Horror Comedy Classic Is The Funniest Of All Time And Disney Is Letting It Die

There are a great number of film and television shows that are shown across multiple platforms, which might give one hope when trying to locate a place to settle in and watch Young Frankenstein. But exhausting searches to find a single streaming service that hosts this classic Mel Brooks comedy in its streaming library have proven to be fruitless. Thankfully, there are still copies of the film on both DVD and Blu-ray that can be found new and used for reasonable prices (for now) online.

Young Frankenstein was co-written by two comedic legends, Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. The duo worked together on the 1974 film Blazing Saddles, with Brooks in the director’s chair and Wilder sharing top billing with star Cleavon Little. As the film was nearly wrapped, Brooks and Wilder conceived the idea for a comedic take on the Frankenstein story, but they told it in a way that was never before.

The two put their heads together and penned a hilarious script that quickly turned into a smashing box-office success. The film’s protagonist is Dr. Frankenstein’s grandson, Frederick, a successful physician who is currently lecturing at a medical school in the United States. Young Frankenstein follows the main character to Transylvania, where he is lured after receiving news that he inherited the family estate.

Having spent a lifetime disavowing his “crazy” ancestry, Frederick soon discovers his grandfather’s secret laboratory and reads his journals. He becomes convinced that he can follow the procedures his grandfather laid out and successfully reanimate the dead. Aided by the village hunchback, the dim-witted Igor, Frederick is able to secure a fresh corpse to begin an experiment that sets off a series of hilarious events in Young Frankenstein.

Young Frankenstein was filmed on a budget of less than $3 million but eventually raked in $86.2 million at the box office. Critics loved the film as much as audiences, giving the horror-comedy high praises upon its release. Today, Young Frankenstein enjoys a 94 percent fresh rating on the site Rotten Tomatoes.

Young Frankenstein assembled a fantastic cast to complement a hilarious screenplay. Gene Wilder stars as Frederick, Mary Feldman as Igor, and Peter Boyle as the Monster. The supporting cast of characters added as much, if not more, to the film, with Madeline Kahn, Teri Garr, and Cloris Leachman providing scene-stealing performances.

The film was also nominated for two additional Academy Awards. Gene Wilder and Mel Brooks shared the Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay, while Richard Portman and Gene S. Cantamessa were nominated for Best Sound for Young Frankenstein.

One day, Disney may change its direction and release Young Frankenstein from its digital crypt. Until then, get a physical copy while you can.