Showing results for "Frankenstein" in Film & TV

Mel Brooks' own words telling all about the players, the filming, and studio antics during the production of this great comedy classic. The book is alive and teeming with hundreds of photos, original interviews, and hilarious commentary. Young Frankenstein was made with deep respect for the...

Over the last two hundred years, Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel, Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus has formed the basis of many motion pictures, theatrical productions, and television shows. The familiar tale of a scientist who attempts to create life from the body parts of the dead has been told as traditional drama, comedy and satire, Shakespearean tragedy, and absurdist melodrama. It has also inspired the work of other writers to create their own unique tales, like Maurice Renard’s The Hands of Orlac, Curt Siodmak’s Donovan’s Brain, Hanns Heinz Ewers’ Alraune, and many others.

At 95, the legendary Mel Brooks continues to set the standard for comedy across television, film, and the stage. Now, for the first time, this EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner shares his story in his own words. “Laugh-out-loud hilarious and always fascinating, from the great Mel Brooks...

Investigative journalist Sam Irvin's tell-all behind the making of FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY (Universal / NBC-TV, 2-part miniseries, 1973) has many facets. It is an eye-opening exposé on the movie industry of the early 1970s with an emphasis on Universal Pictures and the horror genre. But the chronicle also reveals a hidden agenda – fueled by the astonishing courage of a revolutionary group of LGBTQ+ artists spearheaded by producer Hunt Stromberg Jr. and his screenwriters Christopher Isherwood (THE BERLIN STORIES – the basis for CABARET) and his lover, artist Don Bachardy.

1974 was a busy year for Mel Brooks. Although still recovering after a series of failed projects threatened his career, he pulled off a one-two punch that saw the release of two of the most beloved American comedies ever made: Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. Although both films are well-known, the stories beyond the making of each movie are less so. How did they come to be, and how did the era's culture and politics not only permit them to be made, but help them to become enduring comedy classics?