Is That a Mel Brooks Joke in the New Frankenstein Trailer?

By Anne Cohen August 18, 2015

Among the many iconic lines from Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” (“Walk this way;” “Would you like to roll in the hay;” “Frau Blucher”) one always stands out for me. It’s the one spoken by Dr. Frederick Frankenstein when, upon meeting his assistant Igor for the first time, he corrects his pronunciation. The exchange goes as follows:

IGOR: “Dr. Frankenstein.”

FRANKENSTEIN: “Frankensteen.”

IGOR: “You’re putting me on.”

FRANKENSTEIN: “No it’s pronounced Frankensteen.” etc, etc.

Here’s the clip, just for kicks:

Now, compare that to the back-and-forth repartee which takes place about halfway through for “Victor Frankenstein,” the latest iteration of Mary Shelley’s monster to hit the big screen.

POSSIBLE LOVE INTEREST/ PRETTY LADY: “Are you not afraid to challenge the natural order, M. Frankensteen?”

FRANKENSTEIN (played by James McAvoy): “No. And it’s Frankenstein.”

The new film promises to be a whole new take on the Frankenstein story, but if that’s not a wink to Mel Brooks’ movie, I don’t know what is.

In other MOT news, notice Daniel Radcliffe, cast as a very straight-backed Igor, last name “Strausman.” Mel Brooks jokes and a very possibly Jewish Igor? I’m in.

Anne Cohen was the Forward’s deputy digital media editor. When she’s not looking for the secret Jewish history of Voodoo in New Orleans, or making lists about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she writes for The Assimilator. She graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism with an M.S. magazine concentration in 2012.

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