Categories: Gallery

Young Frankenstein: 12 Behind the Scenes Stories of How Mel Brooks’ Monster Hit Came Alive

Published by
Tim Molloy

Gene Hackman Signed Up Over Tennis

Peter Boyle and Gene Hackman in a German lobby card for Young Frankenstein, aka Frankenstein Junior. 20th Century Fox

Gene Wilder played tennis every Saturday with Gene Hackman, who was red-hot after his Best Actor Oscar win for 1971’s The French Connection. When Wilder told him about Young Frankenstein, Hackman asked for a role, saying, “I’m dying to do some comedy,” according to Brooks. Wilder had a small but perfect role in mind.

Hackman played a lonely old hermit, who was so unrecognizable under his beard that “nobody knew the blind man was Gene Hackman until they saw his name at the end of the credits.”

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Tim Molloy

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