Young Frankenstein
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"Life! Life! Do you hear me? Give my creation... liiiiife!" |
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Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder's loving parody of the classic Universal Horror films of the 1930s. Appearing in 1974, gorgeously shot in black and white (No offense!), using laboratory props from the original Frankenstein and starring a cast of brilliant comedic actors all at the very height of their talents, it is generally regarded as one of the funniest and most quotable movies ever made. It was adapted into a stage musical in 2007.
It is reported that the cast and crew had so much fun making the movie that they added in extra scenes just to keep it going.
In 2003, this movie was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. Two other works by Mel Brooks share this honor, The Producers and Blazing Saddles.
And, since it keeps coming up, "Blücher" (*Whinny*) is not the German word for "glue"; it's just a common misconception.
The Market-Based Title for the film in Italy, Frankenstein Junior, is Not to Be Confused With the actual Frankenstein, Jr..
This film plays with the following tropes:
- Affectionate Parody: As noted, 1930s horror movies. Heavy emphasis on "affectionate," too.
- Alliterative Name
- And Call Him George: The Monster, a little girl and a seesaw.
- Anywhere but Their Lips: It's only in their first scene together that Elizabeth says "Not on the lips," to Freddy, and the reason is that she doesn't want her makeup smudged.
- Subverted in that she doesn't seem to want to be touched anywhere, lest she mess up her hair, her nails, her dress, etc. In the end she and Frederick say goodbye by shaking elbows. She even flinches when he blows her a kiss.
- Artificial Limbs: Inspector Kemp's wooden arm.
- Aside Glance: By Igor several times, and a couple of times by the Monster.
- Berserk Button: Mentioning Frederick's relation to "a famous cuckoo".
- Big Electric Switch
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But I'm not going to be the first. |
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- Bigger Is Better in Bed: "AHHHH, sweet mystery of life, at last I've found you!!"
- Bilingual Bonus: The two couples that accompany Frederick in the trains have exactly the same conversation, the first in English, the second in German.
- Black Comedy Rape: Elizabeth gets raped by the monster. Then it turns out she enjoyed it and happily has more sex with him.
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"All right-- seven has always been my lucky number!" |
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- Blind and the Beast: The films parodies the blind-man scene in Bride of Frankenstein. Look carefully at this blind man, though: that's a young Gene Hackman. Gene plays it utterly straight. Even with the gags it's a touching scene.
- Bookcase Passage
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Put ze candle beck! |
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- Book Safe: Subverted when Frederick tries to open a secret door by moving a likely-looking book. It's actually the candle.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: Igor in the "Quiet dignity and grace" scene.
- Igor in general.
- Chewing the Scenery: Completely deliberate.
- Cobweb Jungle: In the passage leading to Dr. Frankenstein's laboratory and the laboratory itself.
- Corpsing: Was understandably a problem throughout the shoot. In several scenes you can see Gene Wilder is just barely holding it together.
- Creator Cameo: Brooks is the model for one of the castle's gargoyles, and ad-libbed a cat's yowl when Frederick accidentally throws a dart out the window, as well as the howl of the "werewolf".
- Creepy Changing Painting: A scowling portrait of Victor Frankenstein is highly visible in Fredrick's room. When Frederick finds his grandfather's instructions and decides to continue his work, a lightning-illuminated close-up shows the portrait looking very pleased.
- Creepy Housekeeper: Frau Blücher (*WHINNY*) is the quintessential creepy housekeeper: every time her name is mentioned, horses rear in fear. Also, in regards to Victor Frankenstein: "He... vas... my... BOYFRIEND!"
- Cue the Rain: Keep going until you hit Rock Bottom...
- Cute but Cacophonic: "PUH'IN ON DA REEEEEEEETZ!"
- Dead Man's Chest: "You're chilled to the bone!"
- And in a more literal vein, the film opens with a (very) dead guy clutching a chest.
- Defrosting Ice Queen: Elizabeth, although it's more a case of getting hit with a blowtorch.
- Deliberately Monochrome: to better parody the original Frankenstein movies.
