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'Young Frankenstein' Turns 25 
An 'On the Set' Special Edition Dedicated To Mel's Monster
Sweet Madeline
The fabulously funny Madeline Kahn, 57, announced Friday that she is battling ovarian cancer. The day before she broke the news, I attended a special screening of the 1974 classic "Young Frankenstein," in which Kahn co-stars. Most of the actors from the film were in attendance except for Kahn, Cloris Leachman and Gene Wilder.
When Kahn appeared on screen for the first time, the audience applauded. Enough said.
Hollywood and Stein
Frankenstein, that is. Mel Brook's black-and-white comedy "Young Frankenstein" came alive on the big screen again, this time at the newly refurbished Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. And this 25th Anniversary salute was truly electrifying.
Arriving early, I waited in the chilly Los Angeles night air (okay, it was 73 degrees) for the doors to open. Let's face it, I would have braved a Minnesota winter for this one. This 1974 comical homage to horror films, in particular Mary Shelly's classic novel, is part of popular movie folklore.
"Young Frankenstein" launched a genre that would propel Brooks into Hollywood history and inspire copycats for years to come. Quotations and scenes from the movie are imbedded in the American psyche. Do you dare disagree?
Do the words "roll in the hay," or "knockers," ring a bell? And who can forget the "Puttin' On The Ritz," scene? If these references don't make sense, you may want to check your pulse.
The cast is enough to impress: Gene Wilder (Dr. Frederick Frankenstein), Cloris Leachman (Frau Bleucher), Peter Boyle (the Monster), Madeline Kahn (Elizabeth), Teri Garr (Inga), Kenneth Mars (the Constable), Gene Hackman (The Blind Man), and Marty Feldman (Igor). The screenplay was co-written by Wilder and Brooks.
Starry Starry Night
Behind me, Brook's wife, legendary Oscar-winning actress Anne Bancroft is making her way through the crowd. Brooks is nowhere in sight as the classy and gracious Bancroft signs autographs. I catch a few moments with her and ask if she can really believe it's been 25 years since the film's release.
Her eyes twinkle and she retorts: "No, I can't believe it, and honey, you weren't even born yet."
I assure her that I was very much alive - albeit very small. She gives me a big smile. It's an amazing thing to get an Anne Bancroft smile.
As we chat, the front of the theater is getting crowded. Carl Reiner slips through the crowd unannounced and unnoticed. He manages to avoid "media row" altogether. Bancroft heads through the theater doors soon after, pausing only a few minutes to speak with reporters and fans.
When Teri Garr arrives, autograph seekers also surround her. She steps aside to speak with me and does not disappoint, delivering classic Garr. When I ask her if she can believe it's really been 25 years, she quips: "No, and I refuse to believe it. Besides, I was only five years old then." She moves on, too.
Other "Frankenstein" stars are also making their way down the walkway and into the theater. Peter Boyle (who played the Monster to brilliance) is chased, not by angry villagers this time, but by television cameras.
Kenneth Mars is also mobbed. Mars played the "Constable" to perfection. I speak with his daughter, Becky Tipton, for a few minutes and she tells me that she and her sister used to hang out on the set as children. She tells me how much fun the cast had while filming. I can only imagine.
Brooks? Kahn? Wilder? Leachman?
How could anyone stop laughing long enough to get a word in edge-wise?
Bubbling Brooks The show is about to start and I'm off to find my seat. On the way down the aisle, I spot Bancroft, Brooks, and their guest Dustin Hoffman standing by their seats greeting friends.
This is a moment to relish: Mrs. Robinson and "The Graduate," together again. But this night belongs to Brooks and as I greet him, he asks me how I am doing.
The second thing Brooks asks me is if I've "paid for my ticket?"
I tell him "absolutely not" because "we already paid years ago." He tells me, with a smile, that it's too bad.
