Young Frankenstein (1974)
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A modern-day descendant of the Frankenstein legacy attempts to distance himself from his family's macabre history until he inherits a castle in Transylvania.
The story
Early in the 20th century, Frederick Frankenstein, a lecturing physician at an American medical school, is actively distancing himself from his grandfather Victor Frankenstein, the infamous mad scientist, pronouncing his surname as "Fronkensteen". When Frederick inherits the family castle in Transylvania, he travels to Europe to inspect the property. At the Transylvania train station, Frederick is met by a hunchbacked, bug-eyed servant named Igor. Arriving at the estate, Frederick meets Frau Blücher, the dour, intimidating housekeeper. After discovering the secret entrance to Victor's laboratory and reading his private journals, Frederick resumes his grandfather's experiments in reanimating the dead.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After discovering the secret entrance to Victor's laboratory, Frederick resumes his grandfather's experiments in reanimating the dead. He and Igor steal a corpse and a brain, and Frederick brings the Monster to life. The Monster escapes the castle after being startled by a match. While roaming the countryside, it interacts with a girl and a monk. Frederick eventually recaptures the Monster and tries to tame it with flattery. At a public performance, the Monster is frightened by a light and a crowd, leading to its capture. Later, Frederick and his lover Inga have a tryst, while the Monster is captured by a mob. After being recaptured, Frederick transfers some of his intellect to the Monster, who then calms the mob. The film ends with Frederick and Inga marrying, and the now-sophisticated Monster marrying Frederick's fiancée, Elizabeth.
- First release year
- 1974
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mel Brooks
- Writers
- Gene Wilder · writer; Mel Brooks · writer
- Cast and characters
- Gene Wilder · Frederick Frankenstein; Peter Boyle · the monster; Marty Feldman · Igor; Cloris Leachman · Frau Blücher; Teri Garr · Inga; Madeline Kahn · not specified; Kenneth Mars · not specified; Richard Haydn · not specified
- Genres
- comedy; horror
- Themes
- legacy; mad science
- Tone and mood
- parody; humorous
- Setting
- Early 20th century, Transylvania and an American medical school.
- Premise and plot tags
- horror parody; mad scientist; black and white
- Source material / true-story basis
- Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus
- Reception
- A critical and commercial success, the film is praised for its humor and homage to classic horror, though some critics found its humor inconsistent.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 95% · scale: percentage · review count: 73
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Adapted Screenplay · Nominated; Academy Award · Best Sound · Nominated
- Production trivia
- The film used original 1931 Frankenstein lab equipment.; It was selected for the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2003.; The line 'Walk this way' inspired an Aerosmith song.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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