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| Lou sits on the Frankenstein Monster. |
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| Lou writes a note...not realizing who's in the background. |
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| This was Lugosi's second--and final-- appearance as Count Dracula. |
Loosely structured,
A&C Meet Frankenstein allows Bud and Lou to recreate some of their most
famous comic routines, specifically the moving candle and the revolving door.
The former goes on too long, but the latter is a stellar example of perfect
comic timing. Lou accidentally discovers a secret revolving door that leads
from a passageway to a room containing Dracula and the Monster. Lou returns to
the passage to fetch Bud, but as they pass through the revolving door, Drac and
the Monster go into the passage—so Bud never sees them. And that’s just the
start of the routine. Silly? No doubt. Funny? Most definitely.
One of the film’s
strengths is that Bela Lugosi (as Dracula) and Lon Chaney, Jr. (Larry Talbot)
play their roles straight. Honestly, it must have been a challenge to keep a
straight face in some of the scenes with Costello, such as these two exchanges:
LARRY TALBOT: I know
you'll think I'm crazy, but in half an hour the moon will rise and I'll turn
into a wolf.
WILBUR: You and
twenty million other guys.
Later in the film,
Larry approaches Lou, who has agreed to go to a masquerade ball with both Dr.
Mornay and the insurance investigator.
WILBUR: I've got a
date. In fact I've got two dates.
LARRY TALBOT: But
you and I have a date with destiny.
WILBUR: Let Chick go
with Destiny.
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| Lou Costello and Bud Abbott. |
There are classic
horror fans who grouse that A&C Meet Frankenstein sounded the death toll for
Universal’s classic monsters. That’s simply not true. The monster movie extravaganzas House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945) already proved that
Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Frankenstein Monster had lost much of their
appeal. They could not be relied upon to draw audiences individually—only when
combined together. The studio needed a different kind of creature and
eventually found just that in the early 1950s with The Creature from the Black
Lagoon.
By the way, it’s
worth noting that the Frankenstein Monster speaks in A&C Meet Frankenstein.
I believe his dialogue consists of one word…when he responds to Dracula with:
“Master.” If memory serves, the Monster only speaks in two other Universal
movies, the acclaimed Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and The Ghost of
Frankenstein (1940). Glenn Strange played the Monster in the A&C movie, his
third appearance after donning the make-up earlier in both House pictures. The
6' 6" Strange went on to play Sam the bartender, who worked at Miss Kitty’s
Long Branch Saloon in TV’s Gunsmoke.
Abbott and Costello
Meet Franenstein is certainly one of the duo’s best comedies, along with Hold
That Ghost (1941), Who Done It? (1942), and The Time of Their Lives (1946). It
sometimes pops up on television around Halloween, but it makes for an amusing
evening’s entertainment any time of year.
* The Invisible Man makes an "appearance," voiced by Vincent Price, in the final scene.
There's speculation that Karloff was asked to recreate the Monster here, thereby uniting all three actors in their signature roles. Seems unlikely, considering his salary and physical condition. Plus his refusal to parody the character. He did paid publicity for the film, since many moviegoers thought he was "Frankenstein" here anyway. Not only is the film funny, it's also scarier than most straight Universal's, and Lugosi's biting of the female doctor surprisingly erotic.
ReplyDeleteI am a huge fan of this movie! The revolving door is hysterical, and the famous quip about being a wolf never loses its laugh. If I were asked for favorite classic comedians, my vote would have to be for Abbot and Costello, along with Laurel and Hardy, Bob Hope and Sophie Tucker ... great review, Rick...
ReplyDeleteIn the version I read, Universal didn't want Bela Lugosi in this picture; they had another actor signed for Dracula (Ian Keith, according to some). The feeling was that Lugosi was too deeply stuck in Poverty Row, and that his drug problems (well-known in Hollywood) might affect production.
ReplyDeleteStories vary as to who exactly shoved Lugosi down Universal's throat (several people who claim to have been Bela's "manager/agent" at the time have claimed credit), but the fact remains that this was Lugosi's last film at a major studio, before his re-exile to Poverty Row.
Research has shown Lugosi was always first choice here, despite any self-serving claims otherwise. He was considered for The Count instead of John Carridine in an earlier film, but had stage commitments. Ironically, he's so much better here than his first time at the role.
ReplyDeleteI'm tempted to say that this is the greatest movie ever made (OK, I DID say it). I'd also recommend it to anyone to take along when going to be shipwrecked on a desert isle. It's that good.
ReplyDeleteLove the castle setting, the great revolving door scenes, and the wonderful banter of Lou and Bud!
ReplyDeleteONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!
ReplyDeleteAn exchange that NEVER fails to make me laugh:
"Of all the guys around here, that classy dish has to pick out a guy like you."
"What's wrong with that?"
"Look at yourself in the mirror sometime."
"Why should I hurt my own feelings?"