Young Frankenstein (1974)
94%RT Audience Score: 92%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Young Frankenstein, a cinematic masterpiece that pays tribute to the classic horror genre, is a comedic tour de force that showcases Mel Brooks’ unparalleled ability to blend slapstick humor, witty dialogue, and double entendres into a cohesive and entertaining film. Gene Wilder’s performance as the titular character is nothing short of miraculous, as he delivers a lucid and total portrayal of a man driven to hysteria. While some may argue that the film carries on a touch too long, it’s hard to deny that Young Frankenstein is a wonderfully weird and horrifying experience that will leave you laughing long after the credits roll.
Young Frankenstein is a hilarious and loving tribute to classic horror movies. Mel Brooks’ comedic genius is on full display, with Gene Wilder delivering a performance that is both manic and endearing. The film’s jokes are hit-or-miss, but when they hit, they hit hard. It’s a shame that comedies like this aren’t made anymore, but at least we have Young Frankenstein to remind us of what we’re missing. Plus, who doesn’t love a good “puttin’ on the Ritz” dance number with a monster?
Production Company(ies)
Gruskoff, Venture Films, Crossbow Productions, Jouer Limited
Distributor
Key Video, 20th Century Fox, CBS/Fox
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
MPAA / Certificate
PG
Year of Release
1974
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 1 (original & negative ratio/matted to 1.85: 1)
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Runtime:1h 45m
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Language(s):English, German
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Dec 15, 1974 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 14, 2001
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Cloris Leachman, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr, directed by Mel Brooks, written by Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, comedy, box office success, budget, reviewed by Paul D Zimmerman, Adam Smith, Jason Bailey, John H Dorr, Pauline Kael, Don Druker, Yasser Medina, Kristy Strouse, Mike Massie, Fico Cangiano, John Simon, Kelechi Ehenulo, PG rating, Transylvania, medical lecturer, inheritance, experiments, monster, fiancée, Frau Blücher, Karloff classic, spoof, Borscht Belt burlesque, Universal’s horror movies, black-and-white, cinematography, homage, referential material, cheesy humor, horror movies, MCU movies, Netflix series, TV premiere dates, worst horror movies, Fresh Kernels
Worldwide gross: $86,273,333
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $571,681,004
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 240
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 62,342,530
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $2,800,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $18,553,900
Production budget ranking: 1,401
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $9,991,275
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $543,135,828
ROI to date (est.): 1,903%
ROI ranking: 51
Peter Boyle – The Monster
Cloris Leachman – Frau Blücher
Marty Feldman – Igor
Madeline Kahn – Elizabeth
Teri Garr – Inga
Director(s)
Mel Brooks
Writer(s)
Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks
Producer(s)
Michael Gruskoff
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
11 wins & 8 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (70) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (66) | Rotten (4)
This black-and-white parody of the Karloff classic is the most cinematically assured, coherent and (relatively speaking) tasteful of Brooks’s films.
February 10, 2022
Paul D. Zimmerman
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
What it demonstrates is that for spoof to work, the spoofers must have deep affection for the material out of which they are wringing the wee.
November 27, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Adam Smith
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The Brooks of ‘Young Frankenstein’ isn’t really skewering the conventions of the horror movie – he’s paying tribute to them, and using them as scaffolding for his particular brand of goofy, Borscht Belt burlesque.
June 18, 2016
Jason Bailey
Flavorwire
TOP CRITIC
It is good-natured, lowbrow, backlot, hit-or-miss humor, but with no cumulative effect beyond its succession of hard-worked jokes.
October 3, 2015
John H. Dorr
Hollywood Reporter
TOP CRITIC
Wilder’s hysteria seems perfectly natural. You never question what’s driving him to it; his fits are lucid and total. They take him into a different dimension — he delivers what Harpo promised.
January 15, 2013
Pauline Kael
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
More about the myth of Karloff than the monster, this Mel Brooks pastiche is probably his best early film.
June 4, 2007
Don Druker
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
It is a comedy in which Brooks takes some creative liberties when it comes to addressing Shelley’s work and uses Frankenstein’s monster to parody Universal’s horror movies with a hilarious and quite entertaining tone. [Full review in Spanish]
November 12, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
Yasser Medina
Cinemaficionados
Its got wit, its got silliness, and it’s chock full of one-liners, all made with love from Brooks. Young Frankenstein feels like a worthy homage.
November 12, 2021
Kristy Strouse
Wonderfully Weird and Horrifying
Though it’s fueled by memorable moments of dippy lampooning, it also carries on a touch too long; it’s quite funny but ultimately not as polished as it could be.
December 7, 2020 | Rating: 6/10
Mike Massie
Gone With The Twins
They don’t do comedies like this anymore. Gene Wilder’s performance is one for the ages. [Full review in Spanish]
October 5, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Fico Cangiano
CineXpress Podcast
Miracles still happen: Mel Brooks has made a funny movie.
July 30, 2020
John Simon
Esquire Magazine
Young Frankenstein is sharply littered with slapstick humour, double entendre meanings and witty dialogue, thanks to the efforts of Wilder and Brooks.
July 14, 2020 | Rating: 5/5
Kelechi Ehenulo
Set the Tape…
Plot
A young neurosurgeon (Gene Wilder) inherits the castle of his grandfather, the famous Dr. Victor von Frankenstein. In the castle he finds a funny hunchback called Igor, a pretty lab assistant named Inga and the old housekeeper, frau Blucher -iiiiihhh!-. Young Frankenstein believes that the work of his grandfather is only crap, but when he discovers the book where the mad doctor described his reanimation experiment, he suddenly changes his mind…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Cloris Leachman’s portrayal of Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein is considered one of her most iconic roles.
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