Imitation
is the sincerest form of flattery, and parody is, at its best, imitation with a
wink and a nudge. That affectionate sense of parody permeates Young Frankenstein (1974), with Mel
Brooks and Gene Wilder demonstrating their great appreciation for James Whale's
classic movies, Frankenstein (1931)
and The Bride of Frankenstein (1935),
throughout their brilliantly funny treatment of Mary Shelley's Gothic tale.
Often ranked as one of the funniest movies ever made, Young Frankenstein offers plenty of laughs that anyone can enjoy,
but the best gags unfold only for those who recognize the playful subversion of
the original films.
Gene
Wilder stars as Frederick Frankenstein, the reluctant heir to the family estate
and the family business of resurrecting the dead. Leaving his intended bride,
Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), behind, Frederick returns to the ancestral home to
claim his inheritance, where he finds new companions in bizarre henchman Igor
(Marty Feldman), buxom assistant Inga (Teri Garr), and dour housekeeper Frau Blücher
(Cloris Leachman). Together they build a new creature (Peter Boyle), which
inevitably gets loose to wreak havoc on the countryside, much to the
disgruntlement of the villagers, who have suffered harassment of this type all
too often before.
Brooks
and Wilder wrote the screenplay together, and they were lucky enough to get
Whale's original laboratory sets for the film, a detail that shows how much the
comedy respects and appreciates its source material. In fact, Whale's Bride of Frankenstein comes shockingly
close to being parodic already, so wicked is the sense of humor that pervades
the film, and Brooks and Wilder have only to push here and pull there to make
the comic possibilities inherent in the Whale films come bounding out. The
scene with the monster and the blind man (Gene Hackman) is just whiskers away
from the incident seen in Bride, yet
it makes the whole exchange hilariously bizarre.
A
superbly funny cast helps to keep the jokes moving. Wilder plays Frankenstein
like a cross between Colin Clive and William Powell, and Teri Garr is
delightfully nubile as Inga. The impossibly bug-eyed Marty Feldman seems born
to play Igor, and his constant breaking of the fourth wall makes the audience
part of the fun. As the creature, Peter Boyle has a round, baby-faced quality
that evokes the idea of a temperamental toddler, which goes a long way toward
making him a sympathetic character, even when he starts smashing things.
Madeline Kahn has some wonderful scenes, especially when she is busy keeping
Wilder's eager hero at arm's length, and Cloris Leachman's stony-faced
housekeeper recalls Una O'Connor's screeching Minnie in The Bride of Frankenstein while also evoking all the stereotypes of
the Gothic stock character.
Young
Frankenstein
is much funnier when the film’s rich source material is familiar, but it offers
enough sight gags, physical comedy, and sexual humor to keep almost any adult
viewer thoroughly entertained. Fans of the original films, however, will
particularly appreciate the care and detail in this comic homage. For more of
the same, see Blazing Saddles (1974),
in which Brooks and company take on the conventions of the classic Western, and
High Anxiety (1977), which gives the
same treatment to the films of Alfred Hitchcock. If you really enjoy parodies
of classic movies and genres, move on to Murder
by Death (1976) and Dead Men Don't
Wear Plaid (1982). For more of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, see Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), and
Tim Burton’s new horror comedy, Frankenweenie
(2012).
An earlier version of this review originally appeared on Examiner.com. The author retains all rights to this content.
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