FUN FACT: Gene Hackman ad-libbed the "I was going make espresso." line. Mel Brooks and the crew thought it was hilarious. Hackman himself thought it was so funny that he couldn't do any more takes of it without busting out laughing. So, what we see in the movie is the one and only usable take of the scene they had.
Gene was not originally cast in the show. When he heard the movie was being made, he practically begged for a role, so Mel Brooks made him the blind hermit.
It’s kind of funny that they ended up together here, as William Friedkin originally didn’t want Gene Hackman cast as Popeye Doyle in _The French Connection,_ and Peter Boyle was considered for the role, before Friedkin finally agreed with casting Hackman.
Pretty much all of the laboratory equipment is actually from the original film, complete with the original cobwebs LOL. The producers couldn't believe their luck when they found out that it had been in storage all this time.
When the Director of Photography was setting up the camera's it didn't look right on film. Not until he asked Mel Gibson "What do you want me to do? Make it look like the original?" and Mel screamed "YeS!" did he finally realize what Mel was going for.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ONE OF THE ONLY REACTORS TO CATCH THAT THE CAMEO IS GENE HACKMAN. It blows my mind how many people miss it completely. You just made a Jen fan into an even BIGGER Jen fan. ^_^
It probably has to do with the fact that Gene's last role was 20 years ago, and he officially retired from acting in 2008 so a lot of younger reactors haven't seen his work. I do wish more reactors would watch his films (Hoosiers, Crimson Tide, Quick and the Dead, etc)
"Stay close to the candles. The staircase can be treacherous." Want to guess how many times I watched this before I noticed that the candles aren't even lit?
In Frankenstein (1931), the creature encounters a young girl throwing flowers into a pond, so that they float. The creature happily joins in, but when they run out of flowers, he throws the girl in, not understanding the difference, and she drowns. So that scene where she asks what they should throw in next, and he looks at the camera is a direct reference to that film. As if to say to the audience "I know what you're all thinking." At the end, when the creature's new wife comes out of the bathroom and her hair is done up in a sort of beehive hairdo, with white streaks, and she hisses, that's a direct reference to Bride of Frankenstein (1935). In that film, they create a mate for the creature, she has that hair style, and she hisses when first exposed to the creature.
And of course the original Monster visited an old blind hermit, who befriended him and taught him English. The constable with one arm is a direct reference to Lionel Atwill's character in "Son of Frankenstein", who verbally spars with the title character (and plays darts with him) just as we see in this film.
This was some of Mel Brooks’ best work. Marty Feldman as Igor was one of his best performances ever, he steals every scene and Gene Wilder was fantastic as Dr Frankenstein, RIP to the both of them.
Clocks Peach man also ad libbed the various late night drinks to wilder at the beginning. Sort of how the actor in Forrest Gump ad libbed the shrimp dishes. Both directors liked it and went with it.
They wanted Madeline Kahn to playing Inga, but she had just done a German accent in Blazing Saddles abd asked to play the fiancé. Teri Garr was in casting and tried out. "Can you do an accent?" She broke out into this. Cloris Leachman improvised the asking Gene if he wanted the various drinks. Gene almost breaks. The gag reel is mainly takes of Igor biting the shawl. In one take, he bit a leg off. Gene kept breaking. Marty kept switching what side his hump was on. Gene mentions it because they had only just noticed he had been doing that. Mel Brooks' cameo was making the sound of the cat being hit by a dart. Gene didnt want Mel to be in the film. All of Frankenstein's equipment was the original film's stuff. The builder had kept it all. Gene Hackman had never done a comedy. He was in a tennis club with Gene and asked for a part. Due to issues related to management etc., Hackman was originally uncredited.
Regarding Blucher and the horses, it became an urban myth (with some help from Leachman) that the name means glue in German, which it doesn’t. Glue in German is kleber. The reaction to her name is just meant to imply she’s a frightening person. Gene Wilder on the DVD says “Lord only knows what she does to them when no one’s around.”
@@jonmercano1138 So, you’re willing to accept that almost everyone in Transylvania speaks English with British accents, but not that butcher means glue here? It’s all suspension of disbelief.
@@aaronhusk I’d accept it if that was actually the case, but it’s not. The _audience_ made it up. Gene Wilder, who co wrote the movie, said the horse reactions just imply she’s scary, so that’s what it is.
This came out when I was in College and I had a course in Russian History. I always assumed she was "Interefering" with the horsea Ala Cathrine the Great!
I read that Aerosmith took a break from the studio to see this movie in the theater. Inspiration for their song "Walk this way" they loved this movie 😅
This was back when not everyone was brought up to be a slut & have sex before marriage. Elizabeth was in love with Frederick, but she was high class enough to want to wait for marriage before having sex. There ARE some people who still live this way.
Fun Fact: This film inspired my country's band to take name Eppu Normaali (native translation of Abby Normal) when they started playing in 1976. Band is still playing actively.
AS A JOKE Marty would switch the hump from one side to the other without telling anyone. It took a couple of Days, but Gene and Mel eventually caught on and loved the gag so much they added it into the film! This was mostly Gene's Baby and asked Mel not to make a Cameo, as he didn't want Mel's cameo upstaging the great work the rest of the cast was doing. The Laboratory props (ALL of them) were from the Classic "Frankenstein" Movie! Mel found out the (uncredited) Prop master had them in a Garage and asked if he could use them. Although he refused to be paid for the "loan", his name was added to the Credits of This one.
Gene Wilder was afraid that Mel would try and steal scenes, so he agreed to not be in the film, but he did do some of the voices in background. Marty Feldman's "damned eyes" were caused by having chronic thyroid disease, probably Graves' Disease. Not many recognized Gene Hackman as the blindman, well done, Jen. Some people also didn't notice that the Inspector, played by Kenneth Mars, was wearing a monocle over his eyepatch.
The hermit scene is my favorite because it's funny as hell but mostly because it pays homage to my favorite scene from "The Bride of Frankenstein " which, conversely, is heartrendingly touching.
Marty Feldman as I-gor is probably my favorite comedic performance in any movie ever... Everything he does is hilarious. If you check out some of the behind-the-scenes and outtakes, he is consistently cracking everyone on the set up too.
Ya know as many reactors as have watched this movie...nobody seems to pickup on the train station joke. Some of the lyrics to the song recorded in 1941 by Glenn Miller: "Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?" "Yes, yes, Track 29!" "Boy, you can give me a shine." "Can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo Choo?" "I've got my fare, and just a trifle to spare."
