*Review*Abbot And Costello Meet Frankenstein

[Xч]

Plot:
The world of freight handlers Wilbur Grey and Chick Young is turned upside down when the remains of Frankenstein's monster and Dracula arrive from Europe to be used in a house of horrors. Dracula awakens and escapes with the weakened monster, who he plans to re-energize with a new brain. Larry Talbot (the Wolfman) arrives from London in an attempt to thwart Dracula. Dracula's reluctant aide is the beautiful Dr. Sandra Mornay. Her reluctance is dispatched by Dracula's bite. Dracula and Sandra abduct Wilbur for his brain and recharge the monster in preparation for the operation. Chick and Talbot attempt to find and free Wilbur, but when the full moon rises all hell breaks loose with the Wolfman, Dracula, and Frankenstein all running rampant.
Acting:
Grade A acting here folks I was super Glad to finally see Bela Lugosi reprise his Dracula role,It didn't matter that he obviously aged more from the time he did Dracula and it also didn't matter that he was missing the evil stare you down look he had in Dracula.But just to see universal honor this man by giving back to him His role was pleasing..

Abbott And Costello (chic and Wilbur) were hilarious and amazing to watch,it was funny how Wilbur got all the ladies and wouldn't share with chic...if you replaced Abbott and Costello with a normal hero or heroine caught up in the scheme, it wouldn't be as effective. In fact, as it stands, since the monsters pretty much play it straight, they are more imposing and frightening than they had been in the last serious film of the series, HOUSE OF DRACULA three years earlier.lol

Glen Strange as Frankenstein was a very very wise choice.,i have to agree with Demon that Besides Boris Karloff .Mr. Glen is second to playing the monster Frankenstein,,it just looks right..If Boris wasn't too old well of course I'm pretty sure he would of reprised the role as Frankenstein.Glenn Strange gets more active time on screen here than in his previous two appearances together, and he's very impressive as the Monster. I really wish Universal had tapped him a film earlier in 1943 for the role in FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (it would have made that flick just about perfect).

Now to add more tension to the uneasy situation Abbot and Costello found themselves in, is the arrival of a deeply angst-ridden and agitated guy named Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr of course), who warns the two goofballs that Dracula is real and is planning to bring the Monster back to full strength.
What can i say but fking awesome,i mean Bela and Glen in the cast already was a treat but to also have the WOLFMAN!! was a dream come true..Lon Chaney is on the new mission, he wants to destroy Dracula and Franky!

Bottom line
Abbot and Costello was great way to end the universal reign of monsters, sure It was a spoof, but it treated the three great horror icons of the Golden Age with affection and respect, and retired them on a high note.

having this movie in your Classic Horror collection is a MUST for any classic horror movie Fan..
And I'm am gratefully thankful they made this movie..after the disaster of house of Dracula...

9.5/10<---Reason i didn't score it a full 10 was because of the screw up universal did with Dracula casting a reflection in the mirror.

-XN

[d3M0n]

I have to go to work now, so I cant fully reply to this but I LOVE this review and 'm so glad you loved it
More of a reply in 10 hours ;D

[Xч]

cool,Lovin your A&C avvy gif

[d3M0n]

Thanks! I make it a quicky because it would be 90 frames if I made it like usual LOL

Okay, about what you said about Glenn Strange I totally agree. He just looked perfect in this one. Yet I think it's odd that you think Bela made Frank meets Wolf an imperfect movie. Sure it wasn't a perfect movie but I never thought Bela being Frank took away from it. I actually think that that made it fascinating. It was so weird to see a key member of the 3 icons play Frank in Frank meets Wolf. For a few reasons... one because Bela is famous for turning down the role of Frank in Frank 1931 because he said that's embarrassing and not real acting just grunting... which was probably the biggest mistake in horror history for Lugosi... that also got executives at Universal mad because he continued to bad mouth it after turning it down. So in turn he wasn't asked to play Drac again for Universal until A&C meet Frank. He basically begged to death for weeks for the role and they decided they could also cash in on having the original Drac there as well.
And 2 because Lon played Wolf in Frank meets Wolf (of course) and Bela was Frank and after that they teamed up again when Lon was Frank and Bela was Ygor in The Ghost of Frankenstein.

Wow this is a long post I'll let you respond to this first LOL

[SiMpLe-SiStEr]

I've never seen this movie before. Man....I need to get out more. Or look up some of them old silverscreen movies and watch 'em.

