Willinois

In the film industry, it is very common to milk any franchise at the end by parodying, or poking fun at the original subjects. This is what they did with all the classic Universal monsters of the 1930s. By 1948, when  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released, the original Universal monsters, as well as the Films of Abbott and Costello were coming to and end.

While this film did give the comedy team a bit of new life, it also began the death of Frankenstein, Dracula and the Wolfman. Soon the classic looks of these creatures, especially the look of Frankenstein and Dracula would become for of a joke. BY the 1950’s, the appearance of these would finally get their final humiliation of The Munsters.

All that being said, I always liked this film. I’m not sure if it is due to my fondness of them as a kid or not, but I still enjoy watching it. Abbott and Costello still do what they do, Lon Chaney, Jr has not yet shown the effects of his alcoholism and Bela always plays a great Dracula. Glenn Strange plays Frankenstein, a roll he took over for Boris Karloff for three or four films and was never given the proper credit for his work.

It has that innocent charm only found in this time period. Corny, sill, sometimes to the point of stupidity? Yes, that is true. Would I like the film if I had seen it for the very first time today and not a sentimentally eye from staying up late as a child to see it on Creature Feature? Maybe not. But to hell with that, I enjoyed it this morning!