Young Frankenstein Resources

Websites

All About Mel

Here's Mel's own website. As you can see, at almost 90, he hasn't slowed down.

Book or TV Adaptations

The Prototypical Prometheus

You may have heard of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We can refresh your memory, no brain transplant needed.

The Five-Minute Frankenstein

The Cliff-Notes version of the movie.

Fun Fortieth Facts

Fun things to know on the film's 40th birthday.

Articles and Interviews

Love in the Times of Frankenstein

Not everyone thought this movie was an instant classic.

A Moving Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

See through the eyes of Young Frankenstein's cinematographer—without needing an eye transplant—in this excerpt of his book.

No Laughing Aloud Allowed

This isn't a sitcom, and Mel Brooks didn't want a laugh track, so he had the crew stuff their mouths with a hanky if they felt like laughing on the set of his "finest" film.

Cuttin' Out the Ritz

Brooks didn't want the dance segment in the movie, but he now believes it to be the film's best scene.

Reanimated Life Begins at Forty

They were lined up around the block in L.A. for the film's 40th birthday.

Brooks on Conan

Mel dishes on a bunch of subjects, including our film's 40th anniversary.

Seven Decades of Genius

The "Comedy God" reminisces about Young Frankenstein.

Killer Kael

The legendary, hard-to-impress New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael was pretty impressed with Gene Wilder's "controlled maniacal" performance as Frederick in her 1974 review of the movie.

Winnie The Pooh?

New York Times reviewer Vincent Canby loved the film, and described Frederick Frankenstein as a combination of Thomas Edison and Winnie-the-Pooh, with your average Playboy appreciator of bosoms thrown in for good measure.

Video

The Face of Comedy

Cinemassacre has nothing to be angry about here. They love Young Frankenstein, especially Gene Wilder's wild performance.

Seriously Seventies

A very serious interview with a very serious Mel Brooks.

Wilder on the Mad Scientist

Gene Wilder comes out of his own secret lab to look back on his career, including his iconic Young Frankenstein role.

Still Crushing It at 88

Brooks puts the "Mel" in Jimmy Kimmel to talk about the 40th anniversary of Young Frankenstein.

Audio

From Transylvania to Broadway

Brooks talks about adapting Young Frankenstein to the stage.

Singin' and Dancin'

Not everyone found the Young Frankenstein stage musical electrifying.

Images

Poster Boys

The original poster emphasizes both class (top hat!) and craziness (Gene Wilder's wacky face).

Behind the Lab

In this neat behind-the-scenes shot, we see that even though the film was shot in black & white, the monster was still green.

CPR – Comedic Pulmonary Resuscitation

In another fun behind-the-scenes peek, Brooks looks on and laughs as Wilder takes his frustration out on the monster. You could tell the entire story from this one shot.