One misses at least 90% of the gags and references in this film if not familiar with the original Universal "Frankenstein" films (especially the first three with Boris Karloff) to which this is such a loving homage. It boggles the mind (mine, anyway) that there are people who haven't seen a single classic Universal monster film or don't recognize something as familiar as the Bride of Frankenstein's image which is recreated with Madeleine Kahn later in the film. Please do yourselves a favor and watch some of those Universal classics!
"Dr. Fronkensteen! Are you all right!" "MY NAME! IS! FRANKENSTEIN!" Fun Fact: The copy of the Wall Street Journal seen near the end of the movie is dated THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1974. Music Enthusiast Fact: Aerosmith took a break from a long night of recording to see this film. Steven Tyler wrote the band's hit Walk This Way (1975) the morning after seeing the movie, inspired by Marty Feldman's "Walk This Way" line. What Script Fact: Cloris Leachman improvised the dialogue in which Frau Blücher offers "varm milk" and Ovaltine to Dr. Frankenstein. When Gene Wilder leans in to kiss Madeline Kahn goodnight in her bedroom, her last-second quip "No tongues" was ad-libbed by Kahn. Not A Hack Fact: Gene Hackman ad-libbed The Blind Man's "espresso" line. The scene immediately fades to black because the crew erupted into fits of laughter. Hackman was unable to repeat the line without laughing with the rest of the crew, so the first take was used. Hackman was uncredited when the movie was originally released in theaters. Giving Props Fact: When Mel Brooks was preparing for this film, he discovered that Ken Strickfaden, who'd made the elaborate electrical machinery for the lab sequences in the Universal Frankenstein films, was still alive and living in the Los Angeles area. Brooks visited Strickfaden, and found that he had stored all the equipment in his garage. Brooks made a deal to rent the equipment, and gave Strickfaden the screen credit he didn't receive for the original films.
You are correct, Peter Boyle played both the Monster in this movie and the father Frank in "Everybody Loves Raymond." For one of the Halloween episodes, Frank dresses up as the monster (with Marie dressed as the Bride of Frankenstein). This is the episode where Frank runs out of candy to give, so gives out the "candies" in the foil wrappers to kids that Raymond was hoping to use later with Debra after the kids went to sleep.
The reason Madeleine Kahn , the girlfriend looked like that at the end was because in the sequel to the old 1930s Frankenstein it was The Bride Of Frankenstein and that’s how the bride looked in that movie!
Why would they ever actually go and watch those? They didn't even seem to enjoy this movie, which is considered one of the best comedies of all time. It was a very depressing reaction to put it modestly.
Funny little connection there. Peter Boyle was offered the role of Popeye Doyle in _The French Connection,_ but turned it down. That role, of course, eventually went to Gene Hackman (even though the director was, for whatever reason, initially very opposed to casting Hackman). Then we see Hackman here in a minor role with an actor who very well could have taken one of his most noted lead roles. 😄
The gag with Igor’s hump switching sides started as a joke. The actor switched it to get a laugh from the other actors. They thought it was funny and loved it enough they decided to keep it in the movie.
3:35 Until the late 1970s, it was more common to have the credits at the start of a movie than at the end. A "property master," also called a "prop man," is in charge of supplying all the physical objects (other than costumes and furniture) needed in a movie or play.
In my estimation, Mel Brooks' best film and one of the funniest comedies of all time. Classic, timeless jokes and great performances from everyone. I suppose it might not ring so clearly with people who never saw the original 1931 FRANKENSTEIN film.
I would have to agree that this is Mel's best movie, with "Blazing Saddles" second. Surprisingly it follows the original story closer than many other Frankenstein movies. Mel Brooks plays a cameo in most of his movies, but he is not in this one...except as (I kid you not) the voice of the cat that gets hit with the dart.
Ironic since Gene Wilder wrote the script, and Mel Brooks was reluctant to direct the film at first. Even then, Wilder insisted on the Ritz scene despite Brooks thinking it was too dumb, even for his tastes. Just shows you it’s all a gamble.
