Igor

Back in the early 1970s writer/director Mel Brooks was enjoying a winning streak.

His Blazing Saddles movie was a big hit and Hollywood was anxious to see what Mel’s fertile imagination would come up with next.

His next movie was unconventional to say the least.  It was filmed in black and white, featured many sets used in a 1930s monster film and spotlighted some of the wackiest and most unique characters ever created for the Silver Screen.

Mel was a big fan of the old Universal Studios monster films of the 1930s and 1940s.

As an homage to them he created what is considered the best film of his career: Young Frankenstein.

Sideshow Collectibles (Toys) created a series of three figures based on the main cast of the film: Doctor Frankenstein, the Frankenstein Monster and the doctor’s assistant Igor.

As much as I like the Doctor and Monster figures, Igor is by far my favorite.

Marty Feldman portrayed the cross-eyed, hunchback Igor (“What hump?“) and he stole the movie.

The Igor figure (as well as the other figures in the set) comes in a large cardboard box with a large clear plastic panel covering almost the complete front.

The plastic wraps around to each side covering about half of them. The accessories are made stationary by clear plastic cocoon bubbles and the figure stands in the open with wire and plastic ties holding it in place.

Only 7,500 Igor figures were produced-all in shades of gray to emulate the back and white film.

Igor’s bald head, large nose, pointed chin, silly grin and large goodly eyes-one of them walleyed, look just like the late actor Marty Feldman‘s.  

Feldman was a British import that made a big hit with American audiences-it even garnered him a short-lived TV show.  He would appear in other Mel Brooks films.

The articulated figure has the same ghastly gray skin and on its left hand is the name H. Delbruck-the name of the person whose brain Igor is sent to fetch in the film.

Igor comes dressed all in black including a peasant hood with half cape, tunic, trousers, boots and a wide black belt with metal rivets and oversize silver buckle, belt strap and silver studded black carrying pouch attached to the belt.

Included with the figure are a cobblestone base, Igor’s walking stick, his twisted horn capped with silver and the ‘Abby’normal brain with a clear beaker, glass canister and base.

I love the detailing on the horn and brain canister along with Igor’s face and costume details.

The loose fitting cloths move easily over the figure when posed and the accessories (the cane and horn) can be held by the figure with no worry of them coming loose.  

Add Igor with the Doctor and Monster and you have a classic display.