The late, greatGene Hackmanmakes a hilarious cameo appearance inYoung Frankenstein— and not only that, he improvised one of the funniest lines in the Mel Brooks comedy.Hackman recently passed awayat his home in Santa Fe at the age of 95. He left behind an incredible body of work that includes such classics as William Friedkin’s groundbreaking police noirThe French Connection, Francis Ford Coppola’s paranoid Watergate-era thrillerThe Conversation, and Clint Eastwood’s seminal revisionist westernUnforgiven.
Early in his career,Hackman gave an uncharacteristically silly performance as a blind hermit inYoung Frankenstein. When the monster escapes and runs amok around town, the blind man invites it into his home, treats him with hospitality, and unwittingly injures him at every opportunity. He pours soup into the monster’s lap instead of his bowl, and he sets the monster’s hand on fire instead of lighting his cigar. In an interview withYahoo! Movies, Brooks revealed that Hackman ad-libbed one of hisfunniest quotes inYoung Frankenstein.
Hackman Was Eager To Try His Hand At Comedy
According to Brooks, during the making ofYoung Frankenstein, Gene Wilder played tennis with Hackman every weekend. Having made his name playing gritty dramatic roles like Popeye Doyle, Hackman was eager to try his hand at comedy. He asked Wilder if there was a role for him anywhere inYoung Frankensteinand Wilder offered him the bit part of the blind hermit that meets the monster. Brooks recalled that Hackman was a “very eloquent [and] very soulful” performer to work with.
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While they were shooting his scene,Hackman asked Brooks if he could “try a few things” and throw in some of his own ad-libs. It’s a bold move to ask comedy legends like Brooks and Wilder if you can deviate from their solid-gold material, but Hackman ended up improvising one of the funniest lines in the movie. As the monster flees from his house, the blind man says, “Where are you going? I was gonna make espresso!”This absurd anachronism gave the scene a great punchline; it’s yet another thing for the blind man to injure the monster with.
Hackman Was A Great Comedic Actor As Well As A Great Dramatic Actor
From The Birdcage To The Royal Tenenbaums, Hackman Was Adept At Comedy
Hackman gave powerful dramatic performances inThe French Connection,Unforgiven,Hoosiers,Mississippi Burning,The Firm,The Conversation, andI Never Sang for My Father. But he was just as adept at delivering comedic performances as inYoung Frankenstein.He could play an eccentric comic personality, like the titular patriarch inThe Royal Tenenbaums, or he could play the stuffy, deadpan voice of reason, like the conservative senator inThe Birdcage.Gene Hackmanwas one of the great dramatic performers, but he was a hilarious comedic actor, too.
