I don’t really have time this day for the full-fledged, full-throated appreciation that the late Madeliene Kahn deserves on this, her official day of appreciation as declared by Stinky Lulu but, suffice it to say I still have gigantic admiration and a lingering crush — a gorgeous woman with astutely disciplined talent and an insane sense of humor…what more could anyone ask for?

So, before anyone beats me to it, I’m presenting two variations on perhaps Ms. Kahn’s signature moment, performing “I’m Tired” as the temptress Lili Von Shtupp from Blazing Saddles. I thought this song was hysterical even as a kid who’d never even seen the Mel Brooks film, much less knew anything at all about Marlene Dietrich, to whom the performance plays such perfectly wacky tribute. It’s safe to say that, even in the seventies, only a small percentage of moviegoers had seen Dietrich, so the song had to stand on its own. And Ms. Kahn, with her total commitment makes it work even better than anyone could have imagined.

Her Wikipedia entry implies that she may have deliberately gotten herself fired over “artistic differences” from the misbegotten film version of Mame (turned into an ill-fitting vehicle for comedy uber-diva Lucille Ball) because she wanted to do the movie with Brooks, then a still somewhat culty comedy director and ex gag writer. Good move.

It’s a great moment in film comedy — but since most of you have likely seen that (and Stinky Lulu himself has discussed the moment in detail, pretty much nailing the topic), I’m presentingbelow a recreation of the same from a 1986 Comic Relief telethon. Her joy in performing the great moment before a genuine live audience gives it an extra kick.

And, with its far greater pictorial quality, here is the cinematic version for you comparison and contrast pleasure.