To print this page, select "Print" from the File menu of your browser salon.com > People Dec. 3, 1999 URL: http://www.salon.com/people/obit/1999/12/03/kahn Actress Madeline Kahn dies at 57 The Oscar-nominated star of "Blazing Saddles" ends her battle with ovarian cancer. - - - - - - - - - - - - Madeline Kahn, an Oscar-nominated actress and comedian best known for her work in "Paper Moon" and "Blazing Saddles," died Friday of ovarian cancer. She was 57. Ms. Kahn first acknowledged the illness publicly just last month, saying she was undergoing "aggressive treatment." She had been battling the disease for the past year, said Jeff Schneider, a spokesman for the William Morris agency. Known for her groundbreaking roles in the 1973 film "Paper Moon" -- which won her Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations -- the actress debuted on the big screen in the 1965 movie "Kiss Me Kate." She won a Tony Award for best actress in 1993 with her role as a ditsy Jewish matron in "The Sisters Rosensweig." She was also well known for her roles in the Mel Brooks movies "Young Frankenstein," "Blazing Saddles," and "High Anxiety." She had most recently taken on the part of Pauline, a neighbor on the TV show "Cosby." "Madeline was a performer of brilliance and a loyal and trusted friend to everyone she encountered," said her husband, John Hansbury. In 1974's "Blazing Saddles," Ms. Kahn used her classically trained voice in an amusing portrayal of a saloon singer who helps Gene Wilder foil Brooks' evil plan to do in the new sheriff in town. "She is 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." salon.com | Dec. 3, 1999