This was ad libbed by Peter Boyle, and apparently caused the entire cast and crew to lose nearly an entire day of filming because they could not get through a take without cracking up.
The only fight that Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks had was on the 'putting on the risk' scene, Mel Brooks wasn't sure and felt that if Gene fought for it, it was right, if he didn't then it needed to be removed. The scene where Frankenstein's fiance arrives took like 30 takes because no one could keep a straight face, particularly when Marty Feldman bit into her stole. This is one of the great pieces of proof that to make a parody, you HAVE to start from a point of respect. This is one of the best, if not THE best Frankenstein/monster movie ever made, and it is also hysterical and parodies the tropes of that type of movie so brilliantly.
Fun fact, you'd never recognize it from the accent that he has, but Kenneth Mars (who plays Inspector Kemp) is the voice of Ariel's father King Triton in The Little Mermaid. Gene Hackman had just done French Connection and several other super-serious roles and basically called Mel Brooks when he heard he was making this movie and asked for a cameo because he wanted to do something funny. The result is beyond brilliant and perhaps the funniest scene in the movie.
Had you watched the original black and white Frankenstein film from the 1930's, you would have seen many parallels to the original in this spoof. When the doctor tells Igor to "get down!" in the cemetery, they chose to mimic the original scene exactly. By the way, in the early film, the monster dispatches the little girl. Needless to say, it was a much more serious story. Glad you liked this one. It is my number one Mel Brooks film. Oh, and the only time you see Brooks in the movie is his likeness modeled into a gargoyle on the wall...
Supposedly, “Young Frankenstein” is intended to be a satire of the 1931 original. But the two films that it actually draws from quite heavily are the sequels “Son of Frankenstein” (1939) and “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942).
I've seen several reactors comment on the dead baron in his coffin, the desiccated, skeletal corpse: "look at the fake fingernails!" Your nail bed does sit quite deep under the skin. When the skin shrinks and/or rots away, the nails appear much longer than in life. This has lead to the myth that hair and nails continue to grow after you die, which is not true. They don't grow; your skin shrinks. So, yeah: an old corpse like this would have prominent fingernails. I guess a lot of people are not familiar with death, understandably, so they are surprised when they see that movie prop corpse- which is actually fairly realistic, as movie prop corpses go!
Marty Feldman (Igor) switched his hump to the opposite between tskes and waited for everyone else to notice. Inspector Kemp was based on a similar character in Son of Frankenstein, who had such a thick Bavarian accent you couldn't hardly understand him. This is one of my all-time favorite movies - glad you finally got to see it.
It's nuts, but often when my mind starts wandering I randomly think "Roll. Roll. Roll in the hay!" Jokes poking fun at figures of speech and euphemisms are among my favorite brands of humor.
One of the greatest films ever made and the chemistry between Wilder, Garr and Feldman is unparalleled! This film incorporated props from the Original film, both Masterpieces! And that solo violin!
Trivia - the equipment in the lab was the same props used in Bride of Frankenstein. An infinitely quotable film!!!!!! Mel Brooks had to fight to film it in black & white & keep the musical number in it.
Madeline Kahn, the legend returns in a Mel Brooks film! Cloris Leachman would go on to costar on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Peter Boyle (the creature) would be famous to your generation as the dad on Everybody Loves Raymond.
The gentleman that did the special effects for the original movie had it stored in his garage. He was more than happy to loan it to Mel and even helped to install it.
Almost 1.3k on chat today 🎉 thankyou to each and every one of you for making it another successful one 💙 please leave a like and a comment it would be very much appreciated 👍
Sadly, the delightful Teri Garr has passed away. She always made me smile. Jen, you might consider a reaction to TOS S02E26 "Assignment: Earth" in tribute.
When I was much younger, I had the good fortune of being an extra in a film that starred Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner (whom he married). Both were extremely nice and treated everyone the same on set, no matter who you were. If someone had told me that one day I'd get to speak to the man who starred in my favorite movie as a kid, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, I would've said they're crazy. Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were extremely talented, and their comedy genius is sorely missed.
I loved Roseanne Roseannadanna driving Jane Curtin crazy with her inane ramblings, followed by "It just goes to show you. It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."
@@justwondering5651 i miss all her other characters as well: Emily Latilla, news commentator that gets everythng wrong ["Nevermind!"], the burnt out rock star, Lisa Loopner of the Nerd skits {"That's so funny I forgot to laugh"], the Little girl bouncing around going beserk, and the one time she danced a fantasy dance with Steve Matrin, that broke me up, I was on the floor.
😄👍 In case you forgot, Teri Garr (Inga) was also Richard Dreyfus' wife in "Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind." A couple of other movies she's really great in are "Tootsie" (1982) and "After Hours" (1985). Of course, Madeline Kahn was also in "Blazing Saddles." Other Mel Brooks movies you'll find her in include "High Anxiety" (1977) and "History Of The World Part 1" (1981). 😉
I will forever remember the first time I saw this. My 7th grade Chemistry teacher showed it to us at the end of the year because we already took our final before the end of the semester. Such a great movie.
This movie is very funny. But it's even funnier if you're familiar with the original Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff & also the sequel: Bride of Frankenstein. It references those two movies a lot & has jokes in it that you will get only if you're familiar with the first two. Great job reacting!
Thank you for reacting to this, Jen, it's based off of the first three Frankenstein films by Universal and even used some of the same sets. Marty Feldman is the real star of this, he steals the scenes he's in, R.I.P. Right, I'm popping out to the shop and then I'm going to continue my Star Wars rewatches for you and your channel, Jen.
I forget how good they create the old black and white era look in this film. I occasionally have to remind myself it's not from the 30's. Loved the reaction Jen!
Brook’s insistence that they shoot in black and white rubbed the studio heads the wrong way, but he paid for the film out of his pocket. It was a brilliant move. The movie was a big hit. Gene Wilder wrote the screenplay. Brooks didn’t want the song and dance sequence but Wilder wore him down. Glad he did.
This movie is comic perfection. Liam Dunn plays the older skinny man who Dr. Fronkensteen knees in the groin early in the film. Dunn also played the minister in Blazing Saddles. He played Barbara Striesand's Father in 1972's What's Up Doc. Man the 70's had some great comedies.
