History Trivia / YoungFrankenstein

*** Wilder wrote in his autobiography that he kept trying to find ways to add additional scenes to the shooting schedule because the cast had a thoroughly great time together and Wilder didn't want filming to end.

* HeyItsThatGuy: Danny Goldman, the smarmy medical student who keeps pestering Frederick about his grandfather's work, would go on to play [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs Brainy Smurf.]] It just figures.

* HeyItsThatVoice: Danny Goldman, the smarmy medical student who keeps pestering Frederick about his grandfather's work, would go on to play [[WesternAnimation/TheSmurfs Brainy Smurf.]] It just figures.

* RecycledSet: A lot of the laboratory equipment were Kenneth Strickfadens original props from ''Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}}''.

** AFIS100Years100Songs:
** #89, "Puttin' On The Ritz"

* CreatorKiller

** The "Puttin' on the Ritz" number almost didn't make it into the film. Wilder fought tooth and nail with Brooks to include it until the latter relented.

** In the end, both men agreed that dealing with these creative differences were not worth risking their friendship and that it was probably best that this be their last project in cooperation with each other. Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks only wanted to direct his own scripts at this point, encouraging Wilder to direct his own (Brooks later offered Wilder the lead in ''Film/HighAnxiety'', which he felt would have been perfect casting, but Wilder turned down due to scheduling issues). ''Young Frankenstein'' is generally seen as both men's peek period, as none of their other projects, despite being well-received, reached anywhere near the same acclaim, although true to their words they remained best friends until Wilder's death in 2016.

** Brooks was already uncomfortable directing a script he hadn't conceived himself, having only taken ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' because he was flat broke after his first two movies had bombed, and only agreed on the condition that he would co-write the screenplay with Wilder. Wilder, in turn, told Brooks that he couldn't act in it so as not to disturb the ComicallySerious atmosphere (his voice appears from off-screen a few times: one as the werewolf ("There wolf! There castle!"), then later as the elder Dr. Frankenstein when Fredrick is looking over the halp and later as [[ThatPoorCat the screaming cat]] who gets hit by Fredrick's dart off-screen).

** Brooks was already uncomfortable directing a script he hadn't conceived himself, having only taken ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' because he was flat broke after his first two movies had bombed, and only agreed on the condition that he would co-write the screenplay with Wilder. Wilder, in turn, told Brooks that he couldn't act in it so as not to disturb the ComicallySerious atmosphere (the closest being [[ThatPoorCat the screaming cat]] who gets hit by Fredrick's dart off-screen).

** In the end, both men agreed that dealing with these creative differences were not worth risking their friendship and that it was probably best that this be their last project in cooperation with each other. Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks only wanted to direct his own scripts at this point, encouraging Wilder to direct his own (Brooks later offered Wilder the lead in ''Film/HighAnxiety'', which he felt would have been perfect casting, but Wilder turned down due to scheduling issues). ''Young Frankenstein'' is generally seen as both men's peek period, as none of their other projects, despite being well-received, reached anywhere near the same acclaim.

** In the end, both men agreed that dealing with these creative differences were not worth risking their friendship and that it was probably best that this be their last project in cooperation with each other. Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks only wanted to direct his own scripts at this point, encouraging Wilder to direct his own. ''Young Frankenstein'' is generally seen as both men's peek period, as none of their other projects, despite being well-received, reached anywhere near the same acclaim.

** Brooks was already uncomfortable directing a script he hadn't conceived himself, having only taken ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' because he was flat broke after his first two movies had bombed, and only agreed on the condition that he would co-write the screenplay with Wilder. Wilder, in turn, told Brooks that he couldn't act in it so as not to disturb the ComicallySerious atmosphere (the closest being [[ThatPoorCat the screaming cat]] who gets hit by Inspector Kemp's dart off-screen).
** Brooks repeatedly questioned Wilder's insistence to include the now-famous "Puttin' On The Ritz" and attempted several times to talk him into cutting it. Wilder persisted, saying it would be funny once he saw it and eventually had to scream himself horse just to convince Brooks how badly he wanted it. He still wasn't convinced come shooting until he turned to see the entire crew covering their mouths with handkerchiefs (which he'd told them to do if they started laughing), at which point he knew that it would be a hit.

** In the end, both men agreed that dealing with these creative differences were not worth risking their friendship and that it was probably best that this be their last project in cooperation with each other. Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks was uncomfortable directing anything he didn't write, and encouraged Wilder to start directing his own movies, and while successful, none of their future projects reached the level of acclaim that this one did.

** Almost a Throw It ''Out'' moment; in some interviews, Brooks stated that the only point during production where he and co-writer Creator/GeneWilder seriously disagreed was the inclusion of the "Puttin' On the Ritz" number. Gene loved the idea but Mel hated it. After Gene vehemently defended the scene, Mel decided, "If you feel that strongly about it, we'll shoot the scene. If it works, we'll use it, if not, we won't." They shot it and it became one of the highlights of the movie.
*** The monster's shout of "PUTTINAHNDARIZZZ!" was Creator/PeterBoyle's idea.