@@lmiddleman Everything in life is a gamble. Just getting out of bed in the morning is a gamble. Fortunately, it turns out pretty well every time, save one, the day we die.
@@lmiddlemanI remember Mel Brooks talking about that scene. He said that he basically wanted to see how hard Gene would fight to keep it in. He fought hard, so they kept it in.
1. Mr. Hilltop/Liam Dunn is the same guy that plays the preacher in Blazing Saddles 2. I first saw this at a drive-in (that's still here BTW) and there was a lunar eclipse over the screen that made it even cooler than it was. 3. The studio wanted this in color but Brooks and Wilder insisted black and white because they wanted the old school tone. 4. This movie is Wilder's baby, and he agreed to do Blazing Saddles only if Brooks would direct and help write this movie. 5. It was almost impossible to get through the "You take the blonde and I'll take the one in the turban" scene. Everyone kept cracking up. You can see Wider trying not to laugh. 6. Igor's hump changing sides was Feldman's running gag on the cast and it was kept in the movie. 7. Marty Feldman's walleyed orbs were the result of both a hyperactive thyroid and a botched operation after a car accident before his 30th birthday, in 1963. 8. FUN FACT: Igor's "Walk this way" was Steven Tyler's inspiration for hit song of the same name. 9. Wilder😇 also insisted that Brooks NOT be seen on film. However, the screeching cat and the wolf are Mel. 10. Light reflecting off of the monster's missing teeth is not a goof. It's on purpose. 11. Monical over an eye patch.🤣 12. "Puttin' on the Ritz" will never be the same again.
The monster's boots, with all of the studs on them, are called Hobnail Boots. They used to be pretty common back in the day. Those metal studs were the heads of small nails used to secure the leather to the sole of the boot. You used to be able to take such boots to a cobbler (a shoe repair guy) and have the soles replaced instead of buying a whole new boot.
Peter Boyle (the monster) was also the titular character of an X-Files episode entitled ‘Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose’ which TV Guide deemed the best episode of any show ever broadcast on television.
Actor Peter Boyle, who played "The Monster", was also The Father in 'Everybody Loves Raymond'. For one episode, a Halloween one, he dressed up as the creature from this movie. It was an homage to this movie and a meta reference to his role.
You would have had to have seen the original Universal movies with Boris Karloff to truly be able to appreciate this film and the love for those originals that went into this. Absolutely immaculate movie start to finish.
A property master takes care of all the hand props, the set decorator dresses the sets, the art director used to (now the production designer does) create the sets. Reflecting the sexism of the time, the property master was usually just called the prop man, and the woman in charge of costumes, who wasn't always the actual costume designer, was called the wardrobe mistress. The script supervisor, usually called the script girl, was in charge of maintaining continuity (for example, if in one shot, an actor picked up a glass of iced tea and took a few swallows, she made sure in the next shot that the level left in the glass matched where it had last ended).
Liked Young Frankenstein best among the Mel Brooks movies that I have seen, in part because it actually has an ending that wraps up the story. Miss Kahn’s white striped hair at the end was a take on the electrified style that Elsa Lanchester sported as ‘The Bride of Frankenstein’ in 1935.
@@popculturallychallenged Both the 1931 "Frankenstein" and the 1935 sequel "Bride of Frankenstein" are worth a watch. And so much is taken, inspired and parodied from them that just for context, it's worth it.
I used to watch this every Halloween. I'm with you, Toni - I don't like really scary horror movies either, especially the gory types. But I've always loved halloween, so Young Frankenstein was always a good pick for the spooky feels. And yes, Herman Munster was the father in the Munsters and he was supposed to be a Frankenstein's monster.
They contacted the prop master from the original Frankenstein who had saved a lot of the lab equipment which he gave to Mel Brooks to use in this. It is GeneGackman who is the blind hermit, and Peter Boyle as the creature was the father in EverybodyxLoves Raymond
“Wait… I was gonna make espresso!” was adlibbed by Gene Hackman. They had to cut the scene a bit short because the crew kept busting up laughing. “You take the blonde, I’ll take the one in the turban,” said by Groucho- I mean, Marty Feldman. After this line, as Igor is biting Elizabeth’s fur stole, you can see Gene Wilder barely keeping from laughing. Wilder ruined several takes by continuously cracking up- this was as close as they were able to come.