So glad you enjoyed this Jen. This is my favourite comedy film and, in fact, in my top 10 of the best movies ever made. It’s a comedy gem and Gene Hackman’s cameo is the icing on the cake! “I was going to make espresso!” 😂
One of the cool things about "Young Frankenstein" is that it uses a lot of the same set pieces and lab equipment from the classic 1931 Universal Studios "Frankenstein" film. In my mind, it's a legitimate sequel. 😁
One of my favourite lines in this movie is when Gene Wilder is beating on The Creature's chest right after the procedure and Inga says: "Doctor stop it, you'll kill him!" "Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte", by the way, is black forest cherry cake. Apparently Gene had to learn how to say it properly, just like he had to learn all of the medical talk at the beginning which he did not understand. And apparently Mel Brooks actually reads The Lancet and is, as he puts it, an "amateur doctor" if I remember right. Gene almost broke so many times in this movie, and broke many times during the scene with EyeGore, Elizabeth, Inga and Froderick. Gene was also responsible for Cloris Leachman breaking many times in the filming. So much funny stuff in this movie, one of my absolute favourites right above "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother." (A Gene Wilder & Marty Feldman movie, not by Mel Brooks, sadly.) There is a saying in Hollywood that goes along the lines of "No one freaks out on screen like Gene Wilder." And yes, Mel Brooks gets a cameo, but you never see him. That is the only hint I will give you until you can watch the commentary. ;) The Mel Brooks commentary on this movie is amazing, he has so much behind the scenes exposition, and the note on Teri Garr saying "Beck!" is a great little tidbit. He talks about how she came to bring the accent to life. I am so glad you enjoyed this movie! ❤❤❤
The joke behind Frau Blücher and the horses: "blücher" is a style of shoe/boot named for the Prussian general who designed them for his troops. Blüchers made from horsehide were later part of domestic servant uniforms since the leather is more durable than cowhide. "Shell" cordovan (originally from Cordoba Spain) is still very popular for high-end footwear and comes from the withers.
It means glue in German. As in glue and glue factories would scare horses. That's the meaning of the joke that's from the lips of Mel Brooks at least. The shoe thing is horse shit.
@@TheMoneypresident if he said it even if he's wrong. That's the joke he intended to tell. This boot thing wasn't even on his radar. It's just made up internet nitpicking and making crap up to sound smarter than everyone else.
@@bafumat So is the "glue" story--"Leim" and "Klebstoff" mean glue. One guy above mentioned what I always thought: that Frau Blucher had a close relationship (ala Catherine the Great) with the horses. Gene Wilder on the DVD interview said “Lord only knows what she does to them when no one’s around.”
@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 none of that matters. He thought it was correct and that was the joke. The same way James thought the Terminator was a Cyborg but it obviously isn't. But in that story, it is.
Young Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite Mel Brooks movies, as well as one of my top 5 all time favorite movies. There was so much talent in the cast, and the few blooper reels that I have seen, they all had such a hard time not absolutely cracking up and just riffing off each other the entire time.
Fun Fact: The hump on Igor kept changing due to the comedian. It was his idea and no one knew he was going to do it. Mel Brooks noticed and loved it so he kept in the movie. “What hump?” 😂
6:00 - STAR TREK FACT - INGAR is portrayed by Teri Garr. She also portrayed hopeful job applicant, Roberta Lincoln, in 'Assignent Earth, the twenty-sixth episode, of season two, Star Trek TOS.
Jen, you are the perfect movie reactor. You are the first that I’ve watched that picked up on every subtle joke, you appreciate the music, the movie being in black and white( which most of you young ones don’t appreciate.) You are definitely cultured, knowledgeable and very intuitive. Fantastic reaction Jen, thank you for doing this movie.👍💯🇦🇺
I saw this theatrically in 1975 when I was eight years old. It became my gateway to both Mel Brooks and horror movies and to this day I love them both. Mel Brooks is a national treasure.👍
Speaking of the horror & comedy MUST SEE Classics,, Starring comedic icon Don Knotts,, "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken" (1966) ...R.I.P. Don 🙏 ❤️ Gone But Definitely Not Forgotten.
Gene was adamant that Mel NOT appear in the movie to maintain the appearance of the originals. Though Mel did provide sound effects, like the cat yowl when it was hit by the dart.🤣 An amazing script collaboration. 🥰 All of the laboratory equipment was the original Tesla coils on loan from the original movies. 👋
The original Frankenstein an Bride of Frankenstein movies from the 30's should be required viewing before watching this just like the Star Wars movies before Spaceballs. Always watch the original before the spoof.
Mel Brooks was not in this (one of the few of his movies where this is so), but he is credited with "werewolf" and "cat", so it appears he did the sound effects for the cat that is hit with a dart during the dart game and the howling of the werewolf during his "hay ride" with Teri Garr near the beginning of the movie.
Mel Brooks birthday is June 28th...thank you for a great reaction to this absolute genius! My favorite will always be Blazing Saddles.👴🏾👍🏾👏🏾😂...i just ask for your personal viewing... if you havent experienced a lot of his work I HIGHLY suggest "High Anxiety" his homage to classic Alfred Hitchcock movies...that even Hitchcock himself complimented Mel Brooks for. It may not be for the channel but would be great for your personal view!!😂👏🏾👍🏾
Jen reviewing one of the funniest movies ever made? Yes please! "Put. It. Back!" "It's pronounced FRONKENSTEEN." "What knockers!" "Oh, thank you, Doctor." 😂
It's definitely my favorite of Mel Brook's films. It's great. I love young Frankenstein! Yes, this spoofs both the original 1931 "Frankenstein" film and, to a much lesser extent, its sequel, "The Bride of Frankenstein." If you've seen any Alfred Hitchcock, I highly recommend watching Mel Brooks: "High Anxiety, " which loosely parodies several famous Hitchcock films.
Thanks so much for reacting Jen, I was waiting for this! This is one of my all time favorite Mel Brroks movie. Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle were perfect as Igor and The Monster, and Gene Wilder was flawless. I still send the Puttin' On The Ritz scene to friends.
