And they drilled down on it. Wilder said it was exhausting, but got a master's class on writing and performing comedy. You read his script, and there's a lot of favorite Young Frankenstein moments that are absent. In fact, quite a few. Essential things that you remember. Not there. Those came in during the Brooks/Wilder re-tooling.
For example, this section. I haven't changed a thing, except for a Cloris Leachman addition and a couple of Monster responses (all of which Wilder put in as "Mmm"). But, get to the back and forth between Frederick von Frankenstein and Fraü Blucher (obligatory horse-whinny) and you see that there is no punctuation other than a simple period. Wilder's script was low on description and direction, sometimes (as in this case) just putting in the dialog. But, between script and page, there's six years of acting class in difference. Not to mention pacing.
Wilder mentions the music, but not where it comes in. He doesn't describe the Monster's reaction to it. And he certainly doesn't have Blucher building the intensity of the scene with dramatic violin-strokes and a performance that wasn't topped until Meg Ryan sat down at a deli.
Words, sure. Absolutely. But, what you do in the white spaces between words and paragraphs is just as important. Sometimes more.
The Set-up: Frederick von Frankenstein ("That's Fronk-en-steen")(Gene Wilder), following the journals of his infamous grandfather's attempts to reanimate dead tissue, has succeeded in bringing a dead corpse (Peter Boyle) to life, but keeps him restrained as the brain installed in the body is discovered to be "abnormal." But, Castle Frankenstain's house-keeper Frau Blucher* (Cloris Leachman) has other plans.
Throw the switch!
Freddy: What are you doing?
Fraü Blucher: I'm going to set him free.
Freddy: Are you insane?
Words by Gene Wilder (and Mel Brooks)
Pictures by Gerald Hirschfeld and Mel Brooks
Young Frankenstein is available on DVD and Blu-Ray from Fox Home Video.
* horse whinny
** I have no idea what this translates to. The subtitles say "eine schatze kopf" which means "a darling's head" but it doesn't sound like that.