Horror History: YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN Was Unleashed Into Theaters in 1974
Mike Sprague
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On this day in horror history, Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein opened in 1974. Brooks directed the film from a screenplay he penned along with star Gene Wilder.
Wilder stars as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein who inherits his infamous grandfather’s Transylvanian estate. Arriving at the castle, he begins to recreate his grandfather’s experiments with faithful servants Igor, Inga, and Frau Blücher. After creating his monster, complications ensue when his fiancée, Elizabeth arrives.
The cast also includes Teri Garr, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Richard Haydn, Gene Hackman, and Peter Boyle as the monster.
The film is obviously a parody of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Fittingly, much of the lab equipment is props created in the 1931 film by Kenneth Strickfaden.
RELATED: Rest in Peace YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN Star & Comedic Genius Gene Wilder
In 2003, the United States National Film Preservation Board deemed Young Frankenstein “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant,” and selected the horror-comedy for preservation in the Library of Congress National Film Registry.
Brooks considers the film to be his finest (but not his funniest) film as a writer-director. Brooks later adapted it as a stage musical with Thomas Meehan.
The film sports a 94% approval rating over on Rotten Tomatoes. The Critics Consensus reads: Made with obvious affection for the original, Young Frankenstein is a riotously silly spoof featuring a fantastic performance by Gene Wilder.
How much do you love Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein?
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