As far as The Producers is concerned, it was an original concept and screenplay by Mel Brooks that won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The original 1967 film stars Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, and there was the adaptation of the Broadway musical that utilized many of the original 2001 Broadway cast and creative team in 2005. Start with the original, I loved the musical...but some people have problems with it, and its not exactly like the original (one character is completely cut from the musical version). Young Frankenstein is one of the few Mel Brooks films he didn't make an appearance in. The original concept for the film was Gene's, and he was working on it while filming Blazing Saddles. When Mel asked what he was doing, Gene explained it...and then the two of them stayed up late that night banging out ideas for the film. Since both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein came out the same year, 1974, it is kind of amazing that both films are in the American Film Institute's top 20 greatest comedies (Blazing Saddles in #6, Young Frankenstein is #14). I prefer Blazing Saddles, but I know a lot of people who prefer Young Frankenstein. Marty Feldman as Igor...one of his greatest performances. He made only a handful films, one of my favorites was, ironically, his final film. The pirate comedy Yellowbeard, which had a huge cast of British and American comedy greats, is a weird mixture of Mel Brooks and Monty Python. The cast includes Pythons Graham Chapman (as Yellowbeard), Eric Idle, and John Cleese, with Brooks players like Madeline Kahn (Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein), Peter Boyle (The Creature), and Kenneth Mars (Inspector Kemp). It also had Cheech and Chong, British acting legends like Susannah York (Superman I & II), James Mason (A Star Is Born with Judy Garland in 1954), Bernard Fox (Titanic and The Mummy), and Michael Hordern. The oddest casting is a cameo by David Bowie. Besides Young Frankenstein, Marty also appeared in Mel Brooks's Silent Movie. One other film I loved as a kid was the irreverent (almost blasphemous) comedy In God We Tru$t, written and directed by Marty, which also had Andy Kaufman, Peter Boyle, and Richard Pryor. Marty died in 1983 of a heart attack in Mexico City filming Yellowbeard, and supposedly, Graham Chapman was with him when he passed. He was only 48.
I watched Young Frankenstein in a theatre by myself when it came out ..... my friends thought a black and white movie would be boring ... 14yo duh ... still my favourite comedy of all time ... the running joke of Frau Blucher and the horses 🤣🤣🐎
I see a lot of people mentioned much of the trivia. This was made and released the next year after Blazing Saddles. It was during Blazing Saddles that Gene Wilder pitched the Young Frankenstein idea the Mel Brooks. The Abby Normal joke has become one of the most used lines from the movie.
1. Mr. Hilltop/Liam Dunn also played 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 already 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.
This movie is so much fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was fun watching you laugh and giggle the whole way through. 😂 My two favorite scenes are "Elevate me" and "Puttin on the Ritz."
What's ur fav Mel Brooks?
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I flip back and forth between Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles every few years. I'll be interested to hear your opinion.
His first movie, The Producers (also with Gene Wilder) is hilarious.
It's a draw between Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein!
'History of the World: Part 1' (1981) and also Young Frankie.
Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles and SpaceBalls, though the order sometimes changes.
FUN FACT: Gene Hackman ad-libbed the "I was going make espresso." line. Mel Brooks and the crew thought it was hilarious. Hackman himself thought it was so funny that he couldn't do any more takes of it without busting out laughing. So, what we see in the movie is the one and only usable take of the scene they had.
Gene was not originally cast in the show. When he heard the movie was being made, he practically begged for a role, so Mel Brooks made him the blind hermit.
It’s kind of funny that they ended up together here, as William Friedkin originally didn’t want Gene Hackman cast as Popeye Doyle in _The French Connection,_ and Peter Boyle was considered for the role, before Friedkin finally agreed with casting Hackman.
@@justwondering5651 I heard they added the scene just for him as it's not part of the original film, but I believe from son of Frankenstein
Like he added to Blazing Saddles. I think his additions go a bit too far, especially in a Mel Brooks Movie.
Pretty much all of the laboratory equipment is actually from the original film, complete with the original cobwebs LOL. The producers couldn't believe their luck when they found out that it had been in storage all this time.
The craftsman who developed the original equipment had it stored in his garage in Santa Monica (the Los Angeles area).
When the Director of Photography was setting up the camera's it didn't look right on film. Not until he asked Mel Gibson "What do you want me to do? Make it look like the original?" and Mel screamed "YeS!" did he finally realize what Mel was going for.
Strickfaden.
Yes, the lab equipment was created by Ken Strickfaden
@@DarthTach I’m pretty sure you meant to say Mel Brooks.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING ONE OF THE ONLY REACTORS TO CATCH THAT THE CAMEO IS GENE HACKMAN. It blows my mind how many people miss it completely. You just made a Jen fan into an even BIGGER Jen fan. ^_^
It probably has to do with the fact that Gene's last role was 20 years ago, and he officially retired from acting in 2008 so a lot of younger reactors haven't seen his work. I do wish more reactors would watch his films (Hoosiers, Crimson Tide, Quick and the Dead, etc)
@@rjwilley9164 Holy crap, I forgot about The Quick and the Dead! Now THAT'S a film more of these reactors need to jump on!
@@rjwilley9164 You forgot "The French Connection."
Superman
I'll be honest I missed it the first time I watched it. 👍 for Jen.
"Stay close to the candles. The staircase can be treacherous."
Want to guess how many times I watched this before I noticed that the candles aren't even lit?
In Frankenstein (1931), the creature encounters a young girl throwing flowers into a pond, so that they float. The creature happily joins in, but when they run out of flowers, he throws the girl in, not understanding the difference, and she drowns. So that scene where she asks what they should throw in next, and he looks at the camera is a direct reference to that film. As if to say to the audience "I know what you're all thinking."
At the end, when the creature's new wife comes out of the bathroom and her hair is done up in a sort of beehive hairdo, with white streaks, and she hisses, that's a direct reference to Bride of Frankenstein (1935). In that film, they create a mate for the creature, she has that hair style, and she hisses when first exposed to the creature.
"She hate me." - the monster
And of course the original Monster visited an old blind hermit, who befriended him and taught him English. The constable with one arm is a direct reference to Lionel Atwill's character in "Son of Frankenstein", who verbally spars with the title character (and plays darts with him) just as we see in this film.
Elsa Lancaster played the “Bride” of Frankenstein 🧙♂️
This was some of Mel Brooks’ best work. Marty Feldman as Igor was one of his best performances ever, he steals every scene and Gene Wilder was fantastic as Dr Frankenstein, RIP to the both of them.
This was Gene Wilders' work. Mel Brooks voiced the howling wolf. Wilder did not want Mel getting involved in the project.
He wanted Mel involved, His one condition was he didn't want Mel to appear as a character in the film as he was prone to do.
Clocks Peach man also ad libbed the various late night drinks to wilder at the beginning. Sort of how the actor in Forrest Gump ad libbed the shrimp dishes. Both directors liked it and went with it.
@@normlee6566 Do you mean Cloris Leachman?
Teri Garr and Gene Hackman are the only surviving members of the cast. Genius performers, all of them.
That was Peter Boyle as “the creature”. I always had a big crush on Teri Garr for many years 🥰.
Total respect, but that's a long line..I'm in there somewhere...
