Over the weekend, I got to watch part of Young Frankenstein again. It’s one of the many movies on my “must stop and watch if I see it’s on” list, along with movies like Mad Max and anything with zombies in it. As usual, the standout was the odd-looking actor and writer Marty Feldman and his brilliant portrayal of Igor. It’s a great retelling of the Frankenstein mythos and still one of the funniest movies ever written. The star, more so than Gene Wilder or Peter Boyle, is Feldman. Born with Grave’s Disease and the son of Russian Jews, Feldman started in the circus but wrote his way to stardom. Now Simon Doonan of The Daily Beast is singing the praises of Feldman’s magnificent hideousness.
It’s interesting, but he’s got a point. There are no really odd-looking actors anymore. John C. Reilly might be considered as one of them, as would Steve Buscemi and Jeff Goldblum. But while none of them are conventionally attractive, they’re also not in Feldman territory. Are we ever going to see a return of the odd-looking character actor, or are those three the last of their type in Hollywood?
Image: Michael Ian Black
Tags: Marty Feldman, Young Frankenstein, tributes, unusual appearances, unusual people, comedy, funny people, Grave’s Disease, medical conditions, character actors