May 31- Hey Abbott! Hey Drac! Hey Wolf Man! Hey Frank!
I’m guessing that most of you can tell, from the title on this blog, what our feature will be tonight- “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!” What many consider the greatest horror/comedy film ever made- with the added plus of the greatest Universal monsters- is a landmark film for Universal- in more ways than one! Not only was it the first pairing of Universal’s top comedy team of Bud and Lou with classic monsters- a trend so successful, that the duo went on to meet other monsters like Dr.Jekyll / Mr. Hyde, the Invisible Man (okay, actually AN invisible man) and the Mummy- but also because it was a huge success for the studio, and re-energized the film careers of Bud and Lou.
Some people ponder whether or not this movie fits into the continuity of the other sequenced monster films- going through the Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and Dracula time line
of which film follows which in order. The general thought is that, if we DOI put this in the same timeline, it would most likely come right after “House of Dracula”- but, that still leaves some strange continuity jumps- foremost, Dracula once again looking like Bela Lugosi (by the way, this is only the SECOND time Bela played Drac!) and- Larry Talbot still becoming the Wolf Man, after the operation using the strange fungus in “House of Dracula” had supposedly cured him!
Regardless, this film is perfect scary fun- as freight handlers Bud and Lou have to carry the alleged remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a cut-rate “House of Horrors” for display…but getting a warning phone call from none other than Larry Talbot, that it’s all part of a scheme by Dracula –the REAL one- to revive the Monster! The “House of Horrors” becomes the escape point for Dracula and the Monster, and the boys are accused of losing –or stealing- the exhibits! Before long, Talbot arrives- and soon Bud and Lou are embroiled in the fight between the Wolf Man and Dracula- who decides that Lou’s feeble brain would be perfect to install in the Monster’s head. (I guess Ygor’s brain, stuck in there in “Ghost of Frankenstein”, no longer contains any of Ygor’s memories or thought processes!) Pretty soon, all the monsters are on the prowl…and a good time will be had by all!
We WILL get one more run of this one – but, why deprive yourself of the fun? Join us tonight at 9 or at 1 am on Me-TV!
(And- join me on Cermak Road for the Berywn Centennial Parade- tomorrow Sunday at 2 pm in-of course- BERWYN!!!)
Some people ponder whether or not this movie fits into the continuity of the other sequenced monster films- going through the Frankenstein, Wolf Man, and Dracula time line
of which film follows which in order. The general thought is that, if we DOI put this in the same timeline, it would most likely come right after “House of Dracula”- but, that still leaves some strange continuity jumps- foremost, Dracula once again looking like Bela Lugosi (by the way, this is only the SECOND time Bela played Drac!) and- Larry Talbot still becoming the Wolf Man, after the operation using the strange fungus in “House of Dracula” had supposedly cured him!
Regardless, this film is perfect scary fun- as freight handlers Bud and Lou have to carry the alleged remains of Dracula and the Frankenstein Monster to a cut-rate “House of Horrors” for display…but getting a warning phone call from none other than Larry Talbot, that it’s all part of a scheme by Dracula –the REAL one- to revive the Monster! The “House of Horrors” becomes the escape point for Dracula and the Monster, and the boys are accused of losing –or stealing- the exhibits! Before long, Talbot arrives- and soon Bud and Lou are embroiled in the fight between the Wolf Man and Dracula- who decides that Lou’s feeble brain would be perfect to install in the Monster’s head. (I guess Ygor’s brain, stuck in there in “Ghost of Frankenstein”, no longer contains any of Ygor’s memories or thought processes!) Pretty soon, all the monsters are on the prowl…and a good time will be had by all!
We WILL get one more run of this one – but, why deprive yourself of the fun? Join us tonight at 9 or at 1 am on Me-TV!
(And- join me on Cermak Road for the Berywn Centennial Parade- tomorrow Sunday at 2 pm in-of course- BERWYN!!!)
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