Teri Garr, the young blonde actress who plays Inga, 5:59 died today at aged 79.... RIP
RIP to Teri...
They wanted Madeline Kahn to playing Inga, but she had just done a German accent in Blazing Saddles abd asked to play the fiancé. Teri Garr was in casting and tried out. "Can you do an accent?" She broke out into this.
Cloris Leachman improvised the asking Gene if he wanted the various drinks. Gene almost breaks.
The gag reel is mainly takes of Igor biting the shawl. In one take, he bit a leg off. Gene kept breaking.
Marty kept switching what side his hump was on. Gene mentions it because they had only just noticed he had been doing that.
Mel Brooks' cameo was making the sound of the cat being hit by a dart. Gene didnt want Mel to be in the film.
All of Frankenstein's equipment was the original film's stuff. The builder had kept it all.
Gene Hackman had never done a comedy. He was in a tennis club with Gene and asked for a part. Due to issues related to management etc., Hackman was originally uncredited.
As far as I know this is the only Mel Brookes movie that Mel doesn’t have a cameo in.
Brooks also made the werewolf sounds.
Brooks' face was used for the gargoyles.
@@stevedavis5704 I read somewhere that Mel Brookes' hands were pulling the box from the skeleton in the opening scene.
Regarding Blucher and the horses, it became an urban myth (with some help from Leachman) that the name means glue in German, which it doesn’t. Glue in German is kleber. The reaction to her name is just meant to imply she’s a frightening person. Gene Wilder on the DVD says “Lord only knows what she does to them when no one’s around.”
It does mean glue in the reality of this movie.
@@aaronhusk I don’t think that’s ever said
@@jonmercano1138 So, you’re willing to accept that almost everyone in Transylvania speaks English with British accents, but not that butcher means glue here? It’s all suspension of disbelief.
@@aaronhusk I’d accept it if that was actually the case, but it’s not. The _audience_ made it up. Gene Wilder, who co wrote the movie, said the horse reactions just imply she’s scary, so that’s what it is.
This came out when I was in College and I had a course in Russian History. I always assumed she was "Interefering" with the horsea Ala Cathrine the Great!
I read that Aerosmith took a break from the studio to see this movie in the theater. Inspiration for their song "Walk this way" they loved this movie 😅
I read that too.great story!
True.
"Walk this way" is part of many old vaudeville routines. Even The Three Stooges used it a couple times.
Then it's appropriate that "Walk This Way" plays in my head when I hear that line
"Werewolf?" "There we olf, there castle." My late sister and I used to do thst sequence to each other at random times.
This was back when not everyone was brought up to be a slut & have sex before marriage. Elizabeth was in love with Frederick, but she was high class enough to want to wait for marriage before having sex. There ARE some people who still live this way.
Fun Fact: This film inspired my country's band to take name Eppu Normaali (native translation of Abby Normal) when they started playing in 1976. Band is still playing actively.
AS A JOKE Marty would switch the hump from one side to the other without telling anyone. It took a couple of Days, but Gene and Mel eventually caught on and loved the gag so much they added it into the film!
This was mostly Gene's Baby and asked Mel not to make a Cameo, as he didn't want Mel's cameo upstaging the great work the rest of the cast was doing.
The Laboratory props (ALL of them) were from the Classic "Frankenstein" Movie! Mel found out the (uncredited) Prop master had them in a Garage and asked if he could use them. Although he refused to be paid for the "loan", his name was added to the Credits of This one.
Damn your eyes!!! You beat me to the punch on adding the info about Marty surreptitiously switching the hump from one side to the other.
I was about to write all that until I finally saw this 😂
Gene Wilder was afraid that Mel would try and steal scenes, so he agreed to not be in the film, but he did do some of the voices in background. Marty Feldman's "damned eyes" were caused by having chronic thyroid disease, probably Graves' Disease. Not many recognized Gene Hackman as the blindman, well done, Jen. Some people also didn't notice that the Inspector, played by Kenneth Mars, was wearing a monocle over his eyepatch.
I saw this when it came out in theatres. I died laughing. I watched it again a couple months ago and I died laughing. TIMELESS CLASSIC!!!
May your soul Rest In Peace!
You only live once!
@@richardvinsen2385 Goldfinger
I suggest the movie "See No Evil, Hear No Evil". It's with Gene Wilder and Richard Rryor .
Wilder and Pryor are legends
I also suggest the hilarious movie Start the Revolution Without Me, with Gene Wilder and Donald Sutherland in dual roles.
And Stir Crazy. And Sliver Streak
The hermit scene is my favorite because it's funny as hell but mostly because it pays homage to my favorite scene from "The Bride of Frankenstein " which, conversely, is heartrendingly touching.
Marty Feldman as I-gor is probably my favorite comedic performance in any movie ever... Everything he does is hilarious. If you check out some of the behind-the-scenes and outtakes, he is consistently cracking everyone on the set up too.
"Mr Hilltop" is the Preacher from Blazing Saddles
Ya know as many reactors as have watched this movie...nobody seems to pickup on the train station joke. Some of the lyrics to the song recorded in 1941 by Glenn Miller:
"Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo?"
"Yes, yes, Track 29!"
"Boy, you can give me a shine."
"Can you afford to board the Chattanooga Choo Choo?"
"I've got my fare, and just a trifle to spare."
"PUTTINNN ONNN THEEE RIIIIIIIIIIIITZ!"🎶
This was ad libbed by Peter Boyle, and apparently caused the entire cast and crew to lose nearly an entire day of filming because they could not get through a take without cracking up.
@@MrRetluocc wish i could be a fly on the wall that day
@@MrRetluoccit looks like the singing by both Gene and Peter was pre-recorded.
@samhain1894 - Yes... *AFTER* they regained their composure and decided to incorporate it into the scene.
The only fight that Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks had was on the 'putting on the risk' scene, Mel Brooks wasn't sure and felt that if Gene fought for it, it was right, if he didn't then it needed to be removed. The scene where Frankenstein's fiance arrives took like 30 takes because no one could keep a straight face, particularly when Marty Feldman bit into her stole.
This is one of the great pieces of proof that to make a parody, you HAVE to start from a point of respect. This is one of the best, if not THE best Frankenstein/monster movie ever made, and it is also hysterical and parodies the tropes of that type of movie so brilliantly.
Fun fact, you'd never recognize it from the accent that he has, but Kenneth Mars (who plays Inspector Kemp) is the voice of Ariel's father King Triton in The Little Mermaid. Gene Hackman had just done French Connection and several other super-serious roles and basically called Mel Brooks when he heard he was making this movie and asked for a cameo because he wanted to do something funny. The result is beyond brilliant and perhaps the funniest scene in the movie.
