What do you think?
Rate this book
Blazing Saddles Meets Young Frankenstein: The 50th Anniversary of the Year of Mel Brooks
An in-depth look at the 1974 releases of Mel Brooks's
Blazing Saddles
and
Young Frankenstein
that will leave cinephiles enthralled.
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 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?
With their riotous parodies of Westerns and classic horror movies, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were not only hilarious. They played with charged social and cultural themes in an inimitable way, raising the bar for modern comedies even as they reshaped the two genres they were sending up. Blazing Saddles Meets Young The 50th Anniversary of the Year of Mel Brooks explores in depth the zeitgeist and cinematic alchemy that led to 1974 becoming “the year of Mel Brooks.”
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 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?
With their riotous parodies of Westerns and classic horror movies, Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein were not only hilarious. They played with charged social and cultural themes in an inimitable way, raising the bar for modern comedies even as they reshaped the two genres they were sending up. Blazing Saddles Meets Young The 50th Anniversary of the Year of Mel Brooks explores in depth the zeitgeist and cinematic alchemy that led to 1974 becoming “the year of Mel Brooks.”
272 pages, Paperback
Published November 12, 2024
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 14, 2025
Love these movies, but did not love the author’s editorial, self-referential “amirite?” vibe. The book also felt a bit padded, even at a modest 220 pages, with extensive excerpts from interviews conducted with collaborators of Brooks’ later and, quite frankly, lesser films. I laughed at the movie quotes that were added, and learned a couple new things as well, but overall I was put off by the approach.
Displaying 1 of 1 review