Gene Wilder and Gene Hackman were friends and tennis partners. Hackman asked Wilder if there was any role he could play in the movie, as Hackman wanted to do a comedy. Hackman improvised the espresso line, which cracked up the entire crew and is the reason the scene immediately fades out after that line.
Mel Brooks loved the old Universal Monster movies. Young Frankenstein was a tribute and a satire to those classic films. Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein are definitely worth checking out. Many iconic scenes from the two films are referenced here .
The cat sound when they were throwing darts was a gag. It was not written in the script but Mel Brooks ad-libbed it when they were filming. It was his voice.
You were right, David in that the blind man was in fact played by Gene Hackman, and the Monster being Peter Boyle who was Frank in Everybody loves Raymond. Sadly, is he bulk of this stacked cast is no longer with us. Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman (Ignore)...all sadly have died. Interesting fact: Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder were such close friends, that the only argument Wilder said they ever had involved a scene in this movie. The scene n question was when Fredrick and the Monster tap dances to "Puttin' on the Ritz". Wilder said the writing process was he (Wilder) would write all day, and after dinner, Mel Brooks would come over and review the day's writing. When he read that scene, he looked at Gene Wilder and said "You're tap dancing with the Monster to Irving Berlin? It's frivolous." Wilder argued and argued until "I was probably red in the face. I was certainly blue"...Wilder and Brooks argued for about 20 minutes, and out of nowhere, Mel Brooks just calmly and matter-of-factly said "OK." Wilder was really confused by the whole thing and asked Mel "Why did you put me through all that?" Brooks' answer was "Because I wasn't sure it was right for the movie. If you argued for it, I knew it was right."
If you're familiar with Alfred Hitchcock's movies, you should do High Anxiety... If not, check out as many of his movies as you can first. It also features Madeline Kahn and Cloris Leachman... with Harvey Korman, as well 🙂
First off, Toni, you're absolutely wonderful and don't need make-up to get there. 🙂 Secondly, yes, Herman Munster was based on Frankenstein's Monster; his wife, Lily, was based on the "bride" of Frankenstein's Monster. Grandpa was based on Dracula, and Herman's and Lily's son, Eddie, was based on the Wolfman. Incidentally, there was also "poor, unfortunate Marilyn", who was Eddie's cousin, and who was "plain", which is to say the only "normal"-looking one of the bunch. 😄 One thing that I've always found interesting about _The Munsters_ and _The Addams Family,_ a similarly "weird" family in the days of black-and-white sitcoms, was how family-oriented they were. Herman and Gomez were both absolutely in love with their wives, and the ideas of cheating on them, lying to them, or even "just" dismissing them were anathema. Both shows portrayed the married couple as a team who worked together, which was surprisingly progressive given the era. They were also quite good _people._ Friendly and outgoing, without a bad thing to say about others, generous, kind. Both families were an interesting examination of the adage regarding looks not mattering. For the era, that was quite surprising. _Bewitched,_ _I Dream of Jeannie,_ and even _I Love Lucy_ all reinforced the old tropes of a woman's subservience and obedience, and not just as wives, either. Just a woman's subservience and obedience to men, period. _The Munsters_ and _The Addams Family,_ though, showed families working together; they weren't perfect, but they did care about each other, and about people in general. If you guys ever decide to add sitcoms to the watch list, obviously I heartily recommend _The Munsters_ and _The Addams Family._ 😄
@@Bfdidc Yes, they were based on cartoons that appeared in _The New Yorker,_ if memory serves. I just didn't think that was particularly relevant to the discussion about old sitcoms. 🙂
David, you obviously have the sense of humor to enjoy Mel Brooks, in general, and specifically this film which has been one of my favorite comedies since I saw it in the 70’s at a drive-in on a double feature with a James Bond film. Toni, you have an absolutely beautiful ”natural” face, without makeup, but please always do what makes you happy. Glad you got to enjoy a comedy in October! Great reaction, guys. Thank you for sharing.