This movie has been on my Mount Rushmore of comedic films for quite some time now.
Had you watched the original black and white Frankenstein film from the 1930's, you would have seen many parallels to the original in this spoof. When the doctor tells Igor to "get down!" in the cemetery, they chose to mimic the original scene exactly. By the way, in the early film, the monster dispatches the little girl. Needless to say, it was a much more serious story. Glad you liked this one. It is my number one Mel Brooks film. Oh, and the only time you see Brooks in the movie is his likeness modeled into a gargoyle on the wall...
Supposedly, “Young Frankenstein” is intended to be a satire of the 1931 original. But the two films that it actually draws from quite heavily are the sequels “Son of Frankenstein” (1939) and “The Ghost of Frankenstein” (1942).
Also "Bride of Frankenstein".
The used some of the same props/set from the original movies
The scene with the little girl "What shall we throw in now?" is a satire of the '31 original.
@@treetopjones737 That's why seeing the original helps to get all the gags.
“…Aaaaaaaaa-I ain’t got nobody.”
-Eye-gore
Froedrick!
Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, Men in Tights, History of the World Part 1..... Mel Brooks' work is genius.
Everybody forgets 'Silent Movie'.
Don't forget Mel Brooks' spoof on Hitchcock movies: High Anxiety!
The Producers (1967) is also excellent
And - The Twelve Chairs, and Life Stinks.
I've seen several reactors comment on the dead baron in his coffin, the desiccated, skeletal corpse: "look at the fake fingernails!" Your nail bed does sit quite deep under the skin. When the skin shrinks and/or rots away, the nails appear much longer than in life. This has lead to the myth that hair and nails continue to grow after you die, which is not true. They don't grow; your skin shrinks. So, yeah: an old corpse like this would have prominent fingernails. I guess a lot of people are not familiar with death, understandably, so they are surprised when they see that movie prop corpse- which is actually fairly realistic, as movie prop corpses go!
Marty Feldman (Igor) switched his hump to the opposite between tskes and waited for everyone else to notice. Inspector Kemp was based on a similar character in Son of Frankenstein, who had such a thick Bavarian accent you couldn't hardly understand him. This is one of my all-time favorite movies - glad you finally got to see it.
"wootshtops"
It's nuts, but often when my mind starts wandering I randomly think "Roll. Roll. Roll in the hay!" Jokes poking fun at figures of speech and euphemisms are among my favorite brands of humor.
My favorite comedy of all-time meets my favorite reaction channel. Perfect pairing.
One of the greatest films ever made and the chemistry between Wilder, Garr and Feldman is unparalleled! This film incorporated props from the Original film, both Masterpieces! And that solo violin!
Trivia - the equipment in the lab was the same props used in Bride of Frankenstein. An infinitely quotable film!!!!!! Mel Brooks had to fight to film it in black & white & keep the musical number in it.
Whenever you see a laughing Jen thumbnail you know you're in for a cracking time 🔥💙🍿
Well said, Ian!
Watch the blooper reel here. Igor gets Gene Wilder so many times on the scene when fiancee shows up with the fuzzy animal scarf
What knockers!
Madeline Kahn, the legend returns in a Mel Brooks film! Cloris Leachman would go on to costar on the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Peter Boyle (the creature) would be famous to your generation as the dad on Everybody Loves Raymond.
Also was Tim Allen’s boss in the original Santa Clause.
Cloris was also the grandma on the show Raising Hope. Very funny show on Fox about ten or so years ago
Another very funny Madeline Kahn movie is called, What's Up Doc? Also stars Ryan O'Neal and Barbra Streisand. "Those are Howard Bannister's rocks."
HOLY CRAP!
The creature was the dad on Everybody Loves Raymond (Peter Boyle)
Mel Brooks Researched and found *some of the actual original lab equipment used in the 1931 movie "Frankenstein" for this movie*
The gentleman that did the special effects for the original movie had it stored in his garage. He was more than happy to loan it to Mel and even helped to install it.
@@firedoc5 Very true.
One of those movies that keeps you in constant chuckle mode.
In the first Frankenstein movie, the monster does indeed throw the girl into water, drowning her.
Not out of malice, but due to poor logic.
And in the book, he saves her from drowning in a river and gets shot by her father for his trouble.
I remember as a child ( 60's now ) it was one of the classic horrors that got shown on tv. Of course they left out that scene.
Almost 1.3k on chat today 🎉 thankyou to each and every one of you for making it another successful one 💙 please leave a like and a comment it would be very much appreciated 👍
The lab equipment in the castle was the same used in the original Frankenstein movie
Sadly, the delightful Teri Garr has passed away. She always made me smile. Jen, you might consider a reaction to TOS S02E26 "Assignment: Earth" in tribute.
When I was much younger, I had the good fortune of being an extra in a film that starred Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner (whom he married). Both were extremely nice and treated everyone the same on set, no matter who you were. If someone had told me that one day I'd get to speak to the man who starred in my favorite movie as a kid, Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, I would've said they're crazy. Gene Wilder and Gilda Radner were extremely talented, and their comedy genius is sorely missed.
I loved Roseanne Roseannadanna driving Jane Curtin crazy with her inane ramblings, followed by "It just goes to show you. It's always something. If it's not one thing, it's another."
@@justwondering5651 i miss all her other characters as well: Emily Latilla, news commentator that gets everythng wrong ["Nevermind!"], the burnt out rock star, Lisa Loopner of the Nerd skits {"That's so funny I forgot to laugh"], the Little girl bouncing around going beserk, and the one time she danced a fantasy dance with Steve Matrin, that broke me up, I was on the floor.
😄👍 In case you forgot, Teri Garr (Inga) was also Richard Dreyfus' wife in "Close Encounters Of The 3rd Kind." A couple of other movies she's really great in are "Tootsie" (1982) and "After Hours" (1985). Of course, Madeline Kahn was also in "Blazing Saddles." Other Mel Brooks movies you'll find her in include "High Anxiety" (1977) and "History Of The World Part 1" (1981). 😉
I wish someone would react to High Anxiety. It's funny also.
Terri Garr also appeared on Star Trek TOS in the episide "Assignment: Earth"
And Silent Movie
So glad you're checking out Mel Brooks movies!
"Give him an extra dollar 💵 "
Not only is it "old-timey" black & white, but they were able to use some of the original lab equipment from the 1931 classic monster movie!
