Sunday, November 5, 2017

200 Items Or Less: Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

A few thoughts: A reasonably entertaining but entirely dated horror comedy that throws the comedy duo into the mix with Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula, The Wolf Man, and (VERY briefly) The Invisible Man. If you enjoy these Universal monster mashes as much as me, you'll find it fun to see Bela Lugosi back playing Dracula (even if the script doesn't allow him much to do other than cover his face with a cape) and with Lon Chaney, Glenn Strange, and the Vincent Price cameo, I can't help but to feel this could have been a great final 'House Of' title, but the Abbott and Costello gimmick sort of drags it all down. Whether you enjoy their brand of comedy or not, the goofy slapstick and fast-paced '40s banter doesn't always work in a movie surrounded by these horror icons that beg for more material of their own. It's a cluttered experience that is never as funny as it should have been, even if it is considered a comedy classic. I enjoy it enough, but it should have been 'House Of The Wolf Man' and excluded the titular pair. That could've been great.


Who would I recommend it to? Anyone who enjoys Abbott And Costello should give this a watch, and fans of classic horror/comedy as well.

My grade: C+

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