- Dick Dastardly Stops to Cheat: "Nice grouping."
- Don't Explain the Joke: Averted -- during the Walk This Way scene, Igor shows Frederick what he means. It doesn't ruin the joke at all, though. Supposedly, this gag was the inspiration for the Aerosmith song of the same name.
- In point of fact, it worked so well, it's something of a Running Gag for Mel Brooks. It shows up in most (if not all) of his films. The walk is different, but the joke is always the same.
- Eyepatch of Power: Kemp has one. He wears a monocle over it.
- Expy: Inspector Kemp is one for Inspector Krogh from the Son of Frankenstein.
- Foreign Cuss Word: "He would have an enormous Schwanzstücke!"
- "Wuff!"
- Frankenstein's Monster: Has his head attached with zippers instead of bolts.
- Gag Boobs: "What knockers!"
- Subverted. Dr. Frankenstein is talking about the actual knockers. On the doors.
- Gag Penis: The Monster's enormous Schwanzstüke, mentioned three times.
- Getting Crap Past the Radar: The conversation aboard the train is almost certainly about the old couple's son masturbating.
- So many Double Entendres and sex references. So, so many. Even some profanity. It's amazing that this movie was rated PG (though they didn't have PG-13 back then).
- Gosh Dang It to Heck: "My grandfather's work was DOO-DOO!"
- Averted other times, though. Quite powerfully.
- Grave Clouds: Keep going until you hit Rock Bottom...
- Grave Robbing: Ditto.
- Great Big Book of Everything: How I Did It, by Victor Frankenstein.
- Groin Attack: "Why, you mother-grabbing BASTARD!"
- High-Class Glass: Memorably paired with an eyepatch.
- Hollywood Torches: Outside Castle Frankenstein.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: The Monster and Elizabeth.
- I Didn't Mean to Turn You On: "Iff I could just giff you a little peace!" (Frankenstein moans.)
- The Igor: Heavily, heavily parodied by Marty Feldman.
- The Immodest Orgasm: "Oh, sweet mystery of life, at last I've found yooouuu!!"
- Instant Thunder
- Insufferable Genius: Frederick has his moments.
- In the Blood: "Des-ti-ny! Des-ti-ny! No es-caping that for me!"
- Also something of a subversion; Frederick is doing just fine escaping the family tradition (aside from a hamtastic moment in his lecture on neurobiology) until his great-grandfather's will and then his "servant" Frau Blücher (*WHINNY*) railroad him into it.
- It Got Worse: Keep going until you hit Rock Bottom...
- It Is Pronounced "Tro-PAY": An extended gag with Frederick and Igor.
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Igor: Dr. Frankenstein… |
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- Just a Stupid Accent: Deliberately, this being a Mel Brooks film. The movie takes place in Transylvania (located in Romania), but the townsfolk generally have bad German or Cockney accents.
- Lampshade Hanging: *Listening intently* "... Blücher." (*WHINNY*) *grins*
- Large Ham: Gene Wilder.
- Marty Feldman could also count, as he's clearly having fun as Igor (EYE-gor).
- Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp.
- Locked Into Strangeness: Elizabeth's white streak and hairdo after being abducted by the Monster. Also a Homage to Bride of Frankenstein, naturally.
- Mad Scientist
- Mad Scientist Laboratory
- The Musical: And it's awesome.
- Music Soothes the Savage Beast: Frau Blücher (*WHINNY*) is able to calm the monster down by playing the violin. Later, it is used to lure him to capture.
- My God, What Have I Done?
- Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Just saying "Frau Blücher" (*WHINNY*) frightens horses. Just the name; the woman's actual presence doesn't bother them at all.
- Neck Lift: The Monster, to the police officer tormenting him.
- No Matter How Much I Beg: "..I was joking! Don't you know a joke when you hear one?! HA-HA-HA!!"
- "OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR OR I'LL KICK YOUR ROTTEN HEADS IN!!!"
- "MOMMY!!"
- Nonverbal Miscommunication: "SEDAGIVE!?!"
- Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Most of the villagers in Transylvania (strangely, one exception is a young boy).