In the medical school scene with the test subject and the "clamping" device behind the neck... "I need a clamp like that. I wanna try that." the look on the husband's face... priceless!!! =X-D We ALL need a clamp like that to try that!
You were correct both times. Peter Boyle was the monster and that was Gene Hackman doing a bit part for the movie.I think the movie is hilarious. Marty Feldman (Igor) stole the show though. When he did that Groucho Marx voice when he picked up the luggage , I spit out my drink.
Hard to believe that the guy that plays Frankenstein is the same guy that played Raymond's dad on "Everybody Loves Raymond", Peter Boyle. The scene with Gene Hackman is so funny. Gene practically BEGGED Mel for a chance to be in one of his movies and the blind beggar is what they came up with. Hilarious!
Mel Brooks found the original laboratory and wanted to make a Frankenstein movie. FYI's Marty Feldman decided to change the humps location as a running gag. The scene at the train station where they used the little cane to go down the steps, that was in the original movie; Igor used it the same way going down the castle stairs. "Brucha" was thought to be German for glue, which was made using horse's hooves. The original Bride of Frankenstein after she was brought back to life, her hair was black with the 2 streaks of white. #Spaceballs, #Blazing Saddles, #Robin Hood Men in Tights, are all parodies of star wars, star trek, Westerns, and old robin hood, and prince of theives movies.
This was dead-on a parody of the original 1930's Frankenstein. They did find and use the original laboratory set. Teri Gar, Madeline Kahn, Gene Hackman, Cloris Leachman, Peter Boyle, Gene Wilder and Marty Feldman. The funniest Mel Brooks movie for me is History of the world part 1.
@@popculturallychallenged but not the same set. The film was released by 20th Century Fox, but the original Frankenstein movies were filmed at Universal. Though it is possible that Universal would have "rented out the use of the set" to Fox, it is doubtful that it still existed in when "Young Frankenstein" was made. The original "Frankenstein" movie was made in 1931. "Young Frankenstein" was released in 1974. Given the scarcity and value of land in the Los Angeles / Hollywood area, it is doubtful that they would keep a set around for 43 years. There were 8 total Universal "Frankenstein" films, the last being "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" in 1948. Even if every single one of the films involved the use of the original set, they would not kept the set around for an additional 26 years not being used, especially considering the lab equipment was in the collection of a private collector that loaned it to Brooks and Wilder. The Abbott and Costello film did not involve the original set at all, and I doubt that anything beyond the third movie takes place in the original castle and using the original laboratory set (judging from the film plot write-ups).
Another one of Mel Brooks masterpieces! His humor is one of a kind. This & Blazing Saddles, are my favorites of all his movies. Original lab equipment from the 1931 movie, Frankenstein, was used. Madeleine Kahn's hair streaks were from the movie Bride of Frankenstein. When the doctor first arrived at the castle, Frau Blucher carried a candelabra around, but none of the candles in it were lit. So many little gags like that help make this priceless. Great reaction!
Other Mel Brooks movies to check out would be: high anxiety, blazing saddles (his spoof on westerns), Spaceballs (his spoof on Star wars). Also Robin Hood Men in tights.
I love Toni's faces at different points. My daughters enjoyed this for its silliness and eventually for the Mel Brooks humor as they got older. Thanks guys😊
There were several renditions of Frankenstein, also the bride of Frankenstein. The lab equipment was from the first movie. By far my favorite Mel Brooks film.
And the nice thing is the Creator of the lab equipment did not even get a mention in the original credits, but gets honored in this one. He basically had it in storage since the original movie
The Lab equipment in this film is from the original 1931 Frankenstein. I would recommend "High Anxiety" Mel Brooks take on Hitchcock's Vertigo. Then "Silent Movie" and "History of the World Part 1"
Another comedy film that stars both Kenneth Mars (Inspector Kemp) and Madeline Kahn (Elizabeth) is the 1970 movie "What's Up, Doc?". The main characters are played by Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal (RIP). Liam Dunn (Mr. Hilltop) also makes a hilarious appearance as well.
