Young Frankenstein (1974) is one of writer-producer- director Mel Brooks' best films - a nostalgic, hilarious spoof-tribute to classic horror films (with its authentic black and white cinematography and production design/set decoration) and, in particular, of Mary Shelley's classic novel. This was his follow-up film to his westerns spoof (Blazing Saddles 1974). The classic comedy airs on KUED-Channel 7 Saturday, July 28, at 7 p.m. Shot in the same castle, with the same props and lab equipment as the original 1931 Frankenstein film, Brooks’ film ranges from slapstick and farce to bawdy humor to irreverent satire. The main character, young brain surgeon and med-school professor, Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (Gene Wilder) is in denial about his heritage, and must continually and defiantly correct people about the pronunciation of his name: "That's Frahnk-en-steen." The reluctant scientist returns to Transylvania when he inherits his infamous grandfather Victor's castle, and is inspired to finish his ancestor's mad work to create life after he finds the journal book/diary "How I Did It" in his private library. In the castle and town, he finds a bug-eyed Igor ("That's Eye-gor") (Marty Feldman) with a shifting hunchback, an old housekeeper Frau Bleucher (Cloris Leachman) who inspires horses to whinny, and a pretty, dim-witted, voluptuous assistant from the village named Inga (Teri Garr). Frankenstein’s sexually-repressed, spoiled fiancé Elizabeth (Madeline Kahn) later joins him as he repeats his grandfather's famous experiments and recreates the Monster (Peter Boyle). Igor is instructed to steal the brain of Hans Delbruck, a "scientist and saint," but mistakenly gets the wrong brain - an abnormal one. Young Frankenstein airs on KUED-Channel 7 Saturday, July 28, at 7 p.m.
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