In this era of modern filmmaking more films are becoming more profitable than original. Perhaps this is mainly due to the progressive technological growth that is continuing to shape and develop the films we see on our screens, but nevertheless originality is something we crave when going to the cinema. As part of Glasgow Film Festival’s 20th Anniversary edition retrospective season, Young Frankenstein is a film that was beyond its years. It’s humorous, unconventional, yet full of heart.
Released in 1975, the American comedy horror became an instant classic. Based loosely on Mary Shelley’s iconic character Frankenstein from her 1818 novel of the same name, Young Frankenstein’s premise focuses on medical lecturer Dr Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) who learns he has inherited his grandfather’s eerie estate in Transylvania. Upon arriving and falling for its charm, Dr Frankenstein decides to recreate his grandfather’s experiments and create his very own monster.
While Young Frankenstein is of course another rendition to the adaptations of Shelley’s work, the collaboration between Wilder and Brooks enabled the duo to take the narrative to new heights. Wilder not only acts as the film’s leading man but co-wrote the script alongside Brooks. In 1972, Wilder had the initial idea of a fresh take on Frankenstein, one where the protagonist was someone entirely new to the story - the grandson of Victor Frankenstein. With the help of his agent, the actor went on to write the first four pages of the screenplay. Brooks, who was originally disinterested in the project, eventually jumped on board to help Wilder complete and finalise a script that would go on to win the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1975.
The film challenges the norms of adapting stories repeatedly to its audiences. By the time of the film’s release there had already been more than a dozen adaptations of the novel, including Frankenstein (1910) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) to name a few. Ultimately, Young Frankenstein acts as a parody of the Universal Monster’s franchise and all the money they spent on characters such as Frankenstein. But not only was creating a parody enough, Brook’s decision to make the film in black and white during a period that colour film was thriving should be applauded, taking yet another swipe at the distributor’s typical horror flicks.
Young Frankenstein’s success as a spoof is down to its genuine comedic factor. Typically, in Frankenstein, the scientist’s sidekick Igor is a minor role with no actor really providing unforgettable performance until Marty Feldman came along with his utterly unique and comedic take on the character. Ironically, compared to Wilder’s role, Feldman was the one to deliver some of the films most hilarious lines – for example, ‘Walk this way’, which went on to inspire Aerosmith for the title of a song.
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein will always be regarded as one of the best gothic pieces of literature to ever exist, paving the way for audiences to visualise her iconic monster on the big screen. Perhaps the real take from Shelley’s work is that we must defy the conventions of our creators. Thus, this is why Young Frankenstein has continued to be successful more than four decades on.
Natasha Jagger
Film journalist and programmer
