Gene Wilder Discusses the Story Behind Frau Blücher
It's only a couple seconds long, but above you get a glimpse of the ongoing Frau Blücher joke from Young Frankenstein. I had always seen it as just a funny joke in that quirky Cloris Leachman and Mel Brooks way, but a story from the San Jose Mercury News has added background to the whole character who brings fear to gentle horses everywhere.
Gene Wilder recently told the publication that the film is his favorite, that it is the "most perfectly realized," and described the creation of Frau Blücher. "When I was writing the first draft, I said, 'I wonder if anybody would get it when someone said "Frau Blücher" and the horses neigh.' Mel (Brooks) said, 'Keep it in.' Well, the audience loved it in the previews. Actually, I chose the name because I wanted an authentic German name. I took out some of the books I had of the letters to and from Sigmund Freud. I saw someone named Blücher had written to him, and I said well that's the name. Later on, I heard from about two or three sources, who said Blücher refers to a horse going to a factory and being turned to glue. I just thought it was a funny name."
So, now you know why those scared horses neigh. Sure, Frau Blücher is a scary old woman, but her name also brings thoughts of factories and glue.
[via Film Stew]
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(Page 1)2. Snopes says you and Gene are wrong - http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/blucher.asp
If I'm reading the SJMN and the snopes articles correctly, Wilder wasn't sure if people would get the dramatic sting joke and then AFTER the movie was out people mistakenly told him her name sounded like the word for glue. As he said he just thought it was a funny name.
Posted at 1:18AM on Mar 19th 2008 by Bryan McGuckin
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1. I was certain that the inference was supposed to be that the frau was off having her way with the horses and they were weary of her.
I like this explanation much better, however, even without a word of understanding, the bit has become a staple in my family. When you say frau blucher it means putting the fear of god in someone.
BR
Posted at 9:00PM on Mar 18th 2008 by BR