Young Frankenstein

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Young Frankenstein

Young Frankenstein film poster
Directed by Mel Brooks
Produced by Michael Gruskoff
Written by Mel Brooks
Gene Wilder
Starring Gene Wilder
Teri Garr
Cloris Leachman
Marty Feldman
Peter Boyle
Madeline Kahn
Kenneth Mars
Gene Hackman
Music by John Morris
Cinematography Gerald Hirschfeld
Distributed by 20th Century Fox
Release date(s) December 15, 1974
Running time 106 min.
Country US
Language English
Budget $2,800,000 (est.)
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

Young Frankenstein is a 1974 comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, starring Gene Wilder as the title character. Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Peter Boyle, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, and Gene Hackman also star. The screenplay was written by Brooks and Wilder.

The film is a parody of the horror film genre, in particular the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein, mainly those made by Universal in the 1930s, to which the film is best seen as an affectionate homage. This is reflected by the fact that most of the pieces of lab equipment were the very ones used in the 1931 film Frankenstein, designed by Ken Strickfaden. To further reflect the atmosphere of the earlier films, Brooks shot the picture entirely in black-and-white, a rare choice at the time.

Young Frankenstein is number 28 on Total Film Magazine's List of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films of All Time, number 56 on Bravo television network's list of the "100 Funniest Movies", and number 13 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest American movies of all time. [1]

In 2003, Young Frankenstein was deemed "culturally significant" by the United States National Film Preservation Board, and selected for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.

Contents

[edit] Cast

[edit] Plot

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Frederick Frankenstein, full name Doctor Baron Frederick von Frankenstein, is a respected lecturer at an American medical school and is more or less happily (though blandly) engaged to the tightly-wound Elizabeth. Frederick becomes exasperated when anyone brings up the subject of his grandfather, the famous mad scientist, to the point of insisting that his name is pronounced "Fronkensteen".

A solicitor approaches the doctor after a lecture and informs Frederick that he has inherited his family's estate. Travelling to said estate in Transylvania, Frankenstein meets his comely new lab assistant Inga, along with the household servants Frau Blücher and Igor (who, after hearing Frederick claim his name is pronounced "Fronkensteen" counter-claims that his is pronounced "Eye-gor"). The three of them help Frederick discover his grandfather's private journals and, inspired by their contents, the doctor finally acknowledges his heritage ("My name... is... Frankenstein!") and resumes his grandfather's work of re-animating the dead using the body of an executed criminal. Unfortunately, Igor manages to steal the wrong brain from the local "brain depository" ("Abby someone... Abby... Normal!"). This mistake is revealed when the revived monster goes on a rampage and eventually escapes from the Frankenstein castle. While roaming the countryside, the monster has encounters with a young girl and a blind hermit which directly parody scenes from the original Frankenstein movies. He also ravishes the not unwilling Elizabeth, who has arrived unexpectedly for a visit.

Meanwhile, the local townspeople are uneasy and prepare to riot because of Frederick's continuation of his grandfather's work. Most concerned is Chief Inspector Hans Wilhelm Frederick Kemp, who sports an accent so thick even his own countrymen cannot understand him and, thanks to his run-in with a previous Frankenstein's monster, a jointed and extremely creaky wooden arm.[3] Just as the Kemp-led mob storms the castle, Dr. Frankenstein transfers some of his stabilizing intellect to the re-captured monster. As a result, the monster is able to reason with and placate the mob. The film ends happily, with Elizabeth married to the (ex-)monster, and Inga joyfully learning what her new husband Frederick got in return from the monster during the transfer experiment.

[edit] Broadway musical adaptation

As of early April 2006, Brooks had begun composing the score to a Broadway musical adaptation of Young Frankenstein, "which he says is perhaps the best movie he ever made." No deadline has been set for the work's completion, but after it is finished Brooks will begin fundraising and production.[4] As of November 2006, Brooks and Thomas Meehan, collaborators on The Producers had finished the first draft of the script and in October, a reading directed by Susan Stroman was held with Brian D'Arcy James as Dr. Frankenstein, Kristin Chenoweth as Inga, Roger Bart as Igor, Marc Kudisch as Inspector Kemp, and Shuler Hensley as the Monster. Cloris Leachman will also reportedly reprise the role of Frau for the stage show.[5][6]

[edit] Cultural influence

  • When this film was in theatres, Aerosmith was working on their third studio album, Toys in the Attic. They had written the music for a song but couldn't come up with any lyrics to go with it. After a while, they decided to take a break and go see Young Frankenstein where the "Walk This Way" gag provided the basis (or phrase) for the Aerosmith hit "Walk This Way".
  • The scene with Frankenstein and Inga trying to get through the revolving bookcase is shown in the film Big Daddy.
  • Peter Boyle reprised his role (after a fashion) in the TV sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond, when he costumed himself as the monster for Halloween.
  • The success of Young Frankenstein led to another horror spoof, 1974's Vampira starring David Niven and Teresa Graves. It was renamed Old Dracula for North American release in order to cash in on the name recognition of Young Frankenstein. In many locations, the two films were shown back-to-back as a double bill.

[edit] Awards

Nominated
Won

[edit] References

  1. ^ AFI's 100 YEARS...100 LAUGHS. AFI Announces The 100 Funniest American Movies Of All Time. (June 14, 2000). Retrieved on 2006-09-27.
  2. ^ According to Leonard Maltin's annual directory of movies, Gene Hackman was uncredited in the original theatrical run.
  3. ^ Kemp's full name and the origin of his arm are revealed in a scene delated from the film but included as an "extra" on the DVD release.
  4. ^ Mel Brooks thinks it time for Frankenstein to dance. REUTERS (April 10, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-27.
  5. ^ LEACHMAN TO RETURN FOR YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN MUSICAL. Contact Music (August 11, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-2.
  6. ^ Chenoweth, Hensley, Kudisch to Star in October Workshop of Young Frankenstein. PLAYBILL NEWS (September 6, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-12-2.

[edit] External links

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Films Directed by Mel Brooks
The Producers | The Twelve Chairs | Young Frankenstein | Blazing Saddles | Silent Movie | High Anxiety
History of the World, Part I | Spaceballs | Life Stinks | Robin Hood: Men in Tights | Dracula: Dead and Loving It
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