Young Frankenstein

For the musical, see Young Frankenstein (musical). For the DC Comics character, see Young Frankenstein (character).

Young Frankenstein
Theatrical release poster by John Alvin
Directed byMel Brooks
Written by
Based onFrankenstein
1818 novel
by Mary Shelley
Produced byMichael Gruskoff
Starring
CinematographyGerald Hirschfeld
Edited byJohn C. Howard
Music byJohn Morris
Production
companies
  • Gruskoff/Venture Films
  • Crossbow Productions, Inc.
  • Jouer Limited[1]
Distributed by20th Century-Fox
Release date
  • December 15, 1974 (1974-12-15)
Running time
105 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$2.78 million[2]
Box office$86.2 million[3]

Young Frankenstein is a 1974 American comedy horror film directed by Mel Brooks. The screenplay was co-written by Brooks and Gene Wilder. Wilder also starred in the lead role as the title character, a descendant of the infamous Dr. Victor Frankenstein. Peter Boyle portrayed the monster.[4] The film co-stars Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, and Gene Hackman.

The film is a parody of the classic horror film genre, in particular the various film adaptations of Mary Shelley's 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus produced by Universal Pictures in the 1930s.[5] Much of the lab equipment used as props was created by Kenneth Strickfaden for the 1931 film Frankenstein.[6] To help evoke the atmosphere of the earlier films, Brooks shot the picture entirely in black and white, a rarity in the 1970s, and employed 1930s-style opening credits and scene transitions such as iris outs, wipes, and fades to black. The film also features a period score by Brooks' longtime composer John Morris.

A critical and commercial success, Young Frankenstein ranks No. 28 on Total Film magazine's readers' "List of the 50 Greatest Comedy Films of All Time",[7] No. 56 on Bravo's list of the "100 Funniest Movies",[8] and No. 13 on the American Film Institute's list of the 100 funniest American movies.[9] In 2003, it was deemed "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant" by the United States National Film Preservation Board, and selected for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.[10][11] It was later adapted by Brooks and Thomas Meehan as a stage musical. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay (for Wilder and Brooks) and Best Sound.

In 2014, the year of its 40th anniversary, Brooks considered it by far his finest (although not his funniest) film as a writer-director.[12]

  1. ^ "Young Frankenstein". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on February 24, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  2. ^ Solomon, Aubrey (1989). Twentieth Century Fox: A Corporate and Financial History. The Scarecrow Filmmakers Series. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 257. ISBN 978-0-8108-4244-1.
  3. ^ "Box Office Information for Young Frankenstein". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 29, 2012. Retrieved January 17, 2012.
  4. ^ "Young Frankenstein". GetBack Movie. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008.
  5. ^ Hallenbeck, Bruce G. (2009). Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History, 1914–2008. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland. pp. 105–109. ISBN 978-0-78-643332-2.
  6. ^ Picart, Caroline Joan (2003). Remaking the Frankenstein Myth on Film: Between Laughter and Horror. Albany, N.Y.: SUNY Press. p. 52. ISBN 0-79-145770-2.
  7. ^ "Film & Movie Comedy Classics". Comedy-Zone.net. Archived from the original on October 19, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "Bravo's 100 Funniest Movies". Bravo. Published by Lists of Bests. Archived from the original on April 5, 2010. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  9. ^ "AFI's 100 Years ... 100 Laughs". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on June 9, 2015. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  10. ^ "Complete National Film Registry Listing". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on October 31, 2016. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  11. ^ "Librarian of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on February 22, 2020. Retrieved May 15, 2020.
  12. ^ King, Susan (September 9, 2014). "'Young Frankenstein' has new life on 40th anniversary". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2020. 'Young Frankenstein' is "by far the best movie I ever made. Not the funniest — 'Blazing Saddles' was the funniest, and hot on its heels would be 'The Producers.' But as a writer-director, it is by far my finest.