Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein

1948 "JEEPERS! The CREEPERS are after BUD & LOU!!"
7.3| 1h23m| NR| en| More Info
Released: 15 June 1948 Released
Producted By: Universal Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Baggage handlers Bud and Lou accidentally stumble upon Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man.

Genre

Horror, Comedy

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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) is now streaming with subscription on Prime Video

Director

Charles Barton

Production Companies

Universal Pictures

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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein Audience Reviews

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Donald Seymour This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.
Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.
cricketbat Yes, I know this movie is silly and simple and dated, but I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. It was one of my favorites when I was a kid. This is a great film for any classic-horror lover, and it's a fun Halloween movie to watch with the family.
George Taylor Rather than make the monsters jokes in this, they are their usual terrifying selves, with the jokes going around them. The last of the great Universal films featuring any of their classic monsters - there wouldn't be as good a horror comedy until Shaun of the Dead.
thejcowboy22 I've always had a fascination with Monster movies since I could remember. I would subscribe to monster magazines and I even bought the Aurora models and build/snap together with liquid cement the replica figures of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman. I had to subject myself to watch monsters or atomic freaks just to satisfy my psyche.Continuing onward to frightened myself by viewing horror genre films, inflicting my mental anguish to no end just to quench my morbid perversion. Let's face it, I love to get frightened! This movie is a great starter for the next generation of children who are of the faint of heart. One Saturday night when I was 8 years old I had a bad nightmare. I woke up crying as my Mother ran into my room to settle me down. I told her I was being chased by a monster. My Mother asked ,"What Monster?" As I wiped my tears off my face I replied,"The one I watched earlier on Chiller Theater." My Mother handled my fears by explaining calmly and sensibly about the realities of life. Most parents would have told their children the following, Don't watch horror movies or take away TV privileges to that effect.My Mom simply said, "Do you know what goes on behind the scenes of these movies? The monster dies and the camera goes off. The monster goes to his trailer to change out of his clothes and washes the makeup off. Then he collects his paycheck, drives to the bank, deposits the check then drives home to his Wife and his three kids. Yes three kids, you see son Mr. Monster is a Daddy like your Daddy and he loves his children like we love you." It's all make believe and it all made sense to me. Never had a problem since. Love You Mom!!This picture is an introduction to the most famous, popularized trio of Univeral Studio monsters assembled in one movie with the celebrated duo of the sidesplitting humor Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Universal reprise the roles of Lon Chaney Jr. playing the Wolfman. Bela Lugosi playing the infamous Count Dracula. Almost a perfect trio would have reconvene had the incomparable Boris Karloff taken the role of Frankenstein but Boris declined the role of the Frankenstein Monster which was handed to western character actor Glenn Strange. To my assurance and accuracy I was pleased by Universal keeping up with the continuity of the Monster characters as Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) was still connected to the Wolfman and Count Dracula was Bela Lugosi with full costume which he wore 17 years earlier in the original film. Special moments to watch in this horror comedy are the Wolfman Lou Costello exchanges. Count Dracula transforming into a bat and of course the Frankenstein Monster reeking havoc, chasing our boys who barricade the bedroom the wrong way. Two continuity issues in the film. The masquerade party scene. Talbot and the Boys show up and it's already evening which means that Talbot should have transformed into the Wolfman. Secondly House of horrors owner McDougal was scratched by the Wolfman and he should have turned into a wolf as well. Great starter movie for the grandchildren.
Nigel P By 1948, Universal's monsters had come to the end of their tether. A mixture of production-line film series, diminishing returns and lack of imagination had done for the classic monsters three years before. A script called 'Brain of Frankenstein' had originally been suggested as a serious entry into The Monster's film series, before being rehashed into this vehicle for Abbott and Costello, a hugely popular comic duo whose star was also beginning to wane.'Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein' was a huge hit, but while the two comics found a temporary new lease of life, it was the last gasp for their three classic spooky co-stars.It's charming the way that Lon Chaney's Larry Talbot, being the wolf-man, constantly has knowledge of the activities of the other two titular monsters (Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and Glenn Strange as Frankenstein's Monster), who are currently exhibits in a horror museum (Talbot's role here is the sensible, level-headed custodian over the hair-brained pursuits of the other monsters and their unlikely plans for villainy). Chaney once said that featuring alongside A&C was career suicide, but the fact is, their goofy routines are genuinely brilliant.Perfect comic timing, a fine balance of wise-cracking and humility that rarely dates, and some terrific lines that never, ever laugh at the horror co-stars, but with them. Of course, by this stage, the monsters have become so familiar they rarely truly frighten, but this is a respectful comedy show, and all the better for it. Also, it appears to have a generous budget – there are model shots, animation effects, spacious sets and some elaborate set-pieces for the time.As for the monsters – Larry's looking a little more haggard than usual, but remains otherwise unchanged. Glenn Strange gets more screen-time here than in both of his previous Monster excursions put together and acquits himself well with his few lines (I love the fact that the Monster is frightened by Wilbur's (Lou Costello) appearance). Bela Lugosi, whose career had floundered somewhat by this time due to the unprincipled nature of film producers unable to see beyond his seminal vampire performance, finds the perfect balance between the solemnity of Dracula's reputation and interplay (often very physical) with his co-stars. In fact, that accolade can be shared amongst all three, and for the Universal horror 'style' that is faithfully recreated here.There is a real sadness knowing that The Wolfman and Dracula toppling into the sea, and The Frankenstein Monster's fiery pier-side demise, truly spell the end for three horror characters that had been so effective and carefully written for early on in their careers. Their reputations would endure however, often after the actors had passed away, to this day. Lugosi, in particular, is still held in fascination for horror fans, and it was Glenn Strange's Monster (as opposed to Karloff's) that adorned most of the Frankenstein merchandise released subsequently. The classic monsters never truly die.