Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Two porters (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello) become the part-time allies of the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) in his quest to stop Dracula (Bela Lugosi) from reviving Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange).

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is an enjoyable comedy that also serves as a last hurrah for the Universal monsters.

The film works largely because the monsters play it straight. While Glenn Strange has little to do but lumber around as the monster, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. have much more substantial roles.

Surprisingly, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein marked only the second, and final, time that Bela Lugosi would play Dracula. While his performance here certainly lacks the edge of the 1931 original, Lugosi is still a joy to watch and does a good job of moving the story along.

For his part, Lon Chaney Jr. gives perhaps his finest interpretation of Larry Talbot, a.k.a. the Wolf Man. Here he’s a desperate, haunted man. A far cry from the lusty heir he played in the original Wolf Man. Chaney’s wide eyes a long face suit this interpretation better, and his morose performance provides the perfect foil for Costello’s comedy.

But about that comedy. Costello’s shtick doesn’t age well. The physical gags get old and many of the one-liners are dated. That’s not to say the movie isn’t funny, just that I remember it being a lot funnier.

That said, fans of Abbott and Costello or the Universal Monsters shouldn’t miss this, but if you’re new to either, watch some of the earlier films first.