finally saying farewell to a hopeful romantic

It's been almost three weeks since his death in late August.
Sure, I was a bit preoccupied at the time... but I really didn't know where to start for a discussion of him and what he meant to me.
But now I do.
Gene Wilder was a hopeful romantic, much like the Roman emperor, Antoninus Pius. That man of the 2nd century AD built a temple in the Forum to deify his beloved wife, Faustina the Elder, after her death. He wanted to ensure she would live on in people's memory.
And so she did. Not only for the twenty years left of his life, but even now. Her name is inextricably linked to his throughout eternity, keeping them forever together.
Gene did much the same thing when his beloved third wife, Gilda Radner, died. No, he didn't build a temple, but he did the next best thing. He built the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center within two years of her death. That was to help other women find an early diagnosis to their disease, so other men did not suffer the same loss he had.
How very noble, right?
But that speaks to the goodness, and the depth, of the heart of this man.
The folks at the worldwide Gilda's Clubs, including the one in Quebec, Canada, Gilda's Clubs would concur, I know.
Why did I mention that Canadian one in particular?
Well, they held a film festival to honor Gene Wilder. But they had also wanted to honor the love story between him and Gilda. So the very first film they screened was "Hanky Panky", the 1982 one that led to their "love at first glance", as Gilda said.
I hope to see that one some day.
I would also like to see "Haunted Honeymoon", written by Gene and starring Gilda, as the romantic couple. Made in 1986, I'm sure it wouldn't have anything too scary in it.
(smile)
So, how is it that I am finally writing about Gene Wilder?
You can thank Jim Reed, and his Psychotronic Film Society, for that.
In a special Sunday screening at the Sentient Bean, he graced us with "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother". This was a pre-Gilda film, as it came out in 1975. No worries, though. This musical romp, written by, directed by, and starring the man of the hour (not just 15 minutes), showcased his very nature.
Delightful... and a little sad, too, that Alzheimer's was the villain that stole him from this world.
Thank you, Jim, for sharing this gem with us. How wonderful to have been reminded of the talented and bug-eyed Marty Feldman, the over-the-top Dom DeLuise, and the original "Sheer-Luck Holmes", Douglas Wilmer and Dr. Watson, Thorley Walters. Most of all, I so enjoyed seeing the incredible Madeline Kahn, singing and dancing with Gene to "The Kangaroo Hop". (She was taken by ovarian cancer in 1999.)
Thanks, Jim, for screening this one.
And i thank You, God, for putting me in the right place, at the right time.