Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Robert Lees (screenplay) &
Frederic I. Rinaldo (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

15 June 1948 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

It's a grand new Idea for FUN !

Plot:

Two hapless frieght handlers find themselves encountering Dracula, the Frankenstein Monster and the Wolf Man.

Plot Keywords:

Dracula | Monster | Frankenstein's Monster | Full Moon | Spoof

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Chick Young
Lou Costello	...	Wilbur Grey
Lon Chaney Jr.	...	Larry Talbot / The Wolf Man (as Lon Chaney)
Bela Lugosi	...	Count Dracula
Glenn Strange	...	The Frankenstein Monster
Lenore Aubert	...	Dr. Sandra Mornay
Jane Randolph	...	Joan Raymond
Frank Ferguson	...	Mr. McDougal
Charles Bradstreet	...	Dr. Stevens
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bobby Barber	...	Waiter (uncredited)
George Barton	...	Man (uncredited)
Harry Brown	...	Photographer (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)
Paul Stader	...	Sergeant (uncredited)
Clarence Straight	...	Man in armor (uncredited)
Joe Walls	...	Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Barton		(as Charles T. Barton)

Writing credits
Mary Shelley		(characters) uncredited &
Bram Stoker		(characters) uncredited
Robert Lees		(screenplay) &
Frederic I. Rinaldo		(screenplay) &
John Grant		(screenplay)

Produced by
Robert Arthur	....	producer

Original Music by
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by
Charles Van Enger

Film Editing by
Frank Gross

Art Direction by
Hilyard M. Brown		(as Hilyard Brown)
Bernard Herzbrun

Set Decoration by
Oliver Emert
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by
Grace Houston		(gowns)

Makeup Department
Carmen Dirigo	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist
Jack Kevan	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Emile LaVigne	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Henry Spitz	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph E. Kenney	....	assistant director (as Joseph E. Kenny)

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound

Special Effects by
Jerome Ash	....	special photography
David S. Horsley	....	special photography
Fred Knoth	....	special effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Eddie Parker	....	stunts (uncredited)
Helen Thurston	....	stunt double: Lenore Aubert (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Glen Adams	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Robert Pierce	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Animation Department
Walter Lantz	....	director: animation sequence (uncredited)

Music Department
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator

Other crew
Betty A. Griffin	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1948) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Universal Film (1948) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Doperfilme (Portugal)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (USA) (alternative spelling)
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (USA) (alternative title)
Abbott and Costello Meet the Ghosts (UK)
The Brain of Frankenstein (USA) (original script title)

Runtime:

83 min | Argentina:90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:(Banned) (1949) | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #13109)

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

Jane Randolph replaced Ella Raines, who backed out at the last minute.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: When McDougal and his friend confront Wilbur and Chick on the pier towards the end of the film, Wilbur and Chick both say, "McDougal!" but neither Chick's or Wilbur's lips moves.

Quotes:

Wilbur: You know that person you said there's no such person? I think he's in there... in person. I was reading this sign over here, Dracula's Legend. All of a sudden I heard...
[Wilbur imitates a creaking noise]
Chick Young: That's the wind.
Wilbur: It should get oiled.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Fear Itself (#4.4)" (1999)

Monsterfest: Bud and Lou style

Perennially snakebit, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney) can't even make a dire phone-call to clueless Wilbur Gray (Lou Costello) without that pesky full moon getting in the way. Of course, this opening scene is all just a nice excuse for the new Universal makeup wizard, Bud Westmore, to show off his new, streamlined Wolf Man transformations. It looks good enough, though it seems whatever Lon Chaney may have gained in comfort from Bud's less time-consuming makeup, he had to trade-off any facial mobility as his face looks fixed in the same expression throughout the film.

Bud and Lou's misadventures unloading McDougal's crates is a great mix of laughs & chills where we get to see a variation of the "moving candle" bit, Dracula reviving the monster, and for the first time in any Universal picture the camera doesn't move or cut away as the vampire exits from his coffin. And Glenn Strange, looking rather gruesome in Westmore's best makeup work, seems creakier than ever before as the monster.

I have to mention one of my personal favorite Bud/Lou moments when they make their first trip to the island with Joan Raymond: Lou tells Bud in reference to Joan "she's mine too" then proceeds to dab his mouth with Bud's necktie.

While the mere presence of Abbott and Costello in this picture may turn the stomachs of many "horror purists", it's obvious that great care was taken by the filmmakers not to ridicule the monsters. Without the two comics, you would still have a standard Universal horror film. With them, it remains a movie that shows more skill & thought was put into it than the last "serious" monster film "House of Dracula" and I am personally glad that Universal didn't let the monsters die with that misfire.