IMDb > Young Frankenstein (1974)
Young Frankenstein
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Young Frankenstein (1974) More at IMDbPro »

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Young Frankenstein (1974) -- Dr. Frankenstein's grandson, after years of living down the family reputation, inherits granddad's castle and repeats the experiments.
Young Frankenstein (1974) -- A blind man's (Gene Hackman) prayer for companionship comes true when the monster knocks on his door.
Young Frankenstein (1974) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)
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Overview

User Rating:
8.0/10   54,102 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 44% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Mel Brooks
Writers:
Gene Wilder (screen story and screenplay) and
Mel Brooks (screen story and screenplay) ...
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Young Frankenstein on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
15 December 1974 (USA) more
Genre:
Comedy | Music | Sci-Fi more
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. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 3 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(76 articles)
Geek Deal: Three Blu-Ray Movie Packs for $25
 (From Slash Film. 21 November 2009, 1:39 PM, PST)
MovieWeb's 2009 DVD Holiday Gift Guide
 (From MovieWeb. 20 November 2009, 12:55 PM, PST)
User Comments:
EVERYTHING comes wonderfully to life in this dead-on Mel Brooks horror spoof – non-stop laughs from beginning to end! more (251 total)
US TV Schedule:
Wed. Dec. 25:30 PMAMC   
Thur. Dec. 312:30 AMAMC   

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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)
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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 .... 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)
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parents
Runtime:
106 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | German
Color:
Black and White
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
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 | New Zealand:PG | 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 more
Company:
Gruskoff/Venture Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks got into only one fight during the movie's production, but it was a big one with Mel throwing a huge temper tantrum, yelling and raging and eventually storming out of the studio. Shortly thereafter, Gene received a phone call from Mel, saying, "Who was that lunatic yelling and screaming on the set today? You should fire that bum!" more
Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: When Gerhard Falkstein meets Dr. Frankenstein in his class, he refers to Baron von Frankenstein as his great-grandfather, while the rest of the film refers to him as the grandfather. However, it is stated later in the film (most notably in the deleted sequence "The Reading Of The Will") that the Frankenstein who's will is being read is the Great-Grandfather, and the infamous Victor Frankenstein is his son, or Fredrick's Grandfather. more
Quotes:
Inga: Werewolf!
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Werewolf?
Igor: There.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: What?
Igor: There, wolf. There, castle.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Why are you talking that way?
Igor: I thought you wanted to.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: No, I don't want to.
Igor: [shrugs] Suit yourself. I'm easy.
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The Sandlot 3 (2007) (V) more
Soundtrack:
I Ain't Got Nobody (and Nobody Cares for Me) more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Why is Dr Frankenstein named "Victor" in this movie but "Henry" in the 1931 movie?
Is this movie based on a novel?
more

User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
61 out of 68 people found the following comment useful.
EVERYTHING comes wonderfully to life in this dead-on Mel Brooks horror spoof – non-stop laughs from beginning to end!, 15 May 2001
10/10
Author: gary brumburgh (gbrumburgh@aol.com) from Los Angeles, California

Mel Brooks' parodies are like your favorite, worn-out couch. You know it's not the greatest in style, taste and quality, but it just feels so damn comfortable. Of late, most of Mel's spoofs have been off the mark, his work mellowing into predictability. In fact, you really have to go all the way back to 1974 to see Brooks at his sharpest. In that year we were awarded "Blazing Saddles" AND "Young Frankenstein."

Perhaps "Young Frankenstein" is not definitive Mel Brooks, although he directed it. Gene Wilder, who not only stars but co-wrote it with Mel, was the inspiration to make this movie. And it's his influence, I think, that brings the best out in Mel. When spoofing a historical era, movie genre or legendary tale, Brooks' satirical bag of tricks always included a hodgepodge of crude sight gags, burlesque schtick and stale Jewish jokes done at rapid-fire pace. The plot became an after-thought, working around the barrage of unsubtle humor. In targeting the classic ‘Frankenstein' series, however, Brooks worked in reverse, wisely focusing on plot, tone and atmosphere, then complementing them with clever, carefully constructed bits.

A rich staple of comedy pros from Brooks' fun factory (Mel graciously did not cast himself here) were employed to wring out the most laughs possible out of the fresh, inventive material. Gene Wilder plays the frizzy-haired, eruptive college professor Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced FRONK-en-STEEN), grandson of the infamous scientist, who gives in to the maniacal tendencies of his mad ancestor after inheriting the late Baron's Teutonic castle. His simmer-to-boil antics have seldom been put to better use, while only pop-eyed Marty Feldman, who gets to break the fourth wall as Igor (prounouced EYE-gor), the dim, oddball assistant, could milk a hump for all its worth. Kenneth Mars too gets a lot of mileage out of his one-armed, slush-mouthed inspector. In the film's most difficult role, Peter Boyle's appearance as the Monster is jarring at first, looking like a cross between Herman Munster and Uncle Fester. But he increasingly wins you over, earning even a little empathy along the way. His character is the most crucial for this parody to work right and he succeeds, figuring in a high percentage of the comedy highlights.

Representing the distaff side, Madeline Kahn is one cool cucumber, stealing focus whenever she's on camera as the placid, meticulous, hopelessly stuck-up fiancee Elizabeth; Cloris Leachman sinks her teeth into the role of the grotesque Frau Blücher, whose mere mention of her name sends horses into panic; and Teri Garr is delightful as a dinghy Deutschlander who assists Frankenstein in his wild experiments and other things.

An amalgamation of Universal's earliest and best ‘Frankenstein' movies ("Frankenstein," "Bride of Frankenstein" and "Son of Frankenstein," this spoof relies on close imitation and Brooks took painstaking methods to recreate the look and feel of James Whale's original sets, black-and-white photography and musical score. It pays off in spades.

Nearly 30 years later, this movie still leaves me in stitches. Wilder and Garr's revolving secret door bit is still priceless, as is Cloris Leachman's ‘ovaltine' routine and the Wilder/Boyle "Puttin' On the Ritz" tie-and-tail duet. Boyle and the unbilled Gene Hackman in the "Blind Hermit" scene ripped off from "Bride of Frankenstein" are uproarious, easily winning the award for sustained hilarity in a single sketch. Add Feldman's hump and Mars' troublesome mechanical arm and what you have is rib-tickling entertainment from start to finish. Madeline Kahn's post-coital, cigarette-smoking scene with ‘ol zipperneck' who leaves her in a sexual snit must go down in Hollywood annals as the funniest scene ever caught on camera. Certainly Jeanette MacDonald's puristic rendition of "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life" will never have quite the same meaning again after you've heard Madeline's spin on it.

"Blazing Saddles" indeed has its insane moments but when it comes to toasting Mel Brooks in the years to come, "Young Frankenstein" should certainly stand front and center when representing this clown prince of comedy.

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100 Things I Learned from Young Frankenstein. superelectronicspacecat
Top 7 Mel Brooks Films! MrWhiskers_III
Blucher! compo_simmonite
Broadway Version... Ouch... vm07
Wow. nonsequitur2006
Great, but definitlely not one of the funniest comedies of all time Matthew_Moviebuff
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