Abbott & Costello were America's popular slapstick comedy duo of WWII-era radio, stage and screen, second only to Laurel & Hardy. The twosome consisted of Bud Abbott, the tall, reedy, disparaging straight man, and Lou Costello, his short, muttering, roly-poly, pratfalling patsy, both of whom brought varied, extensive vaudeville experience to the team. Abbott was once a lion tamer, Costello a once-slim film stuntman! Their early efforts on radio and Broadway eventually paved the way for a series of broad, high-strung Universal feature film vehicles, of which this represents their very best -- "Buck Privates" included.
In 1948, Universal cleverly decided on an amalgamation of Abbott & Costello antics and classic horror (their two biggest commodities at the time) for their next feature, and the unique blend proved to be an ideal, irresistible mix with everybody in the sterling cast doing their individual jobs faultlessly. A&C keep the laughs coming at a rat-a-tat speed (with variations of some of their classic routines), while Lon Chaney as the Wolfman, Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, and Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein Monster (subbing for Boris Karloff, who had vacated the damaging typecast) provide the necessary shudders and goose bumps, wisely playing it serious as the stalking creatures. The beauteous presence of both Lenore Aubert and Jane Randolph adds a welcome dash of class and feminine diversion to the creepy, gothic surroundings the former a placid, sultry beauty who spells trouble for the boys, the latter a perky screamer in the Evelyn Ankers tradition.
The best part is that you get three classic monsters for one admission price! In short, Bud and Lou play unsuspecting delivery men (Chick and Wilbur) who deposit two heavy, oblong boxes (wink-wink) to an eerie castle, where Dracula decides that Lou would be the perfect specimen for a brain transplant with the Frankenstein monster as the recipient! Chaney, playing tormented mortal Larry Talbot, is actually around trying to protect the boys here and he does, that is, anytime there is not a full moon. And that's when things really get hairy! The classic scene that still stays with me is Lou's relaxing in a chair, inadvertently sitting on the monster's lap), and, as always, Lou's patented gasps and gulps as he tries to get the cranky, disbelieving Bud to see they have company. The finale where the monsters meet their inevitable ends is especially gratifying for the older tykes and horror buffs.
This flick proved to be such a hit, and was such a boost to their post-war flagging careers, A&C attempted the formula over and over again in their subsequent vehicles A&C Meet the Killer, the Invisible Man, Captain Kidd, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Mummy, but they all paled compared to this baby, which still withstands the test of time.
Fortunately, the boys had TV to still look forward to.
In 1948, Universal cleverly decided on an amalgamation of Abbott & Costello antics and classic horror (their two biggest commodities at the time) for their next feature, and the unique blend proved to be an ideal, irresistible mix with everybody in the sterling cast doing their individual jobs faultlessly. A&C keep the laughs coming at a rat-a-tat speed (with variations of some of their classic routines), while Lon Chaney as the Wolfman, Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula, and Glenn Strange as the Frankenstein Monster (subbing for Boris Karloff, who had vacated the damaging typecast) provide the necessary shudders and goose bumps, wisely playing it serious as the stalking creatures. The beauteous presence of both Lenore Aubert and Jane Randolph adds a welcome dash of class and feminine diversion to the creepy, gothic surroundings the former a placid, sultry beauty who spells trouble for the boys, the latter a perky screamer in the Evelyn Ankers tradition.
The best part is that you get three classic monsters for one admission price! In short, Bud and Lou play unsuspecting delivery men (Chick and Wilbur) who deposit two heavy, oblong boxes (wink-wink) to an eerie castle, where Dracula decides that Lou would be the perfect specimen for a brain transplant with the Frankenstein monster as the recipient! Chaney, playing tormented mortal Larry Talbot, is actually around trying to protect the boys here and he does, that is, anytime there is not a full moon. And that's when things really get hairy! The classic scene that still stays with me is Lou's relaxing in a chair, inadvertently sitting on the monster's lap), and, as always, Lou's patented gasps and gulps as he tries to get the cranky, disbelieving Bud to see they have company. The finale where the monsters meet their inevitable ends is especially gratifying for the older tykes and horror buffs.
This flick proved to be such a hit, and was such a boost to their post-war flagging careers, A&C attempted the formula over and over again in their subsequent vehicles A&C Meet the Killer, the Invisible Man, Captain Kidd, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and the Mummy, but they all paled compared to this baby, which still withstands the test of time.
Fortunately, the boys had TV to still look forward to.