Young Frankenstein (1974) Starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman & Teri Garr Written by Gene Wilder & Mel Brooks Directed by Mel Brooks

If anyone did it right though, it was Director/Writer/Actor Mel Brooks. The man was a comedic genius who brought us such classics as Spaceballs, Blazing Saddles, History of the World and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Spaceballs is, was and always will be one of my absolute favorite comedies ever written.

But we're here to focus on another film of his. Mel Brooks wanted to do a take on one of the most famous films ever, the 1931 movie Frankenstein. Word is though he couldn't get the rights so he instead made a sequel of sorts, as this is set several years after those famous events. This film was Young Frankenstein.

Inside, we find the casket of Baron Van Frankenstein. It suddenly opens as his nearly rotted away skeleton is shown. The camera then pans down to a locked box being held by the bony hands. Two hands then slowly grab the box and try to take it away, but the skeleton still remains attached and pulls it back. It takes another try to get the box back.

The scene cuts to the man had taken the box, an elderly man whose now in an American University class room. As he sits, one of the students asks the teacher who is Frederic Frankenstein, but demands to be called Fronkanstein in an attempt to distance himself from his famous grandfather.

The subject then goes into nerve reactions as Frederic has an elderly man brought in to demonstrate intentional reactions and impulsive reactions. He has the man simply lift his leg to show intentional. To show impulsive, he attempts to knee his crotch to which he suddenly moves. He then makes a point by putting a clamp on the back of his neck where a certain nerve is to stop the reaction and succeeds in kneeing him.

After that's done, he points out how once the nerves are severed, there is no going back. The same student again questions him of his grandfather who challenged that theory. Frederic continues to dismiss it and gets more frustrated to the point where he un-intentionally stabs himself in the leg. After he dismisses the class, the old man comes up and offers the chest which has his late grandfather's will.

At the train station, Frederic bids his fiancée Elizabeth farewell. He wishes to kiss her, but she's dressed up for a party later that evening and doesn't want her lipstick ruined, or her nails, hair and dress for that matter.

After a train ride to New York, a boat ride to Europe and another train ride to Transylvania, Frederic arrives at the local train station and is met by Eyegore. The two exchange some questioning on their respective names until they leave. At the wagon, Frederic finds the gorgeous Inga who is to be his new lab assistant.

While traveling through the countryside, Frederic comforts Inga from her fear of thunder and werewolves. This leads to some miscommunication between him and Eyegore.

They then finally reach the castle. After knocking, the three meet Frau Blücher (her name disturbing the horses), the caretaker and an acquaintance of Frederic's grandfather. Once inside, she shows them around.

In his personal room, Frederic questions Frau Blücher about his grandfather's books as the library there just has standard medical texts. Frau Blücher claims no knowledge and leaves after offering him a number of possible drinks. He notices though she admires his grandfather's painting rather passionately.

That night, Frederic starts to have nightmares about his fate and his connection to his family history. Inga hears him and comes to wake him. They then hear some music from behind the book case. After pulling out a candle, they find removing it triggers it to flip. After several attempts and Frederic getting squished, they manage to get it turned half way.

Heading into the corridors, they come across lab of sorts with a shelf containing multiple levels of decaying heads. At the end, to their surprise, is Eyegore who reveals he heard the music as well and traveled down the Dumbwaiter to find it. They then continue on to the next room.

There, they discover that the room where the first Frankenstein conducted his experiments. They also notice a door and light behind it. Once inside, they find a cigar freshly smoked and a violin where the music came from. Frederic then notices that this is his grandfather's secret library his personal journal. After reading deep into the night, Frederic relies that he could continue and possibly complete his grandfather's work.

The next day as they eat breakfast, they continue to read the journal and finds that the best way to make it work is to increase the size of all the body parts, including the Schwanzstuck. Eyegore offers a rough drawing of what they need.

That night, Frederic and Eyegore follow the Hearst of a hanged man and after he's buried, they endure the filthy process of digging him back up. On the way back, they crash the cart and the coffin, the man's huge arm sticking out. They nearly get found by a constable, but they manage to trick there way by.