** "Soitenly! You take the blond, I'll take the one in the toiban!" Marty Feldman's Creator/GrouchoMarx-esque riff was one of many moments that Mel Brooks was not expecting, to his delight.
** The blind man's parting line "I was going to make espresso!" was improvised by Creator/GeneHackman. The scene ''immediately'' fades to black to cover up the laughter of the film crew.

* CreativeDifferences: While the cast and crew reportedly enjoyed making the movie so much that they added scenes for fun, the same could not be said for Creator/MelBrooks and Creator/GeneWilder. Wilder had to scream himself horse just to keep the now-famous "Puttin' On The Ritz" scene in when Brooks insisted on cutting it, just to prove how badly he wanted it. One particularly brutal day ended with Brooks storming off the set after a huge argument, only for him to call Wilder that night and apologize in his own way by asking "Who was that asshole you were fighting with today? If you ask me, he should be fired!" The two agreed afterward that their friendship wasn't worth risking like this again, and the result was the two never collaborating on any other project: Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks was uncomfortable directing anything he didn't write, and encouraged Wilder to start directing his own movies
(Brooks did try to get Wilder in ''Film/HighAnxiety'', but Wilder declined due to scheduling conflicts). This movie is generally regarded as the high water mark of both men's careers, and none of these projects, while generally well-received, were considered anywhere near the classics their collaborations were.

* CreativeDifferences: By all accounts it was a smooth shoot, so much so that new scenes were added and filmed just because the actors were having so much fun. However, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder frequently butted heads, especially over the now-famous "Puttin' On The Ritz" scene which Wilder had to fight for until he was blue in the face just to prove how badly he wanted it keep it. One particularly brutal day ended with the two parting ways after a huge fight, only for Mel to call him that night and apologize in his own special way by asking "Who was that asshole you were fighting with today? If you ask me, he should be fired!"
** Because both felt that their friendship was suffering after having worked so closely together, this was the last project that they collaborated so closely on. Wilder was increasingly drawn to screenwriting and Brooks was uncomfortable directing anything he didn't write, and encouraged Wilder to start directing his own movies. Neither Brooks nor Wilder were ever quite as successful apart as they had been together, either at the box office or critically, and this movie is generally regarded as the high water mark of both men's careers.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Originally in the script, after Igor drops the brain jar, he was to turn to the camera and quip, "Funny thing is, I tried!"

* CreatorCameo: The howling wolf sound on the ride to the castle was made by Creator/MelBrooks. He also voices the cat Frankenstein hits with a dart and the original Dr. Frankenstein.

* RecycledSet: A lot of the laboratory equipment were Kenneth Strickfadens original props from the ''Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}}''.

* {{Tuckerisation}}:
** The Gasthaus, or guest house at the beginning of the riot scene is Gasthaus Gruskoff, named after producer Michael Gruskoff.
** The name on the third brain when Igor makes his selection is that of the movie's assistant property master, Charles Sertin.

* TheCastShowOff: Mel Brooks, who knew that Madeline Kahn had a lovely singing voice, felt so guilty about making her [[HollywoodToneDeaf sing badly on purpose]] in ''Film/BlazingSaddles'' that he gave her a short scene where her character sings "Battle Hymn Of The Republic" to make up for it.

** Igor's hump, which changes position from scene to scene; Marty Feldman decided to do this on his own, without telling anybody beforehand. When someone finally noticed, they added a bit where Frederick does as well.

*** The monster's shout of "PUTTINAHNDARIZZZ!" was Peter Boyle's idea.

** Brooks ad-libbed the sound of a cat getting hit with one of Frederick's darts.
** Almost a Throw It ''Out'' moment; in some interviews, Mel Brooks stated that the only point during production where he and co-writer Gene Wilder seriously disagreed was the inclusion of the "Puttin' On the Ritz" number. Gene loved the idea but Mel hated it. After Gene vehemently defended the scene, Mel decided, "If you feel that strongly about it, we'll shoot the scene. If it works, we'll use it, if not, we won't." They shot it and it became one of the highlights of the movie.

* The Music/{{Aerosmith}} song 'Walk This Way' is named after Igor's cane gag.

* Tuckerisation:

* WhatCoulHaveBeen: Originally in the script, after Igor drops the brain jar, he was to turn to the camera and quip, "Funny thing is, I tried!"

* AFIS100Years100Laughs: #13
* AFIS100Years100Songs:

*** This has appeared again in other Mel Brooks films - Prince John does it with his facial mole in ''Film/RobinHoodMenInTights''.

** The bit where Frederick accidentally stabs himself with a scalpel wasn't in the script--Gene Wilder accidentally did that for real. ''And kept going.''
** "Soitenly! You take the blond, I'll take the one in the toiban!" Marty Feldman's Groucho Marx-esque riff was one of many moments that Mel Brooks was not expecting, to his delight.
** The blind man's parting line "I was going to make espresso!" was improvised by Gene Hackman. The scene ''immediately'' fades to black to cover up the laughter of the film crew.

* BookcasePassage

** The blind man's parting line "I was going to make espresso!" was improvised by Gene Hackman.