Young Frankenstein (1974)

Director:

Mel Brooks

Writers:

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

Release Date:

15 December 1974 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

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:

Castle | Experiment | Assistant | Housekeeper | Brain

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 10 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	...	Villager
John Dennis	...	Orderly in Frankenstein's Class
Rick Norman	...	Villager
Rolfe Sedan	...	Train Conductor
Terence Pushman	...	Villager
Randolph Dobbs	...	Third Villager - Joe
Norbert Schiller	...	Emcee at Frankenstein's Show
Pat O'Hara	...	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:
Ian Abercrombie	...	Second Villager (uncredited)
Leon Askin	...	Herr Waldman (scenes deleted) (uncredited)
Mel Brooks	...	Werewolf / Cat Hit by Dart / Victor Frankenstein (voice) (uncredited)
John Carradine	...	Beaufort Frankenstein (voice) (scenes deleted) (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		(screen story and screenplay) and
Mel Brooks		(screen story and 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	....	hairdresser
William Tuttle	....	makeup creator

Production Management
Frank Baur	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marvin Miller	....	assistant director
Barry Stern	....	second assistant director
Michael Grillo	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

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)
John Alvin	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Edward T. McAvoy	....	scenic artist (uncredited)

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

Special Effects by
Henry Millar Jr.	....	special effects
Hal Millar	....	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)
Eric Anderson	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Douglas Bolder	....	best boy (uncredited)
John F. Ganther	....	best boy (uncredited)
John Monte	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Charles Record	....	key grip (uncredited)

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
Gerry Vinci	....	musician: violin solo (uncredited)
Dan Wallin	....	scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Anthony Goldschmidt	....	title designer
Ray Quiroz	....	script supervisor
John Campbell	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

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)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• 20th Century Fox de Argentina (2004) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Abril Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (VHS)
• CBS/Fox (USA) (laserdisc)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Gativideo (2004) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-release)
• Key Video (1988) (USA) (video)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1981) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cinemobile System  location services (uncredited)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (video rating) (1988) | Portugal:M/12 | Finland:K-16 (cinema release) (1975) | Canada:G (Quebec) | South Korea:15 | New Zealand:PG | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Iceland:LH | Norway:16 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:AA (original rating) (1975) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2000) | USA:PG (Approved No. 24007) | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:12

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Gruskoff/Venture Films

Trivia:

Final film of Oscar Beregi Jr.

Goofs:

Continuity: In the dart throwing scene the first dart lands in a "7" space and the rest near the bullseye. After a cut-away, the dart in the "7" spot is missing.

Quotes:

[from inside the haycart]
Inga:Hallo. Vould you like to have a roll in ze hay?
[Dr. Frankenstein stutters]
Inga:It's fun.
[She begins to roll in the hay]
Inga:Roll, roll, roll in ze hay.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Size of Watermelons (2000)

Soundtrack:

Puttin' on the Ritz

Young Frankenstein

Zany spoof of the Frankenstein films with a superb script from Brooks and off the wall performances from Wilder, Boyle, Leachman and Kahn. Still, the funniest scene in the film belongs to Hackman, in an impressive cameo as the blind man (Bride of Frankenstein) who befriends Boyle's creature by offering him a cigar and...well, you can imagine the results. This was Brooks' best year; he had this and his other classic "Blazing Saddles," rolling together in the motion theatres. Audiences were definately rolling in the aisles and they still do.