Back at the lab, Frederic sends Eyegore on a mission to collect the brain of Hans Delbrook at the brain depository. Once inside, he finds it, but due to being scared by his reflection and lightning, drops it and destroys the brain. He then takes what he thinks is the next best thing, a brain by Abby Normal (although it's really an Abnormal one with warning's not to use).

After preparing everything, Frederic has Eyegore and Inga get into positions. Being raised up on the platform with the creature, Frederic has Eyegore throw the switches and begin to send lightning into the body. After being lowered back down, he tries hard to get the creature to live, but it ultimately doesn't. At first, he takes his fail in calm and collect way, but then snaps and the others have to pry him away.

Meanwhile, the local town residents are throwing a town meeting as the fear that Frederic is in fact continuing his families' work. The town leaders though feel it's not right to judge him just yet. Inspector Clamp (with his wooden arm and thick accent) decides that it's too soon to act and decides to visit the Frankenstein manor himself.

Back at the castle, Frederic is still grieving over his failure. Eyegore tries to cheer him up, but it ultimately fails. However, down in the lab, the creature suddenly starts to awaken. After hearing a moaning, they all rush back down.

Down in the lab, Frederic is overjoyed to find his creation is alive. Slowly, he has the creature rise up and try walking. Everything is going great until Eyegore lights a match for a Cigarette which scares it and causes it to chock Frederic. While choking, Frederic uses charades to tell Inga and Eyegore to give him the sedative.

After he's out, Frederic questions Eyegore on the brain inside. After he learns that he got an Abnormal Brain, he begins to choke Eyegore the same way and Inga tries to read his charades. This ends suddenly though as Clamp arrives and knocks on the door.

While playing darts, Clamp and Frederic talk of monsters and the past history of the manner. Clamp continues to push that something is going on, but Frederic maintains his innocence. Eventually Clamp leaves.

Down below, Frau Blücher has arrived and discovers the creature. Frederic, Inga and Eyegore arrive and find her releasing it. Before it can go violent though, she calms it with her violin playing. Frederic relies that Frau Blücher set it up; she lured them and had them find the book in order to complete his grandfather's work, as she was his lover.

After being shocked by the Generator, the creature goes into rage again. He storms out of the castle and runs into the rainy night, much to the horror of Frederic and the delight of Frau Blücher.

The next day, the creature comes across a little girl throwing flowers down a well. She offers some to it and he starts to play as well. Meanwhile, her parents are preparing to board up the house with news that the creature might be out there, but panic as they relies she's missing. Back outside, her and the creature are about to play on the teeter totter when his weight launches her into her room and bed, just before her parents go in and find her.

Later that night an elderly blind man prays to god that a companion will eventually join him. The creature then breaks in and the blind man accepts him as his prayer answered and offers food and shelter. At first he tries offering him soup, but he just continually spills it in his lap. He then offers wine but breaks his mug during the toast. Finally, he accidentally lights his thumb on fire while trying to light a cigar, which causes the creature to break out in a rage and leave, much to the blind man's disappointment.

Back in the village, he wanders the streets at night but suddenly hears the music he admires so. Walking on, he finds an old bearded man playing a violin. But as he nears, it's revealed to be Frederic and a trap, as a net drops and Eyegore and Inga grab him and sedate him.

Locked up in the dungeon at the castle, Frederic commands Frau Blücher, Eyegore and Inga to not interfere as he plans to go in and make peace with it. Once inside though, the creature rises angrily and he bangs on the door begging to be let out, but Frau Blücher doesn't allow him. Slowly, he manages to calm the creature by sweet talking it and saying they'll show the scientific world what can be done. When Inga asks if he's alright, Frederic declares himself a Frankenstein.

Eventually, a gathering of Scientists and Neurosurgeons arrive at a special event along with Inspector Clamp and several policemen to keep an eye on things. After Frederic is introduced, he offers to the crowd that proof of his grandfather's work, which gets met with scoffs and laughs. However, once the creature comes out, the audience nearly panics.

