BLAZING FRANKENSTEIN!
Fifty years old this year, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein remain at the top, or close to the top, of everyone’s list of Best Comedy Movies. There are many other titles on those lists, so why has Bruce G. Hallenbeck limited himself to just those two? The answer is simple – apart from being two of the best comedies ever made, both were released in the same year.
Mel Brooks, Peter Boyle, Teri Garr, Gene Wilder, Cloris Leachman relaxing.
20th Century Fox Photofest / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
1974 was an exceptional year for cinema. In addition to the above mentioned films it saw the release of The Godfather II, Chinatown, The Conversation, Lenny, and Murder on the Orient Express. Throw in Towering Inferno and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and 1974 was one of Hollywood’s most successful years since the annus mirabilis of 1939.
Behind the scenes of Young Frankenstein (1974).
20th Century Fox Photofest / © Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation
For the few readers who haven’t seen them, Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein are satires of two of cinema’s most popular genres – the western and the horror movie. Brooks took the conventions of each genre and turned them on their heads. In this excellent study, Hallenbeck tells us how it all happened, from original conception through writing, casting, shooting, and editing (very important in comedy!) to eventual release.
Madeline Kahn as Lili Von Shtüpp and Cleavon Little as Sheriff Bart get to know each other.
Warner Bros. Photofest / © Warner Bros.
The process is treated in vivid detail, with abundant anecdotes of the day-to-day experience of film-making. It was interesting to learn that not all of the impeccable cast members were first choices. How different things might have been if Gig Young hadn’t been too drunk to perform on his first day on Blazing Saddles. He wouldn’t have been replaced by Gene Wilder, who might not have told Mel Brooks his idea for something called Young Frankenstein. It’s always fun to imagine how a famous film would have fared with other casting choices – Ronald Reagan in Casablanca? No thanks!
Mel Brooks as Governor Lepetomane and Robyn Hilton as his, um, secretary.
Warner Bros. Photofest / © Warner Bros.
Hallenbeck is excellent at placing the films within the cultural context of their time. This is particularly true of Blazing Saddles, which could almost be seen as a metaphor for the gradual breaking down of racial barriers in the sixties and seventies. Of course, far too many barriers are still in place, giving the film an added poignancy when viewed today. Thanks to television, video and streaming, both films have remained in the public consciousness to a remarkable degree. Young Frankenstein is probably the better known today, partly because horror is more popular than tales of the Old West. Indeed Brooks’ exposure of the western’s racist heart is partly responsible for the genre’s loss of popularity.
Behind the Scenes of Young Frankenstein (1974) with Director Mel Brooks,
Marty Feldman, Terri Garr, Gene Wilder, and Peter Boyle.
20th Century Fox Photofest / © Twentieth Century Fox Film CorporationHallenbeck’s book is a fascinating account of the way comedy can have as powerful an impact as drama, and how that impact can endure long after its initial appearance. Viewed today the films are as much fun as when they were released, maybe even more so – they still have the power to shock in these politically correct times. As Hallenbeck points out, to successfully satirize a genre you have to love it. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Brooks’ love of (and respect for) both genres raises them to the level of works cinema art in their own right.
Blazing Saddles Meets Young Frankenstein:
The 50th Anniversary of the Year of Mel Brooks
Bruce G. Hallenbeck
Applause Theatre & Cinema Books (published November 12, 2024)
English | Paperback | 272 pages | photos (also available in audio and Kindle)
ISBN-10 : 1493078003
ISBN-13 : 978-1493078004