Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

"I've had this brain for thirty years. It hasn't done me any good!", 18 December 2005

Abbott and Costello get mixed up with a mad doctor, Count Dracula, Frankenstein's monster, and the Wolf Man. It seems that Dracula, with the assistance of the doctor, wants to cure the monster by finding him a new brain. Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man's alter ego, intends to put a stop to these monstrous experiments. And just where does Dracula think he'll find a new brain? That's where Abbott and Costello come in.

There was a time when I thought this was the best film that Abbott and Costello ever made. Back in the 70s, I can remember this movie playing in the afternoons and I couldn't wait to get home from school to watch it. As I've seen more and more of their films, I realize that while it may no longer be my favorite, it's still a very good example of their work. If you're so inclined, you can read positive, glowing reviews for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein all over the internet. I doubt I could add very much to what's already been written, so I'm not really going to try. I'll just mention a couple of my favorite scenes - the boys' argument with the museum owner and Costello strapped to the gurney. Both are comedy gold and never fail to bring a smile to my face.

But as I said, the movie is not longer my favorite Abbott and Costello film. The reason I no longer think as highly of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein as I once did is my problem with the way Dracula is presented. Frankenstein's monster is still the hulking nightmare of Universal's earlier films. Larry Talbot is still the same brooding "woe is me" character he always was. But Dracula is presented more as a parody of himself than a figure to be frightened of. He comes across more like the actor, Bela Lugosi, than the undead bloodsucker he really is. Many of Dracula's lines and scenes are just plain ridiculous given the character's history.

Even with my growing distaste for the handling of Dracula, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is still a film that I enjoy revisiting whenever I get the opportunity.

8/10