At first, Frederic has it do basic walking to show what it can do. After that though, him and the creature put on a sing and dance number of "Putting on the Ritz" which gets much praise from the crowd. However, one the lights on stage erupts and causes the creature to panic and stop dancing. The crowd then gets angry and throws objects at it which causes it to go enraged and knockout Frederic. Before he can do more damage, the police grab him and take him away.

While the Creature is chained up in the village prison, Frederic mourns over his failure and wonders just how he can manage to get knowledge to the brain to make it better thinking. Inga meanwhile wonders what she can do to relieve his stress and he thinks of something.

Later that night, Frau Blücher goes to the lab and finds Frederic and Inga on the lab table after making love. Despite Frederic's warning of not wanting interruptions, Frau Blücher shows a letter indicating that his fiancée Elizabeth will arrive anytime. After they prepare, they wait and greet Elizabeth, who quickly gets Eyegore's attention.

Meanwhile, the Creature is tormented by his guard which a lit match. After being tormented for so long, he eventually attacks him and breaks free. This causes the village to form an angry mob which Clamp firmly supports and leads.

Back at the castle, Elizabeth and Frederic talk of how hard it's been for him lately. He tries to get a night with her, but she rebukes him as their wedding night is closing in, much to his disappointment.

As the mob continues to search for the creature, it has found its way to Elizabeth's bedroom window and kidnaps her. After she faints, it takes her to an abandoned building with hay. When she wakes up, he shows he wants to make love to her. At first, she refuses despite being shocked at how well endowed he is, but after he lays on her and inserts himself, she's so pleasured she sings Opera.

After making love to her 7 times, he leaves her as he hears the music again, much to her dismay as she's now fallen in love with him. Following it back to the castle, he climbs the wall and barely makes it safely over and passes out. Frederic then has them prepare for the new experiment, despite the dangers to him.

As Inga and Eyegore finish the work and wait for the right time specified, Clamp the mob break into the castle and make their way to the lab. After breaking in, they grab Frederic who's still un-conscious and are about to attack him, but to their surprise, they're stopped by the creature who's suddenly speaking normally.

The creature reveals that Frederic risked his life to offer his intelligence to be transferred into his brain, and that proves he wasn't evil. Clamp apologizes and has the mob leave with him.

Sometime later, Frederic and Inga arrive in his room, freshly married. As they prepare for their honeymoon, Elizabeth (now looking like the bride of Frankenstein) and the creature are now living together as a normal couple. Back at the castle in bed, Inga asks what Frederic got in return from the creature. To her surprise, he shows he got the creatures Schwanzstucker and she suddenly starts to sing Opera. The fading shot is of Eyegore playing horn on the balcony.

F u n   F a c t s

The film came about when Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder talked over coffee during the filming of "Blazing Saddles" and the idea of a comedy Frankenstein came up.

A lot of jokes where ad-libbed or improved, such as Frau Blücher offering multiple drinks to Frederic and Eyegore's rotating hump.

Rumor has it that Mel Brooks didn't want to wrap up filming as the cast was having too much fun.

The film burrows from multiple films in the Universal Frankenstein series:
Frankenstein
Bridge of Frankenstein
Son of Frankenstein
Ghost of Frankenstein
Frankenstein meets the Wolf Man
Curse of Frankenstein

The film was originally to be released by Columbia Pictures, but they didn't want to do it in Black and White, so Mel Brooks went to 20th Century Fox who agreed.

Legendary rock band Aerosmith admits that "Walk This Way" is inspired by the joke in the movie.

Peter Boyle would make a reference to his character when he dressed up as Frankenstein on "Everybody loves Raymond".

The film has been on several top 100 Comedy lists.

Mel Brooks has stated that this is his favorite film he's made.

My rating:
I give this film an R rating (ages 10 and 11)

I honestly wanted to give this one a lower rating. Seriously, I did. But the more perverted jokes in there (the enormous Schwanzstuck) and one or two others made me re-think it. If you've seen it and your more comfortable with your kids with it, then defy my rating and try for a younger age.

Tune in next time as we take a look at Nickelodeon's version of Tales from the Crypt. Until then, happy scaring.