On "Young Frankenstein" (1974)

Now this is what I'd call a *mad* scientist

Star Rating: ***½
The Universal horror movies of the 1930s and ‘40s are funny in their own way, but the “master” of comedy Mel Brooks takes the subtle humor in these films and uses them as a springboard for a funny movie. He proceeded to bring to life "Young Frankenstein" which is one of the crowning achievements of his career.

"Young Frankenstein" is filmed entirely in black and white, to imitate the cult horror classics we know so well (partially thanks to this film here). The film features a classic Mel Brooks cast. Firstly, we have Gene Wilder, (Leo Bloom in "The Producers" and The Waco Kid in "Blazing Saddles") as the headstrong Professor Frederick “Fronkensteen”, the grandson of Victor Frankenstein. Frederick does not like to talk about his relations to such a notorious madman, and thus tries to alter the pronunciation of his name.

After a comical science lesson in the first fifteen minutes of the movie, a solicitor informs Frederick that he has inherited the Frankenstein family estate. Frederick bids his emotional and fashion-obsessed fiancé Elizabeth (Madeline Khan) goodbye and travels to Transylvania (the setting of Dracula, whereas the original Frankenstein movies were set in Germany). Frederick is driven to the Frankenstein family home, the classic Universal monster-castle, by the humpbacked Igor, pronounced “Eye-gor” (Marty Feldman), a servant of the household. “I’m a rather brilliant surgeon,” says Frederick, referring to Eye-gor’s hump, “I could help you with that hump.” To which Igor replies, “What hump?” Awkward silence. “Shall we go?” A few scenes later the hump switches sides. Frederick asks “Wasn’t that on the other side?” Eye-gor: “Was what on the other side?” Frederick: “Nothing.”

Frederick meets his housekeeper, the sinister Frau Blucher (Cloris Leachman). She is so frightening that the horses neigh at the mere mention of her name. I kid you not, even when her name is mentioned in another part of the house, the horses whinny. I mean, it is a comedy. Frederick’s other friend is his erotic and sunny laboratory assistant Inga (Terri Garr). Their first meeting is at the Transylvania train station, when Eye-gor drives Fronkensteen to the castle in a hay cart. She is concealed in the hay and Fronkensteen accidently hits her. She uncovers herself and says, “Hello. Would you like to have a roll in ze hay? It’s fun!” And she begins rolling around in the hay, while a relieved and confused Frederick watches. In another such moment in the laboratory, Frederick and Inga embrace. “Elevate me!” says Frederick. “Here, right now?” asks the alarmed Inga. “Yes, raise the platform.”

When inside the old Frankenstein house, drawn by the distant sound of eerie violin music, Frederick finds his grandfather’s laboratory full of much of the same equipment used during the filming of the original "Frankenstein" movies from the 1930s. At the other side of the laboratory is Frankenstein’s private library, where there is a book, How I Did It by Victor Frankenstein. Frederick reads these notes and realizes that “it—could—work!” He repeats his grandfather’s work and plans to create a great man. Instead, he creates a friendly, misunderstood, grotesque and slightly horny monster played by Peter Boyle in the roll that brought his career to life.

Unfortunately, Brooks’ creature has, in this case an abnormally comic brain, which includes the creature’s irrational fear of fire. Soon, the creature escapes to the outer world. He goes around town, having exchanges with a blind man and playing on a teeter-totter with a young girl. The girl tells him to shift his weight on the totter, and in doing so, he catapults her into her bedroom through her open window. Predictably, she lands undamaged in her bed.

Young Frankenstein can do two things for you, depending on whether of not you’ve seen the Universal horror films, or “Universals” as I call them, that it parodies. If you haven’t seen them, and you’re an aspiring film goer, then YF could convince you to see them. Comedy is a very effective way to create interest in a subject. It happens in comedy movies and in many other mediums as well—books, essays, etc. the first line or scene is witty so as to grab the viewer’s attention. This could be the first humorous paragraph that snags you into the Universal horror films collection.

If you have seen the Universal horror films, then "Young Frankenstein" could help you appreciate them more. I find it interesting to think that somebody could take material that was supposed to be dead serious and turn it into the epitome of hilariousness. But, expanding on the point I made in my opening paragraph, these horror films are humorous in their own way. They have a balanced degree of humor and seriousness, like any good movie should have. The Universals may seem like the deadest of clichés to a modern audience, but that’s only because that is where all the typical monster clichés began. Just like any genre of movie, this was totally new once.

So I have a lot to thank Mel Brooks for in resurrecting this material. I view "Young Frankenstein" as a comedy that doesn’t just parody the Universals, it salutes them. Like Victor Frankenstein, I can just imagine Brooks sneaking through old Hollywood, stealing ideas and bringing them back to a deserted studio and sewing them together to create—a comedy.

Trivia Source: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072431/trivia