Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein *** (1948, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Lon Chaney Jr) – Classic Movie Review 5586

Well, actually Abbott and Costello’s Chick Young and Wilbur Grey Meet Frankenstein’s Monster, as well as Count Dracula, and the Werewolf. But then that’s not such a catchy title.

Lon Chaney Jr plays the kindly Werewolf – aka Lawrence Talbot, The Wolf Man – who seeks to warn Chick (Bud Abbott) about Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi)’s scheme to graft Wilbur (Lou Costello)’s brain (if he can find it) onto the body of Frankenstein’s Monster (Glenn Strange). Count Dracula is masquerading under the guise of Dr Lejos.

Director Charles T Barton’s 1948 film unfairly bumped off Universal Studios’ creatures (it is a pity that it didn’t spell the end of Abbott and Costello instead) for serious movies back then. But it is well above par for Bud and Lou’s movies, with welcome guests, a tight and amusing script (by Robert Lees, Frederic I Rinaldo and John Grant) with enough jokes and scares, and a funny, quite inventive slapstick chase finale.

At the end, an uncredited Vincent Price voices the Invisible Man when Abbott and Costello, fleeing the Monster, hear a disembodied voice and see a cigarette floating in the air. The voice says: ‘Oh, that’s too bad. I was hoping to get in on the excitement. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m the Invisible Man!’ The Invisible Man laughs as Abbott and Costello jump off a rowing boat and swim off.

This prompted the sequel Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951), though that did not star Price, who had appeared in The Invisible Man Returns (1940).

Also in the cast are Lenore Aubert as as Dr Sandra Mornay, Jane Randolph as as Joan Raymond, Frank Ferguson as Mr McDougal, the museum owner of McDougal’s House of Horrors, Charles Bradstreet as as Professor Stevens and Howard Negley.

It was a huge success, taking $3.2 million on a $792,270 budget, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) quickly followed. It may have bumped off Universal Studios’ creatures for serious movies, but however, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man followed in 1951, with Abbott and Costello Meet Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1953 and Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy in 1955.

It is also known as Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein, or Abbott and Costello Meet the Ghosts (its GB title).

Glenn Strange took over from Boris Karloff as Frankenstein’s Monster, with House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.

Though not in the movie, Karloff helped to promote it and is in several publicity photos, even shown buying a ticket. Karloff appeared in 1949 in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, and in 1953 in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.

This is the only time Béla Lugosi reprised his Dracula (1931) role in a feature, though made a gag cameo as Dracula in a 1933 Hollywood on Parade short. He played other vampires in Mark of the Vampire (1935), The Return of the Vampire (1943) and in Mother Riley Meets the Vampire (1952).

Hilariously, the Australian Film Board made the monstrous decision to delete almost every scene involving a monster!

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5586

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