Formative Performances: Madeline Kahn in “Blazing Saddles”

Madeline Kahn is a comic genius.

This is a fact. Do not argue with me on this.

Describing Madeline Kahn’s talent and skill is a little difficult. This is a woman who created an iconic character with a single line in Clue – “Flames! FLAMES! On the side of my face!” I don’t know quite how she did it.

I think what made Madeline Kahn so great was her subtlety. She does very little with her face and so much with her voice. She shows up with that face and has a quietly intense expression that sometimes seems blank – and then she opens her mouth and that voice comes out. That voice which somehow manages to be rich and high-pitched at the same time, except when it’s low. And she gives you a character that’s very strange, comically unbalanced, and memorable.

She does all this as Lili Von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles.

There are so many funny things about this performance, but my favorite moment might be the extra breath she takes when she sings, “I need some reeeeeeeeee [breath] eeeeeeeest.” Oh, Madeline. The world lost you too soon.