- Offscreen Teleportation: "There's a possibility of electrocution! Do you understand?...I say there's a possibility of electrocution! Do you understand?!"
- "I understand, I understand, why are you shouting?"
- One-Scene Wonder: Gene Hackman as the blind hermit.
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"Come back! I was going to make espresso!" |
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- Parlor Games: Charades.
- Parody Assistance: Props were recycled from the 1931 version of Frankenstein (1931 film). Done not to save money but as an homage to the original film. It actually cost them quite a bit to use them.
- Personality Swap: Done partially and deliberately.
- Pig Latin: "Ixnay on the ottenray!"
- Precision F-Strike:
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Kemp: Und now, let us all go back to my place for a little spongecake, und a little vine, und - (his wooden arm pops off) - Ah, shit! |
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- Pretty in Mink: Elizabeth has a few furs, but even Inga gets to wear a silver fox cape during the ill-fated presentation.
- Produce Pelting: During Frederick and the Monster's performance.
- Prussia: Inspector Kemp is possibly the defining example.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: Numerous examples.
- Punny Name: "Abby someone... Abby Normal".
- Reluctant Monster
- Repeat After Me: "Walk this way." And the line inspired Aerosmith's song.
- Reverse Polarity: Apparently this is the ultimate secret to raising the dead. Either that or Victor plugged his equipment in backwards at first, the scene isn't clear.
- Rock Bottom: Frederick Frankenstein and Igor are digging up a grave.
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Frankenstein: What a filthy job! |
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- Running Gag: BLÜCHER! *WHINNY!*
- The Scottish Trope: "Blücher!" *WHINNY!*
- Shaggy Search Technique: "Put - the candle - back!" Part of the parody is that Dr. Frankenstein was using legitimate means to search for it before the trope kicked in.
- Shaming the Mob: The Monster himself does it, with a speech mostly cribbed out of Shelley's original book.
- Shoe Shine, Mister?: When Frederick's train pulls in, he asks a shoeshine boy, "Pardon me boy, is this the Transylvania Station?" The boy replies "Ja, ja. Track 29. Oh, can I give you a shine?" This is a Shout-Out to the 1941 song "Chattanooga Choo Choo".
- Shout-Out: To Groucho Marx and Glenn Miller, among others.
- Smoking Hot Sex: Elizabeth and the Monster.
- Soundtrack Dissonance: The somber musical score is squarely at odds with the screwball tone of the film, yet somehow works perfectly well.
- Mel intentionally kept the fact that the film was a comedy secret from the composer, resulting in serious music to a seriously funny movie.
- Shouldn't the composer have twigged onto the fact that it was a comedy from the first four words out of Mel Brooks' mouth? [1]
- Mel intentionally kept the fact that the film was a comedy secret from the composer, resulting in serious music to a seriously funny movie.
- Spell My Name with an "S": "It's Frahnk-en-steen!"
- Stealth Hi Bye: Igor.
- Sting: "Call it a... hunch! Ba-dump tsch!"
- Stock Sound Effects: Castle Thunder, repeatedly throughout the movie.
- Also a Shout-Out, given that the stock thunder sound effect used in movies for decades was created for the original Frankenstein.
- Tempting Fate: Go back until you reach Rock Bottom.
- That Poor Cat: Hit with a dart.
- Bonus points for being a Throw It In moment Mel Brooks improvised while shooting the scene.
- Torches and Pitchforks: "A riot is an ugly thing. Und, I think that it's just about time that we had vun!!"
- To the Bat Noun: "To the lumberyard!!"
- Train Station Goodbye
- The Unintelligible: Inspector Kemp borders on this, even with his fellow countrymen.
- Victim Falls For Rapist: The Monster wins Elizabeth's love with his insatiable and gigantic... appetite.
- Villainous Breakdown: Frederick accepts his initial failure with quiet dignity and grace.
- The Von Trope Family: Frederick's great-grandfather, Baron von Frankenstein.
- Walk This Way
- X-Ray Sparks: The Monster's creation.
- ↑ We are logically assuming those words were, "Hello, I'm Mel Brooks."