Young Frankenstein 50th Anniversary Review

Still from Young Frankenstein, starring Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman and Teri Garr

It has been 50 years since Young Frankenstein, the spoof monster comedy, first played on big screens across the UK and Europe, and it still holds up as a delightfully well-written and witty comedy.

Young Frankenstein is a parody of the original 1931 Frankenstein film and its countless sequels, as well as many other Universal Studios monster movies that dominated US cinemas in the 50s and 60s.

The film sees the great Gene Wilder star as Dr Frederick Frankenstein, pronounced “Frokensteen”, a lecturing physician who inherits his late grandfather’s castle in Transylvania. Frederick arrives in Transylvania where he meets his grandfather’s hunchback servant Igor pronounced “Eye-gore”, played by the British comedian Marty Feldman. Frederick discovers his grandfather's laboratory, where his grandfather experimented with bringing back the dead, and vows to continue his experiments.

Frederick sends Igor to a morgue to steal a brain, but he accidentally steals a deceased brain labelled “Abnormal”. They experiment on this brain and bring the Monster to life, who is played by Peter Boyle. The Monster escapes and is free in Transylvania as Frederick tries to get him back.

The cast of Young Frankenstein at a restaurant in LA in 1974. Credit: Steve Schapiro/GettyImages

The plot of the film is very similar to the original 1818 Frankenstein novel and its 1931 film adaptation, but it’s also not a direct remake; rather, a legacy sequel to the original film that is meant to be played for laughs rather than scares.

The comedic performances are great, with Gene Wilder bringing his natural humour while also being overly serious. His on-screen chemistry with Marty Feldman is one of the highlights of the movie, they just seem like a perfect fit together.

Peter Boyle also delivers great physical comedy as the Monster. He has the standout scene of the film, when the Monster runs into a blind old monk, played by the recently passed Gene Hackman, and they share a meal.

The visual aspects of the movie are outstanding, from the great visual gags like Igor’s hunchback switching shoulders to the parody sets, which feel like a classic Frankenstein movie set. The film is in black and white, which only makes it better by adding to the classic film feel.

Mel Brooks directed and wrote this film, with Gene Wilder co-writing. They made this movie enjoyable and funny for all audiences, with a joke for everyone to enjoy. Young Frankenstein may poke fun at certain monster movie tropes, but it never feels like it’s outright mocking the genre, but instead pays homage and adds to the classic monster movie motifs with humour.

Marty Feldman and Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein. Credit: 20th Century Fox/GettyImages

Young Frankenstein received great reviews at the time of release, with many praising Wilder’s performance. It was a great follow-up for Brooks, who directed Blazing Saddles the year before. Legendary film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a full four stars, and still to this day, it’s highly regarded and well-liked, with IMDb giving the film an 8/10.

It’s a classic that still holds up and is a type of comedy that hasn’t been seen in a long time. It makes you appreciate the type of films that you would get in the 20th century, especially during the 70s, when movies were starting to become more adult and serious. There would still be many movies like Young Frankenstein in the 70s, which is a stark contrast to modern cinema, which rarely strays beyond the same few genres.

Young Frankenstein is a timeless comedy that will still be appreciated by new audiences 50 years after its release. It has found a younger audience, who will also appreciate and enjoy this silly little monster comedy.