31 Days of Horror Reviews 2018: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a superb blend of horror and comedy.

REVIEW

There will always be a point in your life when you’ll come across Abbott and Costello, whether your teacher shows you the famous “Who’s On First?” skit in my case, the equally hilarious “Niagara Falls” bit or through this film. Pairing three Universal Monsters with Abbott and Costello surprisingly works. It portrays the monsters in a way that retain their dignity and the laughs only come from the reactions of the comedic duo.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play freight handlers Chick and Wilbur who cross paths with Count Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster when their remains were planned to be used in a house of horrors. It turns out that Dracula, once again played by Bela Lugosi for the second and last time, planned on reviving Frankenstein and putting Wilbur’s brain in him to make the monster more obedient. Then Wolf Man enters the picture trying to stop Dracula. The whole film is a barrel of laughs that may have had a huge influence in the creation of Scooby-Doo.

Watching this film, you can quickly catch on to the routine that the duo has; Abbott is the straight man, the character who maintains composure when his partner behaves eccentrically and Costello is the funny man, the character that gets the laughs through punchlines or slapstick. Costello’s reactions to anything spooky especially the scene with Dracula’s coffin and Chick’s overall annoyance is one of the highlights of the film.

Bela Lugosi’s return as the Count almost feels like he never left the role. With such a big gap between this film and the original Dracula and only portraying the character two times, he still brings that same hypnotic presence. One of my favorite parts with Lugosi is when he acts like a normal person around Chick and Wilbur, yet there’s a little bit of humor in his dialogue. It’s definitely toned down from his original portrayal, but it does add more depth to the character in my opinion. Glenn Strange returns as Frankenstein’s Monster and is actually around for more than a few minutes. Not only that, but he actually speaks in this film. And Lon Chaney Jr. reprises his role as Larry Talbot/The Wolf Man. Another favorite part of mine is when Talbot becomes the Wolf Man and Costello thinks it’s a mask and PUNCHES HIS FACE!

And just when you think it’s over, the film gives us another surprise: the Invisible Man voiced by Vincent Price. What an absolutely great way to end this.

This is a fantastic film and I recommend giving it a watch. If you’re into monsters or vintage comedy films then this one is right up your alley.