A Horror Success

Brooks’ more boisterous comedy combined with Wilder’s strategic humor would result in historical pieces of film media, but they could not craft the movie on their own. With Wilder in the starring role as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the film also featured the incredible talents of Marty Feldman as the henchman Igor, Peter Boyle as the monster, Teri Garr as the assistant Inga, Madeline Kahn as Frederick’s lover Elizabeth, and Cloris Leachman as the housekeeper Frau Blücher. Despite Columbia Pictures’ lack of interest in producing the film, 20th Century Fox agreed to distribute the movie, and the production wrapped quickly between February and May of 1974 and would be ready for release later that year. 

However, due to the scarcity of comedy films released that year, the genre alone would not have been enough to propel this parody film to such critical success. Brooks shot the entire movie in black and white, incorporating cue cards, pacing, and shaky camera panning reminiscent of the old Universal horror classics. With the help of composer John Morris (also known for Clue) and the use of some of the original set pieces from the 1933 Frankenstein, the film perfectly encapsulated the essence of old Hollywood horror drama while maintaining a modern comedic tone. Brooks elaborated on the writing process in a 2016 interview with Creative Screenwriting, “Little by little, every night, Gene and I met at his bungalow at the Bel Air Hotel. We ordered a pot of Earl Grey tea, a container of cream, and a small kettle of brown sugar cubes. To go with it, we had a pack of British digestive biscuits. And step-by-step, ever so cautiously, we proceeded on a dark, narrow, twisting path to the eventual screenplay in which good sense and caution are thrown out the window, and madness ensues.”

The Future of Frankenstein 

On December 15, 1974, Young Frankenstein was released to the world. The film was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Sound and Adapted Screenplay in 1975 and continues to be recognized on the top 100 movie lists. Despite the film, produced by Michael Gruskoff (also known for Nosferatu the Vampyre), having a budget of only $2.78 million, it would see a total of $86.2 million at the box office. The film even inspired the Aerosmith song” Walk This Way” based on one of the bits performed by the character Igor in the movie. More recently, the film was adapted as a stage musical with the same name and premiered on Broadway in 2007, introducing the story to a new audience. Unsurprisingly, the iconic scene of Frederick and his creation performing a rendition of “Puttin’ On The Ritz” made it to the New York City stage.

Following the success of such a silly film, Brooks directed another horror parody, Dracula: Dead And Loving It, but it would find a different cultural significance than his earlier work. Famed film critic Robert Eggers wrote the year the film was released that “…Young Frankenstein is not only a Mel Brooks movie but also a loving commentary on our love-hate affairs with monsters. This time, the monster even gets to have a little love-hate affair.” Since then, other horror parodies have emerged from Hollywood, such as Scary Movie, The Cabin In The Woods, Piranha, What We Do In The Shadows, and more. Yet it can be argued that none of these more modern features match Brooks and Wilder’s expertise in Young Frankenstein.

An Anniversary Worth Recognizing

Fifty years later, fans are still celebrating this wonderfully crafted film. From the old filmmaking methods to the classically sounding score to the obscene snipes and slapstick comedy, Young Frankenstein has become a cult classic beloved by horror fans everywhere. Just in time for Halloween, those who have not experienced this fever dream of a classic German Expressionist comedy film are urged to see it. Despite the occasional raunchiness and stupidity of the characters, there is something for everyone with this picture. Young Frankenstein is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.