I’ve been thinking a lot about Gilda Radner lately. Probably because, even though I don’t keep track of the actual date anymore, I know that this is around the time of year when she passed away after struggling against ovarian cancer.

[Loba Tangent: For the record, she died May 20, 1989, less than one month after her comedic inspiration, Lucille Ball, died. I don’t know why these weird little things stick in my brain.]

It was around 1988 that Nick at Nite began airing early episodes of Saturday Night Live, and I knew I had to watch for Gilda. I’d already fallen in love with her thanks to the movie of merit in today’s flashback, and I couldn’t wait to see more. Her kooky cavalcade of regular characters, like mushroom-haired Roseanne Roseannadanna, hard-of-hearing Emily Litella, punk rocker Candy Slice, Baba Wawa (I’m sure you can take a wild guess which television journalist this character skewered), nerd icon Lisa Loopner, and Judy Miller, the hyperactive Brownie with the overactive imagination, were always among my absolute favorites from the show. Her random vignettes, like “What’s in Gilda’s purse,” were odd and oddly revealing of the fragility of character that so many entertainers hide behind their creativity. Her Lucille Ball impersonation was impeccable. Her improvisational skills were beautiful. In fact, one of my all-time favorite moments from these early SNL shows comes from a line flub from show host Candice Bergen that Gilda ran with, to hilarious effect (not to mention leaving Bergen in tears from laughing so hard in the background, while Gilda simply pressed onward, never once missing a beat).

Don’t believe me? Watch.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Q6o3qTykxKU

Wait, what was that? The Right to Extreme Stupidity League? I think I saw them downtown. They’re called Congress now.

I digress. Hugely.

Needless to say, these reruns made me an even bigger Gilda fan. What started my admiration, however, was this silly little movie that she made in 1986, with her husband Gene Wilder. Haunted Honeymoon, written and directed by Wilder (with writing assistance from Terence Marsh), was this bizarre amalgamation of comedy, horror, musical, and murder mystery filtered through a noir lens by way of the radio serial format that was so popular during the 1940s-era setting of this film’s events.

Sounds crazy, right? Throw in werewolves and Dom DeLuise in drag, plus that strangely esoteric humor that Wilder infused into all his movies and…well, I’m not really sure what you’ve got. Neither were most people. Critics panned Haunted Honeymoon and audiences didn’t really bother showing up while the film was in theaters. For a week.

Yes, you read that correctly.

It’s a shame, really. I think this is quite an underrated and absurd little film, full of all manner of bizarreness that appeals to my peculiar sense of humor. Admittedly, you cannot watch this movie without disconnecting whatever need for logic and plausibility that you might possess, but sometimes it’s nice to turn these parts of your brain off and allow a bit of nonsensical silliness to wash over you.

Don’t believe me? Watch.

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/SXXjGjhjTus

I’m telling you, denizens, this one is utterly crazy in that supremely Wilderian style…and Gilda was up to the task of keeping up every step of the way. Plus, the over-the-top setting, both of the house and the dinner party motif, as well as the strange cast of questionable characters with their questionable motives has always reminded me of another one of my favorite childhood movies, Clue.

I used to catch this movie on television all the time, either in its terribly edited format or late at night on one of the cable movie channels, but I haven’t seen it in years. I suppose since it isn’t as popular as some of Wilder’s other films like Young Frankenstein or his go as Willy Wonka, most channels don’t think to play it. Besides, how many people really want to see Dom DeLuise in a dress?

You know, besides me.

I’m not going to tell any of you that this is a “must see” film. As much as I love it for my own personal reasons, I could recommend other, better movies from Wilder’s career. I’d also recommend early SNL seasons or her one-woman Broadway show Gilda Live! for a better idea of Radner’s comedic genius. However, I have to admit that on the rare occasions that I have found this little, oft-ignored gem playing on cable, I always stop. I kind of have to. Netflix doesn’t offer it, either on DVD or streaming instantly, and I failed to buy the DVD before MGM stopped making it. Now, I have to wait patiently to find a used copy either on Amazon Marketplace or eBay that isn’t ridiculously priced. That’s okay, though. I can be very patient.

Until next time, this is your host wishing you…pleasant dreams…