Friday, May 11, 2007

Willy Wonka's French Whore

So, to Simpsons' of Piccadilly (now yet another Waterstones; they are the Starbucks of the book world … Bastards) for a book signing by Young Frankenstein himself, the very wonderful Gene Wilder.
He's also very blurry in this photo as the stupid bookshop people wouldn't let me take flash photos.
Hey ho.

His new book is a lovely little tale called "My French Whore". Unfortunately it is a nice, funny love story and not a steamy account of fornication with a cheese-eating surrender-monkey.
And that's not his French whore, but his publicist, as he was at pains to point out.

This is really just a post to make Robyn jealous because we are both such huge Gene Wilder fans and I got to meet him. Hee hee hee …

For a frail old guy just out of chemo with new baby hair growing on his head, he has still got the old sparkle in his eye and is an utterly charming and funny man.

So now I've got a triple bill of Gene Wilder DVDs for the weekend: The Producers, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Bugger the housework, I want to laugh.

11 comments:

Scout said...

You stink!

No really, you don't. You're lucky to have Herr Doctor's signature on your very own copy of his new book. Good for you, Dive.

dive said...

Hee hee hee!
I'm a stinker and a rotter and a cad and proud of it.

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

Great tale. In the first shaky photo, he looks like old Spike, don't you think?

Enjoy the book.

Maria said...

Ah. Gene Wilder. Gotta love him. And hey, this is unrelated, but his publicist looks almost EXACTLY like my best friend, Harriet. It literally gave me a start. She has the same damn suit and everything.

So, THAT'S where she has been lately...

I've never met Gene Wilder, but I did meet Gilda Radner once. He was with her, but not in the same room. It was at a cancer fundraiser a very long time ago. God, now you have a good idea of exactly how old I am.....

savannah said...

found via oldbitterballs or maybe it was dear prudence...great lineup of movies and darling pictures of a very funny man!

Anonymous said...

Call me impressed, you met willy wonka.

dive said...

Lynn: well spotted. He does indeed!

Wow, Maria! You met Gilda! She was so funny. I loved her.
And as for your age; Lynn, Rich and myself are all around there (well actually Lynn's twenty-seven) and it's a great age to be.

Welcome Savannah. Yes, the movies were great.

And Kate: you just had to get "willy" in there somewhere, didn't you?

Cheltenhamdailyphoto said...

he he thanks Dive i'm glad you remembered my true age.

Anonymous said...

Well I was innocently doing my shopping today and came across a kilo of salami that they decreed was "smallgoods."
Willy just comes to mind.

Anonymous said...

Wow Dive. I am jealous. He really does have a certain something about him. I am glad that his bout with cancer hasn't stolen his twinkle.

Parisian Cowboy said...

Man, I love that publicist.