Inspector Kemp is a character from Son of Frankenstein, one of the 3 original movies referenced in this film. He lost his arm to the monster in that film
I thoroughly enjoyed your reactions to this movie. This was one of two movies my father and I saw together and will always remain special to me. The other was The Sting, a definite recommendation if you haven't yet watched it.
Those boots on the Creature are a form of book called hobnail. The Disney Paul Bunyan movie had a song mentioning them (...with his double-blade axe and his hobnail boots...). Also, the cinematography and music score really turns this from a parody to a homage to those 1930s movie. Also, Inspector kemp was based on a character in Son of Frankenstein who, I believe, had his arm ripped off by the monster when he was younger and had a prosthetic one.
@@popculturallychallenged I've enjoyed other RU-vid comment videos that have taken on The Sting because every one of them fell prey to it's plot just as audiences did in the 1970s. It truly is a wonderful movie and I look forward to your inevitable enjoyment of it. In the early 1980s I bought a Stetson fedora for myself and my father because of him taking me to see The Sting. I wore mine out but Dad wore his only on Easter Sundays. He's been gone now for four years but I still have his fedora in its original Stetson box and think I always will. Those two solo movie-goings with my father will always remain special to me.
Herman Munster was the father. And yes, he was based on Frankenstein. I think Universal produced the sitcom, so they had the rights to use their versions of Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman. Herman was the Frankenstein, his wife, Lily was a vampire, but she also had the white streak in her hair like the bride of Frankenstein, their son Eddie was a werewolf. and Grandpa was a vampire. And Herman's niece Marilyn was the black sheep of the family because she was pretty (which is not acceptable in Transylvania). There was no uncle in the Munsters; you're probably thinking of the Addams Family and their Uncle Fester. The Addams Family was based on spooky cartoon panels that ran in the New Yorker magazine and the name of the family comes from the cartoonist who created them, Charles Addams (the family actually were never named in the cartoons). The Addams came out around the same time as the Munsters and were very similar, but the Addams were more subtle. You could see the Munsters were monsters just by looking at them, but the Addams could pass as people (albeit odd and quirky). Except maybe for Thing, the disembodied hand and cousin It who was completely covered by his long hair (but those 2 characters were not in the original cartoons; they were original to the sitcom). You got the feeling the rest of the family could be inhuman monsters, but you couldn't quite be sure. The Addams Family has been much more successful in movie versions than the Munsters and might be worth checking out.
I actually think she was confusing The Munsters with The Addams Family. The Addams Family was the show with an Uncle (Fester) so it wasn't Herman it was Lyrch.
Mel Brooks wasn't sure about having them bring vegetables to throw, but his wife, the great actress Anne Bancroft said the audience members figured it would be terrible; they were just curious enough to come. Brooks also argued with Gene Wilder (whose idea this was and who co-wrote the script) about having the song and dance number. He gave in eventually, telling Wilder he wasn't sure but he had to see whether Wilder cared enough to fight for it.
Odd trivia: Steven Tyler and Joe Perry wrote Walk This Way, after seeing this movie. The scene when Igor told Fredrick to "walk this way", just stuck with Tyler, after the movie. According to him, he told Perry that there had to be song in there..
I love Mel Brooks movies! The horses neighing is just Mel Brookses take on a melodramatic organ riff, or clap of thunder when a villain is mentioned. :-) Some people think it's because Bleucher sounds like the German word for "Glue" but that's been proven false.
So happy you two went with this movie after the last few we watched toni go through. I love this movie so much i have two copies on DVD haha. Have a good one
The lettuce throwing at the theatre was indeed a very real tradition in the late 19th century. If the show or a performer was crap , they would get pelted with rancid tomatoes, lettuces, cabbages etc slung by the audience - in a similar way rank food was slung at people in the stocks for public humiliation. I don't know if that was ever the case in America but it is definitely an old custom here in London.
For this movie he used the same operating theater and props from the original movie. Mel Brooks did a remake of a 1940s movie "to Be or Not To Be" it is typical mel brooks movie.
