Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Original title: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
20K
YOUR RATING
The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.The Wolf Man tries to warn a dimwitted porter that Dracula wants his brain for Frankenstein monster's body.
- Awards
- 4 wins & 2 nominations
Lon Chaney Jr.
- Lawrence Talbot
- (as Lon Chaney)
- …
Bobby Barber
- Waiter
- (uncredited)
George Barton
- Man at Costume Party
- (uncredited)
Harry Brown
- Photographer
- (uncredited)
Charles Irwin
- London Policeman
- (archive footage)
- (uncredited)
Joe Kirk
- Man at Costume Party in Fez
- (uncredited)
Howard Negley
- Harris - Insurance Man
- (uncredited)
Vincent Price
- The Invisible Man
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Carl Sklover
- Man at Costume Party
- (uncredited)
Helen Spring
- Woman at Baggage Counter
- (uncredited)
- Directors
- Charles Barton
- Walter Lantz(animation sequences) (uncredited)
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaLou Costello didn't want to make the movie, declaring, "No way I'll do that crap. My little girl could write something better than this." A $50,000 advance in salary and the signing of director Charles Barton, the team's good friend and the man some call their best director, convinced him otherwise.
- GoofsAfter Wilbur knocks the bundles containing their masquerade costumes out of Chick's arms and tries to dance with him, Chick say's "Come on, pick up these bundles and get dressed." Wilbur strides out of the frame without his bundle but he has it in his hand as he strides into the next shot.
- Quotes
Chick Young: What's the matter?
Larry Talbot: I know you'll think I'm crazy, but... in a half-an-hour the moon will rise and I'll turn into a wolf.
Wilbur Grey: You and 20 million other guys!
- Crazy creditsCharles Bradstreet is credited as Dr. Stevens, but his character is never once called "Doctor." He is always referred to as Professor Stevens.
- Alternate versionsFor its original release, the Australian film board required that almost every scene involving a monster be removed before release.
- ConnectionsEdited from Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943)
Featured review
Knowing How It Worked
Knowing how it worked back in the day, I'm sure Universal had no inkling that they were creating a comedy classic and the best known Abbott and Costello feature besides Buck Privates. Universal's reputation was built on these Gothic horror classics like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman and their many incarnations. So I'm sure the decision was to give their horror sets some work and combine the genres.
They made a very funny film, but in the process killed the horror genre. Please note that there were very few straight horror sequels done after Abbott and Costello finished with these monsters. By becoming the butt of Bud and Lou's burlesque humor, they somehow lost the power to truly frighten. It took the British Hammer Film Studio to revive the genre in the Fifties with some more up to date special effects.
Bud and Lou are a couple of delivery men, working for what I guess was UPS at the time and they lose a couple of crates consigned to Frank Ferguson's Amusement house of horrors. But they didn't exactly lose them. The crates contained the bodies of the real Dracula and real Frankenstein monster played by Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange. And they walked off on poor Costello and no one will believe him.
Except of course Lon Chaney, Jr. playing Lawrence Talbot, concerned citizen by day and werewolf at night when the moon is full. After that it's a merry chase after these monsters as Dracula decides that Costello has a brain perfect for the Frankenstein monster's body.
Of course it would be another 30 years or so before Mel Brooks realized the full implication of that. I think Costello might have consented to the operation had he realized.
It's reported by Lou Costello's daughter Chris that her dad wasn't totally convinced this film was going to work out for the team. Everyone around him told him he was never funnier, but Costello didn't believe it until Universal started counting the box office receipts.
So a cheaply made comedy, utilizing existing sets makes a mint. Come to think of it, that was what Buck Privates also did.
They made a very funny film, but in the process killed the horror genre. Please note that there were very few straight horror sequels done after Abbott and Costello finished with these monsters. By becoming the butt of Bud and Lou's burlesque humor, they somehow lost the power to truly frighten. It took the British Hammer Film Studio to revive the genre in the Fifties with some more up to date special effects.
Bud and Lou are a couple of delivery men, working for what I guess was UPS at the time and they lose a couple of crates consigned to Frank Ferguson's Amusement house of horrors. But they didn't exactly lose them. The crates contained the bodies of the real Dracula and real Frankenstein monster played by Bela Lugosi and Glenn Strange. And they walked off on poor Costello and no one will believe him.
Except of course Lon Chaney, Jr. playing Lawrence Talbot, concerned citizen by day and werewolf at night when the moon is full. After that it's a merry chase after these monsters as Dracula decides that Costello has a brain perfect for the Frankenstein monster's body.
Of course it would be another 30 years or so before Mel Brooks realized the full implication of that. I think Costello might have consented to the operation had he realized.
It's reported by Lou Costello's daughter Chris that her dad wasn't totally convinced this film was going to work out for the team. Everyone around him told him he was never funnier, but Costello didn't believe it until Universal started counting the box office receipts.
So a cheaply made comedy, utilizing existing sets makes a mint. Come to think of it, that was what Buck Privates also did.
helpful•274
- bkoganbing
- Jun 29, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $800,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $4,796,000
- Gross worldwide
- $4,812,444
- Runtime1 hour 23 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) officially released in India in English?
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