Brooks is having the time of his life. His energy is crazy and wonderful. Brooks is charming, funny, and doing what he does best: entertaining.
After a few minutes of talking about the movie and taxes, of all things, he tells me to ask Hoffman what he thought about the movie.
Hoffman deadpans: "I hated that movie. I hated Young Frankenstein."
Playing along, I ask Hoffman why he was here if he hated it so much.
Hoffman replies: "The only reason I'm here is because Mel Brooks is the father of my child."
I'm wondering what that child could possibly look like …
The lights are dimming and I find my seat. The audience is crazed. Even now, it is hard to describe the excitement.
The tension is finally broken when a man stands up and shouts to the theater: "isn't this a f--king incredible night?"
There are hoots of laughter and wild applause as the audience turns to discover that the man standing and shouting is Hoffman.
Scream, Too
Of course, if you want to see this movie now, you have to rent it. But, the trip to the video store is worth every laugh.
"Young Frankenstein" has been called a "spoof" of the classic horror films like Dracula (1931) starring Bela Legosi or Mr. Jimmy Whale's "Frankenstein" flicks.
However, Brooks is far from poking fun at these classics. Rather, he pays his respects by delightfully mimicking the technique.
The movie is -- it has to be said once in this column -- a scream.
If you haven't seen this film in a while, go rent it this weekend. Believe me, you've forgotten how funny it really is. If you haven't seen this movie, give yourself a post Halloween treat.
Walk Like An Egyptian
It's late now, so I make my way out of the Egyptian. Most people stay for a question and answer session about the film.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spy Hoffman bounding down the aisle on the other side of the theater. As he climbs into his seat, I see that he's holding a large plastic bag of popcorn.
He looks like one big happy kid. I guess, we all do.
Fan pages
What's the Buzz?
Tan Man George Hamilton, who has found romance with page-turning maven Danielle Steele, just sold his West Hollywood condo, reportedly for his asking price of two-million bucks. Hamilton left his sweetheart in San Francisco and is moving up to be with her. Steele lives in the tony Pacific Heights District of The City.
Thirty never looked so good. Happy Birthday, PBS! Here's to the next innovative thirty years with Big Bird, Julia Child, and Mr. Rogers. 
Anna Nicole Smith (real name: Vickie Lynn Marshall) a ninth-grade dropout from Mexia, Texas who went on to become Playboy's 1992 "Playmate of the Year," is in bankruptcy court. Smith contends her late husband, billionaire J. Howard Marshall II promised to share his estate with her if she married him. So, Smith married Marshall when she was 26 and he was a spry 88. However, Marshall died in 1995 at the age of 90 and did not name Smith in his will. Whoops. Smith says "[Marshall] said he would give me half because he loved me and wanted to make me happy." But Smith could not name anyone who heard the supposed promises. Apparently, Smith missed that 10th-grade lesson about "getting things in writing."
Megan Mullally of NBC's "Will & Grace" and Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg, D-Sherman Oaks, Calif. are asking Californians to submit applications for the AIDS Research License Plate. The DMV will not begin making and distributing the plates until 5,000 applications are received. Part of the proceeds from the sale of the plates will help fund AIDS research. Californians: time to brave those DMV lines.
You gotta have friends. The rock group Anyone packed them in at a club in Huntington Beach, Calif. last week. Thanks to the group's good friends from the hard rock group KORN who showed up to support them, Anyone is quickly becoming Someone.
Star Grazing
Steel magnolia Dixie Carter (CBS' "Family Law") pumps her own gas. Recently spotted at a West Hollywood Mobil Station, this former "Designing Woman" is premium (and fully leaded) in our book.
We scooped the scooptress. Gossip guru, Marilyn Beck (BeckSmith Report, E! Entertainment Television's "Gossip Show") was nabbed chatting with friends after a movie at the Beverly Center in Beverly Hills, Calif. I think she liked the film. Of course, we'll hear about it if she didn't. Contest:
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