By The Greater Astoria Historical Society
Madeline Gail Wolfson, better known by her stage name as Madeline Kahn, was born in Boston but raised in Queens.
She was a 1960 graduate of Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village. Khan went on to Hofstra University on a drama scholarship and earned a degree in speech therapy. She starred in campus productions and trained as an opera singer.
The movies “Paper Moon” (1973) with Ryan O’Neal and Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” (1974) made her a household name. Her portrayal of Lili Von Shtupp, a cabaret singer based on Marlene Dietrich’s performance in “Destry Rides Again” (1939), won her a place on Premiere Magazine’s 100 Greatest Performances of All Time list in 2006 at No. 74. Khan was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in both movies.
She followed this success as Frankenstein’s love interest in “Young Frankenstein” (1974) and again starred in two Mel Brooks movies, “High Anxiety” (1977) and “History of the World: Part I” (1981).
“She was, contrary to her screen image, quite shy and reserved in real life. Madeline was one of the most talented people that ever lived,” Brooks once said. “I mean, either in stand−up comedy, or acting or whatever you want, you can’t beat Madeline Kahn.”
She won a Bet Actress Tony Award in 1993 for her role in Wendy Wasserstein’s “The Sisters Rosensweig.” In 1998, Madeline lent her voice to the character Gypsy in the popular animated film “A Bug’s Life.”
Tragically, while a cast member of the TV show “Cosby” in the late 1990s, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. On Dec. 3, 1999, two months after she married her longtime companion and a year after her diagnosis, Khan died in New York. She was 57.
Notable quote: “It’s acceptable for men to act the fool. When women try, they’re considered aggressive and opinionated.”
During December 1912, residents began a protest to stop the elevated train running through Long Island City. The Chamber of Commerce announced plans for linking Flushing and Jamaica bays with a canal. A large freight terminal was planned for Nott Avenue in Hunters Point. The federal government was looking at deepening the East River for $32 million — more than 10 percent of the government’s budget that year.
The Degnon Contracting Co., dredging Dutch Kills and draining the nearby marshes, started grading streets in its 125−acre site in preparation for factories and warehouses. Under contract with the city, it also started filling in 300 acres of Flushing Meadows, between Corona and Flushing, with ashes.
Astorians unanimously opposed removing Astoria Park from city maps. George Blackwell, former assistant corporation counsel for New York, whose family roots went many generations into Astoria’s past, called upon the city Estimate Board to keep and improve the park.
“We should get all that is possible for our borough,” he said. “The park along Shore Road is well−located. It will be a great benefit to the community.”
The Greater Astoria Historical Society is open to the public on Saturdays from noon till 4 p.m. at Quinn’s Gallery, 4th Floor, 35−20 Broadway, Long Island City. New additional hours are Wednesday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
For more information, call 718−278−0700 or visit www.astorialic.org.
