Line #53 Creator/MadelineKahn


1	[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madeline_kahn.jpg]]
2
3	->''"Let's face it! Everything below the waist... is ''kaput''!"''
4	-->-- as '''Lili Von Shtupp''' in ''Film/BlazingSaddles''
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6	Madeline Gail Kahn (September 29, 1942 – December 3, 1999) was an actress and comedienne who is best known for being a proud member of Creator/MelBrooks's ProductionPosse. She was nominated for several [[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]] and Tony awards, but only won one of the latter (for ''The Sisters Rosensweig''). She also did voice work and collaborated repeatedly with Creator/GeneWilder, Creator/ClorisLeachman, and Franchise/TheMuppets, among others. She was also a talented singer who appeared in several stage musicals and operas.
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8	She once stated that her favorite actors to work with were Wilder and Creator/SteveMartin.
9
10	She passed away at age 57 from ovarian cancer.
11	----
12	!!Has appeared in:
13
14	* ''Film/TheDove'' (1968)
15	* ''Film/WhatsUpDoc'' (1972)
16	* ''Film/PaperMoon'' (1973)
17	* ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' (1974)
18	* ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' (1974)
19	* ''Film/AtLongLastLove'' (1975)
20	* ''Film/TheAdventureOfSherlockHolmesSmarterBrother'' (1975)
21	* ''Film/HighAnxiety'' (1977)
22	* ''Film/TheCheapDetective'' (1978)
23	* ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' (1979)
24	* ''Film/WhollyMoses'' (1980)
25	* ''Happy Birthday, Gemini'' (1980)
26	* ''Film/HistoryOfTheWorldPartI'' (1981)
27	* ''Slapstick of Another Kind'' (1982)
28	* ''Film/{{Yellowbeard}}'' (1983)
29	* ''Oh Madeline'' (TV, 1983–1984), her own sitcom
30	* ''Film/CityHeat'' (1984)
31	* ''Film/{{Clue}}'' (1985)
32	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyTheMovie1986''
33	* ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' (1986)
34	* ''Betsy's Wedding'' (1990)
35	* ''Film/MixedNuts'' (1994)
36	* ''Film/{{Nixon}}'' (1995)
37	* ''London Suite'' (TV, 1996)
38	* ''Cosby'' (TV, 1996–1999)
39	* ''WesternAnimation/ABugsLife'' (1998)
40	* ''Judy Berlin'' (1999)
41	----
42	!!Tropes associated with her, or that have been seen in her work:
43	* ButtMonkey: When she's not playing a FemmeFatale, she's more than likely playing one of these.
44	* TheCastShowoff: Find a movie she's been in after ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' that people actually know about, where she ''doesn't'' find an excuse to sing.
45	* {{Determinator}}: She worked on ''Cosby'', the spinoff of ''Series/TheCosbyShow'', while undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.
46	* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: Her characters in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'', ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' and ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail''.
47	* FemmeFatale: HELL yeah.
48	* TheIngenue: She once played [[Literature/{{Candide}} Cunegonde]]. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yifsLY6j6tQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player Listen for yourself.]]
49	* TheImmodestOrgasm: Two famous ones: one in ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' (where she breaks into song) and one in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' ("It's twue, it's twue!")
50	* LargeHam: She very rarely played a straight female lead.
51	* MsFanservice: Was a gorgeous, redheaded bombshell and her films tended to highlight this.
52	* NotWhatItLooksLike: Creator/MelBrooks made her uncomfortable at her audition for ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' [[DirtyOldMan when he asked her to lift up her skirt]]. He actually just wanted to make sure she had [[Creator/MarleneDietrich the right legs for the part]].
53	* PlayingAgainstType: She's partially famous for playing loud and confident characters, but Creator/MelBrooks has stated that she [[FunnyCharacterBoringActor was actually pretty shy in real life.]]
54	* PrettyInMink: When playing a {{Socialite}}, she more often than not wore a fur.
55	* ProductionPosse: She was part of Creator/MelBrooks's posse.
56	* PromotedFanboy: She got to work with her own idol, Creator/LucilleBall, when she was originally cast as Agnes Gooch in the film version of ''Mame''. But something got her fired, or else she quit (no one seems to agree why she left production, and some say Lucy disparaged her performance), which basically subverts this.
57	* SanitySlippageSong: She's covered [[Theatre/{{CompanySondheim}} Getting Married Today.]]
58	* ThrowItIn: As well as her "[[Film/{{Clue}} Flames on the side of my face]]" monologue, [[Theatre/NaughtyMarietta "Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life"]] was her choice of song when her character in ''Film/YoungFrankenstein'' is raped. (Creator/MelBrooks originally wanted her to sing something different, and she didn't warn him about the aforementioned song.)
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Context Creator / MadelineKahn