Mel Brooks' affectionate parody of Universal's Frankenstein series of the 1930s is so lovingly filmed in the Gothic style of the originals (even using fine-grain black-and-white stock) that at times it artistically surpasses its role models. Gene Wilder plays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, a neurosurgeon determined to distance himself from his notorious forebears. Inheriting the family castle in Transylvania, Dr. F is met at the train station by Igor (Marty Feldman), the hunchbacked, cock-eyed assistant of Frankenstein's grandfather. Igor introduces Frederick to his buxom, Teutonic assistant Inga (Teri Garr), who eagerly awaits Frederick in the back of the hay wagon that will take them to fearsome Frankenstein Castle, overseen by the formidable Frau Blucher (Cloris Leachman), the mention of whose name causes all nearby horses to whinny in terror. Suddenly obsessed with the notion of carrying on Grandpa's work, Frederick rapidly assembles his creature (Peter Boyle), who closely resembles its Karloff-ian predecessor, save for its bald pate and the zippers on its neck. Frightened by fire -- and only briefly mollified by Frau Blucher's violin -- the monster escapes into the night. After its recapture, Frederick endeavors to humanize his creation by teaching it a song-and-dance number, "Puttin' on the Ritz," but once more the monster is enraged by fire. Its next escape coincides with the arrival of ultra-fussy fianc?e Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn), whom the monster kidnaps and takes to a secret cave where they share some of life's sweeter mysteries. Meanwhile Frederick and his friends desperately try to find a way to save the creature from the angry villagers seeking to destroy him. The Brooks-Wilder script, the evocative musical score by John Morris, and the crisp black-and-white lenswork of Gerald Hirschfield all combine for a frolicsome comedy experience that rang up a $39 million profit at the box office -- nearly 20 times its cost.
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