Freshly dead here! Loved this reaction! Waited a long time for this one! 😊 thanks again Jen for all that you do...Eric
I will forever remember the first time I saw this. My 7th grade Chemistry teacher showed it to us at the end of the year because we already took our final before the end of the semester. Such a great movie.
This movie is very funny. But it's even funnier if you're familiar with the original Frankenstein starring Boris Karloff & also the sequel: Bride of Frankenstein. It references those two movies a lot & has jokes in it that you will get only if you're familiar with the first two. Great job reacting!
"Young Frankenstein" featured elements from "Frankenstein", "Bride of Frankenstein", & "Son of Frankenstein".
That's Kenneth Mars playing the police commissioner with a heavy accent. He also appears in The Producers, which also features Gene Wilder.
High Anxiety is a must see Mel Brooks parody of several Hitchcock films.
Silent Movie is also hyterical
Which one has a character named Brophy? Won’t mention the big moment spoiler regarding that.
Thank you for reacting to this, Jen, it's based off of the first three Frankenstein films by Universal and even used some of the same sets. Marty Feldman is the real star of this, he steals the scenes he's in, R.I.P.
Right, I'm popping out to the shop and then I'm going to continue my Star Wars rewatches for you and your channel, Jen.
I forget how good they create the old black and white era look in this film. I occasionally have to remind myself it's not from the 30's. Loved the reaction Jen!
Brook’s insistence that they shoot in black and white rubbed the studio heads the wrong way, but he paid for the film out of his pocket. It was a brilliant move. The movie was a big hit. Gene Wilder wrote the screenplay. Brooks didn’t want the song and dance sequence but Wilder wore him down. Glad he did.
This movie is comic perfection. Liam Dunn plays the older skinny man who Dr. Fronkensteen knees in the groin early in the film. Dunn also played the minister in Blazing Saddles. He played Barbara Striesand's Father in 1972's What's Up Doc. Man the 70's had some great comedies.
This is my favorite Mel Brooks film. I even have a tattoo of the creature with him yelling as his thumb is on fire!!😂
So glad you enjoyed this Jen. This is my favourite comedy film and, in fact, in my top 10 of the best movies ever made. It’s a comedy gem and Gene Hackman’s cameo is the icing on the cake! “I was going to make espresso!” 😂
Always a joy watching you discover such classics!
7:25 *Going up the stairs the candles weren't lit.*
Frankenstein castle really exists here in Germany.
Yep- in Darmstadt. Have been there.
One of the cool things about "Young Frankenstein" is that it uses a lot of the same set pieces and lab equipment from the classic 1931 Universal Studios "Frankenstein" film.
In my mind, it's a legitimate sequel. 😁
Great Job on recognizing Gene!! The monster is the Father from EVERYBODY LOVES RAYMOND! 🕊️☮️
He's also in the funniest episode of X-Files and totally steals the show.
@@Yora21 No Way⁉️ I had zero interest in that show. How many years of Scully witnessing stuff and still doubting her partner can a fan handle? ☮️
One of my favourite lines in this movie is when Gene Wilder is beating on The Creature's chest right after the procedure and Inga says: "Doctor stop it, you'll kill him!"
"Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte", by the way, is black forest cherry cake. Apparently Gene had to learn how to say it properly, just like he had to learn all of the medical talk at the beginning which he did not understand.
And apparently Mel Brooks actually reads The Lancet and is, as he puts it, an "amateur doctor" if I remember right.
Gene almost broke so many times in this movie, and broke many times during the scene with EyeGore, Elizabeth, Inga and Froderick.
Gene was also responsible for Cloris Leachman breaking many times in the filming.
So much funny stuff in this movie, one of my absolute favourites right above "The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother." (A Gene Wilder & Marty Feldman movie, not by Mel Brooks, sadly.)
There is a saying in Hollywood that goes along the lines of "No one freaks out on screen like Gene Wilder."
And yes, Mel Brooks gets a cameo, but you never see him. That is the only hint I will give you until you can watch the commentary. ;)
The Mel Brooks commentary on this movie is amazing, he has so much behind the scenes exposition, and the note on Teri Garr saying "Beck!" is a great little tidbit. He talks about how she came to bring the accent to life. I am so glad you enjoyed this movie!
❤❤❤
8:40 --- You know.. I always wonder what happened to items like the painting..
Wonderful reaction! Great that you recognized Gene Hackman, and Chloris Leachman's facial expressions are criminally under appreciated.
The BEST Brooks movie by far. Love the channel.
Mel Brooks’ cameo was the wolf’s howl at the beginning and the cat’s cry when Gene Wilder throws the dart.
This era Teri Garr is one of the most beautiful women to walk the earth
I agree completely.
The joke behind Frau Blücher and the horses: "blücher" is a style of shoe/boot named for the Prussian general who designed them for his troops. Blüchers made from horsehide were later part of domestic servant uniforms since the leather is more durable than cowhide. "Shell" cordovan (originally from Cordoba Spain) is still very popular for high-end footwear and comes from the withers.
It means glue in German. As in glue and glue factories would scare horses. That's the meaning of the joke that's from the lips of Mel Brooks at least. The shoe thing is horse shit.
@bafumat yes Mel said that. It's wrong. You can look the meaning of the word up.
@@TheMoneypresident if he said it even if he's wrong. That's the joke he intended to tell. This boot thing wasn't even on his radar. It's just made up internet nitpicking and making crap up to sound smarter than everyone else.
@@bafumat So is the "glue" story--"Leim" and "Klebstoff" mean glue. One guy above mentioned what I always thought: that Frau Blucher had a close relationship (ala Catherine the Great) with the horses. Gene Wilder on the DVD interview said “Lord only knows what she does to them when no one’s around.”
@@johannesvalterdivizzini1523 none of that matters. He thought it was correct and that was the joke. The same way James thought the Terminator was a Cyborg but it obviously isn't. But in that story, it is.
Young Frankenstein is one of my all time favorite Mel Brooks movies, as well as one of my top 5 all time favorite movies. There was so much talent in the cast, and the few blooper reels that I have seen, they all had such a hard time not absolutely cracking up and just riffing off each other the entire time.
Fun Fact: The hump on Igor kept changing due to the comedian. It was his idea and no one knew he was going to do it. Mel Brooks noticed and loved it so he kept in the movie. “What hump?” 😂
6:00 - STAR TREK FACT -
INGAR is portrayed by Teri Garr. She also portrayed hopeful job applicant, Roberta Lincoln, in 'Assignent Earth, the twenty-sixth episode, of season two, Star Trek TOS.
