Young Frankenstein - Trivia, Questions and Fun Facts

[discussimdb]

Fan of Young Frankenstein or just want to share your movie knowledge? This topic is dedicated to all trivia and questions related to Young Frankenstein

[ray]

After the first set of dailies, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder asked director of photography Gerald Hirschfeld what he thought. Overall, Hirschfeld was pleased, however Brooks was not, saying that the film should satirize the look of the old Universal horror films. Gene Wilder came to the flabbergasted Hirschfeld's defense saying, "Mel, we never told him that that's what we wanted. He's replicating it, but we want to poke fun at it." Hirschfeld made some changes, and the next set of dailies was more successful.

[addison]

While sitting at the dinner table, both Gene Wilder and Teri Garr hold the fork in their right hands, while Marty Feldman holds the fork in his left hand as the Europeans do.

[janice]

The title is spoken by Inspector Kemp when he says "We had better confirm the fact that Young Frankenstein is indeed FOLLOWING IN HIS GRANDFATHER'S FOOTSTEPS!"

[ella]

The howling wolf sound on the ride to the castle was made by Mel Brooks.

[ronnie]

The experiment the medical student mentions, where Darwin preserved a worm in fluid until it came to life, is mentioned in Mary Shelley's foreword to the novel "Frankenstein". The Darwin in question was Erasmus Darwin, grandfather of the famous Charles Darwin.

[beth]

According to Mel Brooks, the studio tried tricking him into shooting the film in color. "They said 'Okay, we'll make it in black and white, but on color stock, so that we can show it in Peru, which just got color, and I said 'No. No because you'll screw me. You will say this and then, in order to save the company, you will risk a lawsuit and you will print everything in color. It's gotta be on black and white thick film."

[jim]

Madeline Kahn's character sings "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life" in the film. The song was also used in the 1968 Kurt Vonnegut play, "Fortitude", in which one of the major characters is named Frankenstein.

[kylie]

Gene Wilder conceived the "Puttin' on the Ritz" scene, while Mel Brooks was resistant to it as a mere "conceit", and felt it would detract from the fidelity to Universal horror films in the rest of the film. Wilder recalls being "close to rage and tears" and argued for the scene before Brooks stopped him and said, "It's in!" When Wilder asked why he had changed his mind, Brooks said that since Wilder had fought for it, then it would be the right thing to do. But it was only when he soon saw the musical number along with a howling audience that Brooks was finally confident about the sequence.

[maureen]

Body count: 2. The hanged man who becomes the monster and the match-lighting guard.

[camila]

The two lab assistants are named Igor and Inga. Inga is the feminine form of the old Swedish name Ingvar or Ingmar. The Russian name Igor is, according to some linguistic scholars, a corruption of the same name.

[ivan]

The slapstick routine, "walk this way" also had been used in After the Thin Man (1936), and the Daffy Duck cartoon 'Super Snooper'

[ivan]

Schwanzstücke literally translates as "Tail Piece", although it isn't really a true German phrase.

[linda]

Madeline Kahn asked Mel Brooks if she could sing "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" instead of the opening lines of "Cheek to Cheek" (Heaven, I'm in Heaven) as was originally scripted. She felt it had to be a song that started with 'ah' or 'oh'.

[ruby]

The idea of Frederick's dart hitting a cat was ad-libbed on-set. When Gene Wilder threw his dart off camera, director Mel Brooks quickly screamed like a cat to create the illusion.

[jessie]

When the monster is being brought back to life, the area around his eyes (and what appears to be his teeth) begin to glow. This was done with a plastic head created to look exactly like that of Peter Boyle. Some fake teeth, fake brain tissue, and a light were used to create the effect.

[mathew]

Inspector Kemp was inspired by Lionel Atwill as Inspector Krogh in Son of Frankenstein (1939).

[ivan]

In the blind man's cabin, he is listening to a record. The song that is playing is "Ave Maria."

[jeffrey]

When Frankenstein arrives in the train at the Transylvania Station and inquires, talking to the shoeshine boy, are rearranged lyrics of the Big Band Song Chattanooga Choo Choo as sung by Tex Beneke (Sax Player/Singer), who later led The Glenn Miller Orchestra after the latter was killed in a plane crash during WWII, with Transylvania being put in for Pennsylvania. In the song, Tex sings Boy, You Can Give Me A Shine (to those who are familiar with the song, makes it hilarious when the solicitation from the boy Can I Give You A Shine? is rejected by Wilder's puzzled look, and, thereafter, responding Ah, No Thanks).

[harry]

Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, and Marty Feldman appeared in this film by virtue of the fact that their mutual agent had a deal with the movie studio.