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admin said:

Thanks! I make it a quicky because it would be 90 frames if I made it like usual LOL

Okay, about what you said about Glenn Strange I totally agree. He just looked perfect in this one. Yet I think it's odd that you think Bela made Frank meets Wolf an imperfect movie. Sure it wasn't a perfect movie but I never thought Bela being Frank took away from it. I actually think that that made it fascinating. It was so weird to see a key member of the 3 icons play Frank in Frank meets Wolf. For a few reasons... one because Bela is famous for turning down the role of Frank in Frank 1931 because he said that's embarrassing and not real acting just grunting... which was probably the biggest mistake in horror history for Lugosi... that also got executives at Universal mad because he continued to bad mouth it after turning it down. So in turn he wasn't asked to play Drac again for Universal until A&C meet Frank. He basically begged to death for weeks for the role and they decided they could also cash in on having the original Drac there as well.
And 2 because Lon played Wolf in Frank meets Wolf (of course) and Bela was Frank and after that they teamed up again when Lon was Frank and Bela was Ygor in The Ghost of Frankenstein.

Wow this is a long post I'll let you respond to this first LOL

I love Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein,but he looked a little out of place for the character IMO.But I'm glad he did take on the role just to Historically say "Yes Bela was Frankenstein" but not all roles suit the actor tommy..Like Bela Lugosi's Dracula..Lon Chaney also played Dracula,,but IMO did not look right either..
Frankenstein meets Wolfman is a well acted.and amazing movie,,especially the dramatic fight at the end with both monsters (Wolfman and Franky)

I just Would of loved to See Boris and or Glen in that Particular fight scene with the wolf man..

[d3M0n]

xion said:

I love Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein,but he looked a little out of place for the character IMO.But I'm glad he did take on the role just to Historically say "Yes Bela was Frankenstein" but not all roles suit the actor tommy..

I know I never said they did, I just think it's cool that our boy finally got to play the role he once hated and turned down. Speaking of not fitting the role, he actually had dialouge in that film but when they showed it to a test audience everyone started cracking up. So they edited it all out and totally changed his whole image in that movie. A lot is missing.

[Xч]

Oh wow really..lol..so he talked in the movie before they cut it out,kinda like how Frankenstein talked in ghost of Frankenstein..which i thought was awesome by the way

[d3M0n]

Yea I was thinking that too! Belas voice finally got to come out of the monster... only with Lon Chaneys face
I made another Avatar in honor of your review.

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admin said:

Yea I was thinking that too! Belas voice finally got to come out of the monster... only with Lon Chaneys face
I made another Avatar in honor of your review.

I'm Honored sir *Bows*
The gif looks Great man

Yup Frankenstein talked in ghost..we got 2 awesome actors in one body..Bela's voice and chaney's face..hey what more can you ask for..lol ;D

[Bloodycamper]

Awesome review buddy!

I cant wait to get my hands on this movie!

[Drayton Sawyer]

This really is an excellent movie. I love how the monsters play it serious. They aren't hamming it up at all. Which I think would have ruined it. There was always a little comedy in the Universal movies. So having them go the extra mile with A&C was only natural.
I really loved the line by Costello when Larry said when the moon came out he turned into a Wolf. "You and 20 Million other guys pal." LOL

[Rich]

You know, this movie is fun. I enjoy it for what it is, but it really pisses me off when you can so blatantly see Dracula's reflection in the mirror. Sure you can see Alucard's in Son of Dracula, but that was a mistake and only a half of a split second and way off to the side, it was not as blatant as it was in A&C Meet Frank. The way they were so blatant about breaking a character rule tells me they just did not even care to respect the character enough to follow the rules. I mean, Dracula, Dracula's Daughter, and House of Dracula all went to great lengths to show how the vampires to not have a reflection in the mirror, and what A&CMF did was almost like a slap in the face to the character and the fans who have followed the character.

[d3M0n]

Yea that scene does kinda drive me crazy too. I wonder why Bela never mentioned anything to the director.

[Drayton Sawyer]

Probably because he was so happy to be asked to play Dracula again he didn't want to risk losing the part by pointing out mistakes.

[d3M0n]

Thats what I was thinking... he didnt wanna step on the directors toes...

[Drayton Sawyer]

Yep. As stupid as the mistake was it doesn't even come close to ruining how awesome the movie is.

[Xч]

Oct 4, 2007 23:12:41 GMT -5 Rich said:

The movie is still fun and very much enjoyable, but that mistake just bothers me to no end. .

It bothers me too,But i learned to live with it.
I just skip that scene and pretend it never happened.

[d3M0n]

You fast foward the Drac in mirror scene XN?

[Xч]

Last time i watched A & C i did.
i don't skip it all the time,depends on what mood i'm in.
The drac in mirror scene does bother me though.