Is no one going to mention that the monster is played by the guy that played Raymond’s father in the show Raymond from the 2000s?!
Jen, you are the perfect movie reactor. You are the first that I’ve watched that picked up on every subtle joke, you appreciate the music, the movie being in black and white( which most of you young ones don’t appreciate.) You are definitely cultured, knowledgeable and very intuitive. Fantastic reaction Jen, thank you for doing this movie.👍💯🇦🇺
I saw this theatrically in 1975 when I was eight years old. It became my gateway to both Mel Brooks and horror movies and to this day I love them both. Mel Brooks is a national treasure.👍
Speaking of the horror & comedy MUST SEE Classics,, Starring comedic icon Don Knotts,, "The Ghost And Mr. Chicken" (1966)
...R.I.P. Don 🙏 ❤️ Gone But Definitely Not Forgotten.
Gene was adamant that Mel NOT appear in the movie to maintain the appearance of the originals. Though Mel did provide sound effects, like the cat yowl when it was hit by the dart.🤣 An amazing script collaboration. 🥰 All of the laboratory equipment was the original Tesla coils on loan from the original movies. 👋
The student at the start who questions Dr Frankenstein is also the voice of Brainy Smurf in the old Smurf cartoons. 😂
Well done, Jen! Giver her an extra dollar... ...
This is a great movie! Thank you for reacting to this one Jen!
The original Frankenstein an Bride of Frankenstein movies from the 30's should be required viewing before watching this just like the Star Wars movies before Spaceballs. Always watch the original before the spoof.
Mel Brooks was not in this (one of the few of his movies where this is so), but he is credited with "werewolf" and "cat", so it appears he did the sound effects for the cat that is hit with a dart during the dart game and the howling of the werewolf during his "hay ride" with Teri Garr near the beginning of the movie.
Mel Brooks birthday is June 28th...thank you for a great reaction to this absolute genius! My favorite will always be Blazing Saddles.👴🏾👍🏾👏🏾😂...i just ask for your personal viewing... if you havent experienced a lot of his work I HIGHLY suggest "High Anxiety" his homage to classic Alfred Hitchcock movies...that even Hitchcock himself complimented Mel Brooks for. It may not be for the channel but would be great for your personal view!!😂👏🏾👍🏾
Always loved this movie. Top of my Fav Mel Brooks movies. Spaceballs right behind it.
Jen reviewing one of the funniest movies ever made? Yes please!
"Put. It. Back!"
"It's pronounced FRONKENSTEEN."
"What knockers!" "Oh, thank you, Doctor." 😂
Not one of the funniest movies ever. THE funniest.
@@richardvinsen2385 Ha. I stand corrected. ;)
@@RJHart1214 Could be worse.
It's definitely my favorite of Mel Brook's films. It's great. I love young Frankenstein! Yes, this spoofs both the original 1931 "Frankenstein" film and, to a much lesser extent, its sequel, "The Bride of Frankenstein." If you've seen any Alfred Hitchcock, I highly recommend watching Mel Brooks: "High Anxiety, " which loosely parodies several famous Hitchcock films.
Thanks so much for reacting Jen, I was waiting for this! This is one of my all time favorite Mel Brroks movie. Marty Feldman and Peter Boyle were perfect as Igor and The Monster, and Gene Wilder was flawless. I still send the Puttin' On The Ritz scene to friends.
As far as The Producers is concerned, it was an original concept and screenplay by Mel Brooks that won him an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. The original 1967 film stars Gene Wilder and Zero Mostel, and there was the adaptation of the Broadway musical that utilized many of the original 2001 Broadway cast and creative team in 2005. Start with the original, I loved the musical...but some people have problems with it, and its not exactly like the original (one character is completely cut from the musical version).
Young Frankenstein is one of the few Mel Brooks films he didn't make an appearance in. The original concept for the film was Gene's, and he was working on it while filming Blazing Saddles. When Mel asked what he was doing, Gene explained it...and then the two of them stayed up late that night banging out ideas for the film. Since both Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein came out the same year, 1974, it is kind of amazing that both films are in the American Film Institute's top 20 greatest comedies (Blazing Saddles in #6, Young Frankenstein is #14). I prefer Blazing Saddles, but I know a lot of people who prefer Young Frankenstein.
Marty Feldman as Igor...one of his greatest performances. He made only a handful films, one of my favorites was, ironically, his final film. The pirate comedy Yellowbeard, which had a huge cast of British and American comedy greats, is a weird mixture of Mel Brooks and Monty Python. The cast includes Pythons Graham Chapman (as Yellowbeard), Eric Idle, and John Cleese, with Brooks players like Madeline Kahn (Elizabeth in Young Frankenstein), Peter Boyle (The Creature), and Kenneth Mars (Inspector Kemp). It also had Cheech and Chong, British acting legends like Susannah York (Superman I & II), James Mason (A Star Is Born with Judy Garland in 1954), Bernard Fox (Titanic and The Mummy), and Michael Hordern. The oddest casting is a cameo by David Bowie. Besides Young Frankenstein, Marty also appeared in Mel Brooks's Silent Movie. One other film I loved as a kid was the irreverent (almost blasphemous) comedy In God We Tru$t, written and directed by Marty, which also had Andy Kaufman, Peter Boyle, and Richard Pryor. Marty died in 1983 of a heart attack in Mexico City filming Yellowbeard, and supposedly, Graham Chapman was with him when he passed. He was only 48.
I watched Young Frankenstein in a theatre by myself when it came out ..... my friends thought a black and white movie would be boring ... 14yo duh ... still my favourite comedy of all time ... the running joke of Frau Blucher and the horses 🤣🤣🐎
A MUST SEE Classic,, "What's Up Doc?"
(1972) Also starring Medeline Kahn,, Barbara Streisand & Ryan O'Neal..TRUST ME on this one!! ❤
Madeline as THE Eunice Burns!
I see a lot of people mentioned much of the trivia. This was made and released the next year after Blazing Saddles. It was during Blazing Saddles that Gene Wilder pitched the Young Frankenstein idea the Mel Brooks. The Abby Normal joke has become one of the most used lines from the movie.
1. Mr. Hilltop/Liam Dunn also played 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 already 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.
This movie is so much fun. I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was fun watching you laugh and giggle the whole way through. 😂
My two favorite scenes are "Elevate me" and "Puttin on the Ritz."
Couldn’t wait to watch one of my all time favs with you Jen. Puttin On the Ritz has to be one of the funniest things put to film.