Mel Brooks is a genius. Honestly, there isn't really another way to put it when you're looking at the sheer density of jokes in his 1974 masterpiece. But if you ask anyone to name the one moment that defines the flick, they won’t necessarily point to the high-budget "Puttin' on the Ritz" sequence. They’ll talk about Marty Feldman. Specifically, they’ll talk about the walk this way Young Frankenstein moment that basically changed how we look at physical comedy forever.
It’s such a simple bit.
Gene Wilder’s Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (that’s Fron-ken-steen, remember) arrives at the Transylvania station. He meets Igor. Igor, played by the incomparable Marty Feldman with those iconic wandering eyes, tells the doctor to follow him. He says the line. He does the walk. And suddenly, cinema history is made in a way that feels totally effortless but was actually a stroke of improvisational brilliance.
The Origin of the Gag
Most people think every beat of a Mel Brooks movie is scripted down to the last syllable. Not true. The "walk this way" bit in Young Frankenstein was actually a bit of a happy accident.
Brooks has mentioned in various interviews over the decades—including his 2021 memoir All About Me!—that Marty Feldman was a constant source of "bits." When they were filming the scene where Igor leads Frederick to the carriage, Feldman decided to take the instruction "walk this way" literally. He didn't just walk; he did this bizarre, crouched, scuttling motion with his cane that mirrored his own hunched posture.
Wilder, being the pro he was, just followed suit.
That’s the secret sauce. If Wilder had winked at the camera or made a face, the joke would have died. Instead, he committed. He mimicked the hunch. He mimicked the cane. He became the mirror. This kind of "literalism" humor became a staple of the Brooks brand, but it arguably peaked right here in the damp, foggy atmosphere of a black-and-white sets designed to look like old Universal horror films.
Why it Works (And Why We Still Laugh)
Comedy is usually about the subversion of expectations. You expect Igor to lead the way. You don’t expect the Doctor to adopt a physical deformity just because he was told to "walk this way." It’s absurd.
But there’s a deeper layer to why walk this way Young Frankenstein resonates so much even fifty years later. It’s the relationship between Frederick and Igor. Frederick is trying so hard to be serious. He is a man of science! He is a prestigious doctor from New York! Yet, within minutes of meeting Igor, he’s already being stripped of his dignity by a guy who can’t even remember which side his hump is on.
"What hump?"
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That’s the follow-up, isn't it? The movie builds this world of physical gags that stack on top of each other. If you haven't seen the film in a while, go back and watch that specific sequence. Notice the timing. There is no music. It’s just the sound of the cane hitting the pavement and the rustle of their coats.
The silence makes it funnier.
The Aerosmith Connection
Here is a bit of trivia that usually wins pub quizzes: Steven Tyler and Joe Perry didn't just pull the title for their hit song "Walk This Way" out of thin air.
In 1975, the members of Aerosmith were working on their Toys in the Attic album. They had a track with a killer riff, but they were struggling with the lyrics and the hook. During a break, the band went to see Young Frankenstein at a local theater. When they got to the "walk this way" scene, they lost it.
They went back to the studio, and the phrase stuck in their heads.
It wasn't just a movie reference; it was a rhythmic anchor. Without Marty Feldman’s limp, we might never have had one of the most iconic rock songs of the 70s. It’s a weird, beautiful loop of pop culture where a parody of 1930s horror influences a 1974 comedy which then influences a 1975 rock anthem.
The Technical Brilliance of the Set
We can't talk about this scene without talking about the look of it. Mel Brooks didn't just want to spoof Frankenstein. He wanted to be Frankenstein.
He tracked down Kenneth Strickfaden, the guy who did the electrical effects for the original 1931 Boris Karloff film. Strickfaden actually had the old equipment—the "Tesla coils" and buzzing gizmos—rotting away in his garage. Brooks rented them.
This matters because the "walk this way" joke happens in a world that looks terrifyingly real. The high-contrast cinematography by Gerald Hirschfeld makes the fog look thick enough to chew. When you put a stupid, literal joke in the middle of a high-stakes, moody environment, the juxtaposition hits harder.
