Mel Brooks’s Monster Comedy Classic, ‘Young Frankenstein,’ at 50, Shows No Signs of Aging

Along with the high- and low-brow gags, the film’s timeless theme keeps it as relatable today as it was in 1974.

20th Century Fox/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Gene Wilder stars as the grandson of the original Frankenstein, with Peter Boyle as the new monster in Mel Brooks film 'Young Frankenstein', 1974. 20th Century Fox/Archive Photos/Getty Images

The Mel Brooks masterpiece, “Young Frankenstein,” is turning 50 on Sunday. Like the monster of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novella, fans will remember it as a half-mad dream, the product of harvesting parts elsewhere. Yet this immortal creation elicits laughter, not horror. 

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