The list of truly successful horror-comedy movies is a short one, as it’s always difficult to achieve the right mix of these two very different genres. If the movie focuses too much on the comedic aspects, it can easily get too silly, or become an unintentional spoof. On the other hand, if the movie is too horrific, the comedy might seem forced or inappropriate. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is one of the rare movies to get the mix right.
The movie’s success here hinges on treating the monsters (Glenn Strange as Frankenstein’s Monster, Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and Lon Chaney, Jr. as Larry Talbot/the Wolf Man) seriously. There’s plenty of funny stuff in the movie, but the monsters are consistently portrayed as dangerous and menacing, not as figures of comedy. The monsters are played straight, which makes Bud Abbott and Lou Costello’s comedy play better, since it’s working off a genuine threat.
Perhaps Universal was able to pull off this tricky combination of genres due to the studio’s earlier successes in combining genres in the monster series. Despite the gothic trappings, the Frankenstein/ “mad scientist” milieu is essentially one of science fiction, while monsters like Dracula, the Wolf Man, and the Mummy have decidedly supernatural origins. But starting with 1942’s Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, Universal began mixing these elements with complete and cheerful disregard for any discrepancies between the genres. This trend continues here, with the plot hinging on Dracula’s attempts to use the forces of mad science (here, in the person of the beautiful Dr. Sandra Mornay, played by Lenore Aubert) to revive and gain control of Frankenstein’s Monster. Furthermore, Mornay intends to put the brain of Lou Costello in the monster to ensure a docile, easily controlled creature. Which suggests that she never managed to catch any of Abbott and Costello’s other movies while getting her degree in Mad Science. The idea sounds comparable to hiring the Three Stooges as your plumbing contractors because they work cheap.
But this isn’t a movie overly concerned with plot logic, of course. The plot exists to get Wilbur Grey (Costello) and Chic Young (Abbott) together with the monsters and provide opportunities for comedy, and it does so efficiently.
Abbott and Costello’s comedy may not be to everyone’s taste, but they’re in top form here. The monster action is also easily up to the level of the “serious” movies in the latter half of Universal’s first horror cycle. Bela Lugosi is great fun playing Dracula for only the second (and final) time on screen, and Lon Chaney is fine as the tortured Larry Talbot. The monster special effects are quite effective for the day. While Chaney’s Wolf Man makeup is a bit simplified compared to his previous outings, the Frankenstein Monster’s demise on a burning dock is impressively staged.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein shows off both the comedy team and the monsters at their best, ranking in my book with Ghostbusters as one of the best horror-comedies ever.
Shows off both the comedy team and the monsters at their best, ranking in my book with Ghostbusters as one of the best horror-comedies ever.- David Conner