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It’s the "straight man" principle applied to cinematography. The set is the straight man. Marty Feldman is the chaos.
Why Some Critics Hated It at First
Believe it or not, not everyone was on board with Brooks’ style of humor back then. Some critics felt the jokes were too "low-brow" or "obvious." Pauline Kael, the legendary and often polarizing critic for The New Yorker, wasn't exactly showering it with praise at the time. She felt Brooks was too chaotic.
But that’s exactly what makes the walk this way Young Frankenstein gag so resilient. It transcends "intellectual" humor. You don't need a PhD in film history to find a man mimicking a hunchback funny. It's primal. It’s Chaplin-esque.
The film was a massive hit regardless of the critics, pulling in over $80 million on a tiny budget. In 2026 dollars, that’s a staggering amount for a black-and-white comedy. It proved that audiences craved this specific blend of high-art aesthetics and "fart joke" sensibilities.
The Legacy of the Hump
Marty Feldman’s performance as Igor is a masterclass in scene-stealing. He knew he had the eyes. He knew he had the face. But his use of his body was what really sold it.
The "moving hump" gag is another one that ties into the "walk this way" philosophy. Throughout the film, the hump on Igor’s back shifts from left to right. When Frederick finally asks him about it, Igor simply says, "What hump?"
It’s gaslighting as an art form.
By the time they get to the "walk this way" moment, the audience has already been primed to accept that Igor’s physical reality is fluid. He isn't bound by the laws of physics or biology. He is a creature of the bit.
Practical Steps for Comedy Lovers and Cinephiles
If you’re looking to dive deeper into why this movie works, or if you’re a creator trying to understand the mechanics of a perfect gag, here is how you should approach it.
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Watch the original 1931 Frankenstein first. You can’t fully appreciate the "walk this way" moment in Young Frankenstein unless you see what it’s mocking. The 1931 film is earnest, dark, and brooding. Seeing the DNA of the original makes the parody feel much more surgical.
Pay attention to the "Straight Man." In any comedic duo, one person has to be the anchor. Gene Wilder is one of the best anchors in history. Watch how he reacts to Feldman. He doesn't laugh. He doesn't roll his eyes. He accepts the madness as reality. That is the key to making absurdism work.
Study the "Rule of Three." Brooks uses repetition brilliantly. The first time someone does something weird, it’s a surprise. The second time, it’s a callback. The third time, it’s a riot. While the "walk this way" bit is a standalone moment, notice how many times Frederick is forced to follow Igor’s lead throughout the film.
Read "All About Me!" by Mel Brooks. If you want the actual behind-the-scenes stories without the internet fluff, get it from the source. Brooks breaks down the casting of Feldman and how the chemistry between the leads was almost instantaneous.
Check out the 2007 Musical. If you’re a superfan, look up the Broadway adaptation. They had to figure out how to translate these highly cinematic, close-up jokes to a live stage. It’s a fascinating study in how "walk this way" changes when it has to be performed for the back row of a theater.
The beauty of the walk this way Young Frankenstein moment is that it doesn't require a deep dive to enjoy, but it rewards one. It’s a tiny fragment of film that contains everything great about the Mel Brooks era: irreverence, physical dedication, and a total lack of shame. It reminds us that sometimes, the best way to get where you're going is to just follow the guy with the cane, no matter how ridiculous you look doing it.
To truly appreciate the craft, watch the scene again but mute the audio. You’ll see that the comedy is entirely in the legs and the timing. It’s a silent movie gag buried in a talkie, and it’s perfect.
Next Steps for the Reader:
- Stream Young Frankenstein on platforms like Max or Amazon Prime to see the gag in its original context.
- Compare the "Walk This Way" scene with the "Step This Way" gag in The Producers to see how Brooks recycled and refined the literal-direction trope.
- Listen to the 1975 Aerosmith track "Walk This Way" and try to spot the rhythmic influence of the scene’s cadence in the opening verses.