Monster of a comedy

A case could be made that "Young Frankenstein" is the greatest horror comedy ever made. Contenders to the crown include "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," "Shaun of the Dead," and even "Zombieland." But for many, the most entertaining of them all within this subgenre remains Mel Brooks' 1974 masterwork. Here are some compelling reasons why:

WHAT’S THE SECRET TO THIS FILM’S SUCCESS?

• Excellent casting – this is arguably Gene Wilder’s finest role and performance, and it’s hard to envision any of the other roles going to any other actors than the ones cast in this film.

o Wilder’s ability to express a wide array of emotions with dramatic facial expressions, animated gestures and exaggerated histrionics demonstrates his gift not only for comedy but credible acting. This feels like a role he was born to play.

o Marty Feldman, meanwhile, practically steals every scene he’s in and often garners the biggest laughs.

o Peter Boyle has a challenging assignment here – he has to convey a lot of emotion and ideas nonverbally, remain consistently in character, and also personalize and customize his interpretation of Frankenstein’s monster without turning it into a caricature of itself.

• There are moments of true poignancy and pathos – not wall-to-wall comedy like the Airplane movies, and that’s to the picture’s advantage: the filmmakers have to create sympathy for the monster to make him more than one dimensional, and they’re not relying on pure parody and satire to entertain viewers here. Their goal is to tell an emotionally involving story that’s also filled with plenty of laughs.

• The brave choice of shooting in black and white makes it a more credible tribute to classic horror films and helps it stand out during an era when black and white was very much out of fashion and rarely used in feature-length motion pictures. Brooks employs several transitional techniques popular in early films, including swipes and irises, too.

• This film is imbued with post-sexual revolution bawdiness and sexual innuendos, which raises the material to a more mature, adult level that grown-ups appreciate and which elevates the comedic potential.

• Although this is a Mel Brooks-directed film, it’s a fairly equal collaboration between him and Wilder, who co-wrote the original screenplay and originated the idea. Some film critics and scholars contend that this is Brooks’ most well-paced and restrained film – not quite as silly and zany as some of his other comedies – and that praise should be equally attributed to Wilder.

• The movie boasts a tremendous score by John Morris that is sweet, haunting and foreboding, utilizing dramatic string instruments and violins to evoke longing, loneliness and mystery.

• The filmmakers also opted to include a soft shoe song and dance number that, if not prepared and handled carefully, could have fallen flat on its face. Instead, “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” is a showstopper number that is both wildly funny and highly entertaining.

• Additionally, unlike many of Brooks’ other films, this movie isn’t anchored firmly in the year or era it was made – it isn’t saddled with contemporary pop culture or scatological references, trendy jokes or Zeitgeist characters that by now would have grown dated. Because the old-time horror films it honors remain timeless and classic, Young Frankenstein itself remains timeless and classic – arguably much more so than Blazing Saddles, Spaceballs, and The Producers.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN WAS INTENDED AS A LOVING HOMAGE TO THE CLASSIC UNIVERSAL HORROR FILMS OF THE 1930S. HOWEVER, DO YOU THINK THIS MOVIE DIMINISHES THOSE OLD UNIVERSAL MONSTER MOVIES IN ANY WAY? FOR EXAMPLE, CAN YOU EVER WATCH THOSE OLD FRANKENSTEIN MOVIES AND KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE WITHOUT THINKING OF YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN – JUST AS IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO TAKE THE AIRPORT DISASTER FILMS OF THE 1970S SERIOUSLY AFTER WATCHING THE AIRPLANE MOVIES?

• This movie isn’t trying to skewer or mean-spiritedly lampoon those old Frankenstein pictures; instead, it’s trying to evoke the look and feel of those films while also poking gentle fun at some of the tropes, conventions, motifs, aesthetics, and characters of those 1930s movies.

• For proof of the love and respect that the filmmakers intended, consider that they opted to shoot in black and white, like the original Frankenstein movies, and they also were able to shoot in the original castle using the lab equipment props featured in the 1931 Frankenstein movie.

• That being said, some viewers may find it difficult, after watching Young Frankenstein, to screen the original Frankenstein pictures with an open mind or a patient, tolerant attitude that respects the films in the context of their times.

• It’s important to remember that, in 1974 when young Frankenstein was originally released, the classic Universal horror movies like Frankenstein and its sequels were enjoying a resurgence on rerun television a la Shock Theater and Creature Feature-type TV repackagings. Also, classic movie monsters remained popular among baby boomers and their children, as evidenced by the popularity of horror magazines, comic books, monster models and other merchandise. These interests did not suffer after Young Frankenstein was released – in fact, old-time monsters were back in vogue.

WHAT OTHER FILMS COME TO MIND AFTER WATCHING YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN?

• Universal’s Frankenstein cycle, including Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, House of Frankenstein, and Abbott and Costello meat Frankenstein 

• The Fearless Vampire Killers

• Vampira, another horror spoof from 1974

• Dracula: Dead and Loving It, also directed by Brooks

• Haunted Honeymoon, directed by Wilder

• Dr. Strangelove – which also features a strange character with a mechanical arm

OTHER MOVIES DIRECTED BY MEL BROOKS

• The Producers

• The Twelve Chairs

• Blazing Saddles

• Silent Movie

• High Anxiety

• History of the World Part 1

• Spaceballs