Where was Gene Wilder???

I very much doubt it was a race issue as there were many caucasian people from Pryor's life who were interviewed. My guess is that Wilder didn't know Pryor other than professionally and didn't have much to say about Pryor other than he was drunk and stoned on set sometimes.

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They would need his permission to show footage of him. That's a basic legal thing. I didn't say anything about "forcing". I don't remember if they showed footage of him but if they didn't it could be because they didn't have his permission.

George Carlin: It's all bullsh-t and it's bad for ya.

Given the sheer number of people who didn't appear in the film for carious reasons, Gene Wilder was the least glaring omission, really. The clips including Wilder from Blazing Saddles (okay, Pryor as writer rather than star, with the actual presence of Mel Brooks to explain why that happened) and Silver Streak that were included weren't sufficient?

"Team" as they may have been, Pryor certainly gave Wilder plenty of cause for wanting to stay away:

Wilder has lamented Pryor’s diva-like antics on film sets and has written about their distant relationship.

“We were never good friends, contrary to popular belief. We turned it on for the camera, then turned it off. He was a pretty unpleasant person to be around during the time we worked together. He was going through his drug problems then and didn’t want a friendship outside of what we did on the screen,” Wilder once said.

And many close to Pryor, like his writing partner Paul Mooney, have suggested the late comedian never cared for his co-star. Pryor occasionally mocked Wilder in his stand-up and in an infamous (and some have suggested drug-fueled) on-set 1980 interview (http://flavorwire.com/369513/richard-pryors-most-fascinating-movie-is- a-13-minute-youtube-video), which has become a viral video sensation, he implied Wilder was gay.

I dunno if they recut the documentary after you watched it or something but the version of the doc that I just watched mentions Wilder and the movies he did with Pryor while showing clips from said movies as a person being interviewed suggests that said movies were likely blueprints for all the interracial buddy pictures that came out after.

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by EnglishSummer » 3 days ago (Wed Feb 11 2015 12:00:34)

I had to watch the tape again and transcribed Gene's speech to Richard below. This aired in 1991 on CBS. The speech is 3 minutes long and you can see him referencing the TelePrompter a few times during the speech.

The video postcard fades in after Keenan Ivory Wayans' speech to Richard about what Richard meant to him and how he wants to finally meet him for the first time and say thank you.

Gene Wilder seen typing away at a typewriter surrounded by a desk full of balled up papers. Looks up.

Hi! Hi Richard! Remember me?! From the movies?! I'm sorry I can't be with you tonight but I think you'll be happy with the reason why. I'm hole'd up here tying to put the finishing touches on that film I'm writing for us. The one we've talked about so much. The Story of the Flying Walendas - A tale of life, death, and comedy on the flying trapeze! We're trying to get Dolly Parton and Roseanne Arnold to star with us so... Keep your fingers crossed.

You know, it occurred to me yesterday, that even though we've made 4 movies together over 15 years and most people think we know each other very well, we really don't. Do we Richard? It seems strange to say. And when I ask myself what do I know about you, the answer always comes back I know the me that's inside you. Or rather, I know the you that's inside me. Someone who's both shy and aggressive. Someone who is always sad AND siblimely happy.

If someone were to ask me, why I love you, the answer is something you might not expect.

- Do you remember one day, during our lunch break during See No Evil Hear No Evil, I took you to the Museum of Modern Art to see the painting by Van Gogh called Starry Night? Do you remember Richard? And a PR women sat with us on the ride over and you were very cool towards her. When we got out of the car you said Was I rude to that lady? And I said, Yeah. A little. Why was that?. And you said, I was jealous of her. I didn't want her intruding on our time together.

That's one reason why I love you. That you could say something like that right out loud.

- And then we stood in front of Starry Night. And I was nervous waiting for your reaction. And after about 5 or 6 seconds you said, Good. (Audience laughs). That's nice. And then all of a sudden, you wandered over to another painting by someone I never even heard of. And you called out to me, Gene! Oh Gene! Look at this! Did you ever see anything like this in your life?! And now that other painter is one of my favorites.

- Last but not least, I love you because you're silly. And you don't apologize for it.

You know, the great danger of an evening like this is that there can be a terrible letdown the next day after a night of such elation. But I don't think that will happen to you. Most actors hear the applause and think it's because everyone loves them. But it's really their performance they love.

But in your case, it's not only your performances we love. We do actually, love you. Even if we don't know you very well.

Audience claps, fade back to Eddie Murphy introducing Stevie Wonder.

As for Richard's reaction, after watching it again they just have a clip of Richard clapping and smiling in the crowd after the speech is over. There are no reaction shots of Richard during the speech unfortunately.

The filmmakers could have interviewed Wilder and none of his soundbites may have fit into the narrative. Or maybe he didn't want to go down memory lane. He's been a bit of a recluse this century.