Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein [1948]

Considered by many as one of the boys’s best movies, “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” is a wonderful blend of comedy and horror. The movie opens with a full moon rising in foggy London, where Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is placing a panicked phone call to the States. He is the only one who knows that a great danger is on its way to America. It seems that Count Dracula (a deliciously creepy Bela Lugosi) and the Frankenstein Monster have been shipped to the wax museum, and when the sun sets, Dracula will rise again and control his superhuman servant. Talbot knows that he should warn anyone, but unfortunately for him, its Lou Costello who answers the phone. Soon enough, the boys find themselves running for their lives from the two monsters, a mad scientist, and even the Wolf Man himself!

I think the title of the movie is a bit misleading, since it’s really “Abbott and Costello Meet Dracula”. Fortunately for us, the Frankenstein Monster is not the main attraction here, but rather Bela Lugosi who reprises the role that made him famous in the early 30’s one last time. He does it with just as much passion as the first time, and he even manages to handle the comical dialogue aswell, with his terrific accent. The film also features  plenty of nice, gothic sets filled with full moons, bats, cobwebs and Lab equipment. I honestly can’t think of anything that I disliked in this hilarious spoof. The movie was a huge hit at the time of its release, and it inspired the studio to produce several more of the same, with the boys meeting up with the invisible man, Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde, and even The Mummy! And remember: Any movie that places Abbott and Costello with the Frankenstein Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man (and a surprise cameo by Vincent Price), is worth any price of admission.

Rating: 3/4