Young Frankenstein (1974)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

Gene Wilder (story) and
Mel Brooks (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The scariest comedy of all time!

Plot:

Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, after years of living down the family reputation, inherits granddad's castle and repeats the experiments.

Plot Keywords:

Portrait | Grave Digging | Prosthetic Body Part | Orchestral Music Score | One Armed Man

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Gene Wilder	...	Dr. Frankenstein
Peter Boyle	...	The Monster
Marty Feldman	...	Igor
Cloris Leachman	...	Frau Blücher
Teri Garr	...	Inga
Kenneth Mars	...	Inspector Kemp
Richard Haydn	...	Herr Falkstein
Liam Dunn	...	Mr. Hilltop
Danny Goldman	...	Medical Student
Oscar Beregi Jr.	...	Sadistic Jailor (as Oscar Beregi)
Arthur Malet	...	Village Elder
Anne Beesley	...	Little Girl
Monte Landis	...	Gravedigger
Rusty Blitz	...	Gravedigger
John Madison	...	A Villager
Johnny Dennis	...	Orderly in Frankenstein's class
Rick Norman	...	A Villager
Rolfe Sedan	...	Train conductor
Terence Pushman	...	A Villager (as Terrence Pushman)
Randolph Dobbs	...	Third Villager (Joe)
Norbert Schiller	...	Emcee at Frankenstein's show
Pat O'Hara	...	A Villager (as Patrick O'Hara)
Michael Fox	...	Helga's Father
Lidia Kristen	...	Helga's Mother
Madeline Kahn	...	Elizabeth
Richard A. Roth	...	Insp. Kemp's Aide (as Richard Roth)
Gene Hackman	...	Blindman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leon Askin	...	Herr Waldman (scenes deleted)
John Carradine	...	Beaufort Frankenstein (voice) (scenes deleted)
Ian Abercrombie	...	Second villager (uncredited)
Mel Brooks	...	Werewolf / Cat Hit by Dart / Victor Frankenstein (voice) (uncredited)
Lou Cutell	...	Frightened villager (uncredited)
Berry Kroeger	...	First Village Elder (uncredited)
Jeff Maxwell	...	Medical Student (uncredited)
Clement von Franckenstein	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Mel Brooks

Writing credits
Gene Wilder		(story) and
Mel Brooks		(story)
Gene Wilder		(screenplay) and
Mel Brooks		(screenplay)
Mary Shelley		(novel "Frankenstein") (as Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Produced by
Michael Gruskoff	....	producer

Original Music by
John Morris

Cinematography by
Gerald Hirschfeld		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John C. Howard

Casting by
Jane Feinberg
Mike Fenton

Production Design by
Dale Hennesy

Set Decoration by
Robert De Vestel		(as Bob de Vestel)

Costume Design by
Dorothy Jeakins

Makeup Department
Edwin Butterworth	....	makeup artist (as Ed Butterworth)
Mary Keats	....	hair stylist
William Tuttle	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marvin Miller	....	assistant director
Barry Stern	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	graphic designer
Jack M. Marino	....	property master (as Jack Marino)
Charles Sertin	....	assistant property master
Hendrik Wynands	....	construction coordinator (as Hank Wynands)
Edward T. McAvoy	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gene S. Cantamessa	....	production sound mixer (as Gene Cantamessa)
Don Hall	....	sound editor
Richard Portman	....	production sound re-recordist

Special Effects by
Hal Millar	....	special effects
Henry Millar Jr.	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Roger Creed	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)
Jesse Wayne	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
James Plannette	....	gaffer
Richard Tim Vanik	....	camera operator (as Tim Vanik)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Carolyn Ewart	....	wardrobe: women
Phyllis Garr	....	wardrobe: women
Dick James	....	wardrobe: men
Ed Wynigear	....	wardrobe: men

Editorial Department
Stanford C. Allen	....	assistant editor
William D. Gordean	....	assistant editor

Music Department
John Morris	....	conductor
John Morris	....	orchestrator
Jonathan Tunick	....	orchestrator
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Ken Strickfaden	....	special thanks: original Frankenstein laboratory equipment (as Kenneth Strickfaden)

Production Companies

• Gruskoff/Venture Films
• Crossbow Productions
• Jouer Limited

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment España S.A. (2001) (Spain) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (Brazil) (DVD)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Key Video (video)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:15 (re-rating) (1987) | Finland:K-16 (video rating) (1988) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 (cinema release) (1975) | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Iceland:LH | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

Mayfair Theatre - 214 Santa Monica Boulevard, Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

Gruskoff/Venture Films

Trivia:

Originally in the script, after Igor drops the brain jar, he was to turn to the camera and quip, "Funny thing is, I tried!"

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the chase scene in the woods the Police Inspector's prosthetic arm "switches" from right to left.

Quotes:

Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: [singing] If you're blue, and you don't know where to go to, why don't you go where fashion sits... .
The Monster: 'UTTIN' ON THE 'IIIIITZ.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#25.4)" (2001)

Soundtrack:

Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life

Comedic Genius

Mel Brooks' tribute to the Frankenstein movies of the 40s is done with such love, such skill, and such side-splitting, fall-on-the-floor hilarity, that it has rightfully become a comedy classic. I first saw it in a movie theater: I had no idea what it was, had very little knowledge of Mel Brooks at the time, and expected to be bored. Instead, I found myself shrieking aloud with laughter that became so intense, I missed many of the major lines. Hence the video.

What can I say? From the wild-eyed Igor, the hunchbacked Transylvanian servant whose hump keeps changing from side to side, to the modern-day descendant of Baron von Frankenstein, determined not to follow in his great-grandfather's nefarious footsteps, to the nurse, a naif with enormous...er...chestal appendages, to the fearsome Frau Bleucher, whose mere mention causes horses in the castle's faraway stables to neigh in fear...to the scene of the monster and his creator singing and dancing in black tie to "putting on the Ritz," this movie should come with a warning: "Danger--Uncontrollable Laughter May Become Chronic."

The cast is beyond superb. The late, wonderful British comedian Marty Feldman (Igor), who turned his congenital wandering eyes into comedic foils, never misses a beat as second banana to Gene Wilder, who plays the distraught Dr. Frankenstein to the hilt and beyond. Cloris Leachman, who looks like a cross between a witch and a warlock, plays the feared housekeeper Frau Bleucher (neighhh!!!), and a very young, beautiful, and buxom Teri Garr plays the nurse-assistant to the good doctor. Then there is the marvelous Madeline Kahn, who gave a bravura performance as the doctor's fiancee. The late comedienne's burst into operatic ecstasy during her rape by the monster is simply inspired, and is one of the comedic high points of the entire film. All of Kahn's considerable talents came into play during this movie; she was taken from us too soon.