-in-law in Mister President (1987) and Cosby, the most recent project of comedian Bill Cosby, a sitcom that premiered in 1996. In 1995, Madeline Kahn was superbly cast as Martha Mitchell in Oliver Stone's Nixon and as a vituperative gossip columnist on the TV series New York News. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

• 1. Mrs. White: Yes, I did it. I killed Yvette. I hated her so much, it...it...it... flames... flames, on the sides of my face, breathing...breathless...heaping breaths... heaping.[Wadsworth interrupts]
  From Clue. Submitted by Shane W (12 days ago)

• 1. Addie Loggins: I want my two hundred dollars.
  2. Cafe Waitress: What do you say, Daddy? Why don't we give Precious a little dessert if she eats her dog?
  3. Trixie Delight: Hurry up, Doctor. This baby gots to go winky tinky!
  4. Moses Pray: Well, she ain't my grown-up and I ain't plannin' no more to sit in the back. Not for no cow!
  5. Leroy: Will you keep your voice down? And Miss Delight ain't no cow. She's a proper woman. She has a high school diploma. And right now she's got to go to the bathroom, so you get on down to the car!
  6. Trixie Delight: I just don't understand it, Daddy, but this little baby has got to go winky tinky all the time.
  7. Addie Loggins: said to Moses: No, I don't know what it is, but if you got 'em, it's a sure bet they belong to somebody else!
  From Paper Moon. Submitted by rick b (48 days ago)

• 1. Lili Von Shtupp: Hello handsome, is that a ten gallon hat or are you just enjoying the show.
  From Blazing Saddles. Submitted by Daniel R (2 months ago)

• 1. Col. Mustard: How many husbands have you had?
  2. Mrs. White: Mine or other women's?
  3. Col. Mustard: Yours.
  4. Mrs. White: Five.
  5. Col. Mustard: Five?
  6. Mrs. White: Yes, just the five. Husbands should be like Kleenex: soft, strong and disposable.
  7. Col. Mustard: You lure men to their deaths like a spider with flies.
  8. Mrs. White: Flies are where men are most vulnerable.
  9. Col. Mustard: Right!
  From Clue. Submitted by David E (3 months ago)

• 1. Wadsworth: Your first husband also disappeared.
  2. Mrs. White: But that was his job. He was an illusionist.
  3. Wadsworth: But he never reappeared!
  4. Mrs. White: He wasn't a very good illusionist.
  From Clue. Submitted by David E (3 months ago)

• 1. Mrs. White: Well, it's a matter of life after death. Now that he's dead, I have a life.
  From Clue. Submitted by David E (3 months ago)

• 1. Lili Von Shtupp: Hewe I stand, the goddess of desire. Set men on fire. I have this powah. Morning, noon, and night is dwink and dancing Some quick womancing And then a showah. Stage-door Johnnies constantly suwwound me. They alvays hound me Vith vone wequest. Who can satisfy their lustful habit? I'm not a wabbit! I need some weeeeeeeeeeee -- eeeeeeeeeeeeest. I'm tired, sick and tired of love. I've had my fill of love From below and above. Tired, tired of being admired Tired of love uninspired Let's face it, I'm tired. I've been vith thousands of men Again and again They pwomise the moon They're alvays coming and going and going and coming And alvays too soon. Wight, girls? I'm tired, tired of playing the game. Ain't it a cwying shame? I'm so tired. Goddammit, I'm exhausted.
  From Blazing Saddles. Submitted by Jordan P (4 months ago)

• 1. Eunice Burns: Don't you know the meaning of propriety?
  2. Judy Maxwell: Propriety? Noun. Conformity to established standards of behavior or manners, suitability, rightness or justice. See etiquette.
  From What's Up, Doc?. Submitted by Mauricio R (10 months ago)

• 1. Eunice Burns: They tried to molest me.
  2. Judge Maxwell: That's... unbelievable.
  From What's Up, Doc?. Submitted by Mauricio R (10 months ago)