Young Frankenstein Review

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks has made some good movies and some not so good but when he makes a winner it comes out like Young Frankenstein, probably the best of all his hits and just in time for Halloween.

Brooks started out in TV writing for comedy shows and several of his movies suffer from the episodic skit flaw where it is like a television comedy show with several skits in sequence but without a lot of continuity.

In Young Frankenstein, however, he wisely followed the script of the old Hollywood movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, spicing them up with plenty of jokes, to be sure, but sticking to the familiar story progression so viewers would feel they were viewing a real movie instead of a TV variety special.

Brooks worked with comedian Gene Wilder on the script and Gene Wilder also starred as Viktor Fronk-en-shteen - how he pronounced Frankenstein. He also cast bug eyed Marty Feldman as the hump shifting dwarf lab assistant Igor (pronounced Eye-gor) and both comedians get a lot of mileage out of their mispronounced names.

Even Peter Boyle’s monster finally wins you over after you get used to the non-traditional look of his face.  I think it was the song and dance routine to the tune of Puttin on the Ritz that finally won me over. 

“Dressed up like a million dollar trooper

Trying so hard to look like Gary Cooper

Super Duper!”  etc.

Gene Hackman also helps recreate the role of the blind hermit who entertains the monster lighting his thumb instead of the cigar and after pouring a ladle of hot soup in his lap.  Nobody ever said Mel Brooks made sophisticated work but his comedy will just break you up sometimes.

Madeline Kahn is also hot as the scientist’s fiancée and later the monster’s lover. When you hear her sing out that Wagnerian note from Ride of the Valkyries you will spew out whatever you have in your mouth – so you are forewarned. ;>

Young Frankenstein is a very good movie that will entertain both young and old and is perfect for the Halloween season.