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Young
Frankenstein (1974)
In Mel Brooks' funny horror spoof:
- the early scene in the medical classroom when the
grandson of the original baron named Dr. Frederick Frankenstein
(Gene Wilder): ("It's pronounced Frohn-ken-Steeeen")
must answer touchy questions from an inquisitive and persistent
student (Danny Goldman) about his legendary grandfather Dr. Victor
Frankenstein - and he jabbed a scalpel into his leg
- the character of bug-eyed, ignorant, leering Igor
(Marty Feldman) with a shifting humpback ("Didn't you used to
have that on the other side?...Your, uh...")
- Igor's transport of Dr. Frankenstein and his temporary
assistant Inga (Teri Garr) to the Transylvanian castle in a hay cart,
and her exclamation of: "Werewolf!"; Igor misinterpreted
what she said and answered by pointing out: "There...There,
wolf. There, castle"
- the scene of Frankenstein marveling at large wrought-iron
door knockers on the Transylvania castle door:
"What knockers!", with Inga's quick appreciative response
as he lifted her out of the carriage: "Oh, Thank you, doctor!"
- the scenes of horses neighing and whinnying (amidst
lightning strikes) whenever castle housekeeper Frau Blucher's (Cloris
Leachman) name was mentioned
- also the revolving bookcase-fireplace sequence revealing
a secret passageway, and Dr. Frankenstein's continual request: "Put
the candle back"; and his failed attempt to block the turning
bookcase with his body: ("Now listen to me very carefully, don't
put the candle back. With all of your might, shove against the other
side of the bookcase. Is that perfectly clear?"); and then Inga
became trapped behind the bookcase
- the creation scene in which Dr. Frankenstein yelled
madly: "Give my creation...life!"
- and the charades sequence of Dr. Frankenstein acting
out the word 'Sed-a-give' ("Give him the sedative" with
an injection), using the game of charades, to control the violent
Monster (Peter Boyle) that was strangling him
- Igor's questioning by slow-to-anger Dr. Frankenstein
about whose brain Igor had stolen:
"Would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?"; Igor
responded hesitantly and acquired a promise that the doctor wouldn't
become angry: "Abby someone...Abby Normal...I'm almost sure that
was the name"; Frankenstein pressed further: "Are you saying
that I put an abnormal brain into a seven-and-a-half-foot long, fifty-four
inch wide gorilla? Is that what you're telling me?" and then began
strangling his servant
- the classic scene of the Monster with the blind hermit
(Gene Hackman) in his shack - a tribute to a similar scene in The
Bride of Frankenstein in which he called the Monster "an
incredibly big mute", ladled boiling hot soup on the Monster's
lap, broke the Monster's wine mug when toasting their friendship,
and lit the Monster's thumb, thinking it was a cigar - and then called
after him as he left in fear: "Wait. Where are you going? I
was gonna make espresso"
- Dr. Frankenstein's introduction of the Monster to
an audience as a "man about town" and their top-hat and
cane, tap-dancing duet of Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz" -
with the Monster's slurred, squeaky, and high-pitched singing of "Punnondariiiiiiiizz!"
- the scene of the arrival of Dr. Frankenstein's untouchable
fiancee Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), when a request was made of Igor: "Igor,
will you give me a hand with the bags?" - and his reply - with
growling:
"Certainly, you take the blonde and I'll take the one with the
turban"
- and the scene of Elizabeth's kidnapping by the Monster
- with her hair turned white, a la The Bride
of Frankenstein; and the nymphomaniac's
infatuation with the Monster - after viewing his "enormous schwanstucker," she
breathed an aroused, wide-eyed "Woof!"; she warbled the
tune 'O Sweet Mystery of Life' as he made love to her (offscreen);
post-coitus while sharing a cigarette together (similar to Now,
Voyager (1942)), she complimented him on his stamina: "You're
incorrigible, aren't you, you little zipper-neck?"
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