Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1948
Running Times: 83 mins     92 mins
Format: black and white     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: mono

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Universal
Production: Robert Arthur

SCRIPT
Script: John Grant, Frederic I. Rinaldo, Robert Lees
Characters: Bram Stoker, Mary Shelley

DIRECTION
Director: Charles T. Barton

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Charles Van Enger
Stills: Glen Adams

EDITING
Editor: Frank Gross

MUSIC
Music: Frank Skinner
Orchestrations: David Tamkin

COSTUMES AND MAKE-UP
Make Up: Bud Westmore
Make Up Assistant: Jack Kevan
Costume Designer: Grace Houston

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects Photography: David S. Horsley, Jerome H. Ash

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Bernard Herzbrun, Hilyard Brown

OTHER CREW
Script Supervisor: B. Abbott

CAST
Bud Abbott (Chick Young)
Lou Costello (Wilbur Grey)
Bela Lugosi (Dracula)
Lon Chaney Jr (Lawrence Talbot/The Wolf Man)
Glenn Strange (the Frankenstein monster)
Lenore Aubert (Sandra Mornay)
Frank Ferguson (Mr McDougal)
Jane Randolph (Joan Raymond)
Joe Kirk (man)
Charles Bradstreet (Dr Stevens)
Howard Negley (Mr Harris)
Paul Strader (sergeant)
Harry Brown (photographer)
Helen Spring (woman at baggage counter)
Clarance Straight (man in armour)
George Barton, Carl Sklover, Joe Walls (men)
Bobby Barber (waiter)
Vincent Price (the invisible man's voice - uncredited)

Dracula is searching for a new brain for the Frankenstein monster and thinks he's found it in the shape of the dim-witted Wilbur Grey. Dracula is assisted by a mad female doctor and ultimately thwarted in his bid for world domination by werewolf Larry Talbot.

The first and best (though that isn't saying much) of the Abbott and Costello monster rallies and the beginning of the end for Universal's horror cycle. It momentarily boosted the fading careers of the two comics, who then squandered the chance of a series of similar parodies. It isn't very funny, but at least it's nice to see some of the classic monsters strutting their stuff one more time.

Portugal
Theatrical Distributor: Doperfilme

UK
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Video Distributor: Universal Pictures Video (0443063)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Universal Pictures
Video Distributor: MCA; (Universal Studios Home Video)
Laserdisc Distributors: DiscoVision; MCA Encore; Image
DVD Distributor: Universal Studios (20572)

Finland
Rating: banned in 1949

UK
Rating: A; PG

USA
Rating: unrated

1948
February
14: USA - theatrical release

November
11: UK - rated A by the BBFC (for theatrical release)

1950
June
16: Portugal - theatrical release

November
6: Denmark - theatrical release

1955
July
4: Denmark - theatrical re-issue

1959
October
9: Denmark - theatrical re-issue

1999
November
9: USA - video release (Universal Studios Home Video)

2000
July
6: UK - rated PG by the BBFC (for video release)

August
7: UK - video release

2001
August
28: USA - DVD release (Universal Studios 20572)

Jeepers! the creepers are after somebody - and guess who!

More howls than you can shake a shiver at!!!

The LAUGHS are MONSTERous! Bud and Lou are in a stew when they tangle with the TITANS of TERROR!

Abbott and Costello Meet the Ghosts - UK title
The Brain of Frankenstein - shooting title
Meet the Ghosts - alternate UK title
Abbott and Costello en Ontmoeten Frankenstein - Dutch title
Abbott et Costello contre Frankenstein - French title
Deux Nigauds contre Frankenstein - alternative French title
Abbott et Costello et les Monstres - Belgian title
Mein Gott, Frankenstein - German title
Abbott und Costello treffen Frankenstein - German title
Il cervello di Frankenstein - Italian title

REMAKES
El Castillo de los Monstruos (1957)
Frankenstein, el Vampiro y Cia (1961)

SEE ALSO
Il porta sul buio: Il vicino di casa (197?)
Dracula (1931)
Frankenstein (1931)
The Mummy (1932)
The Wolf Man (1941)

FOOTAGE INCLUDED IN
Let's Go to the Movies (1949)
The Case Against the 20% Federal Admissions Tax on Motion Picture Theatres (1953)
AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000)
The World of Abbott and Costello (1965)
Coming Soon (1982)
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)
Terror in the Aisles (1984)
Into the Night (1985)
Horrible Horror (1986)
The Getaway (1994)
100 Years of Horror (1996)
Universal Horror (1998)

MAGAZINES

Absurd no.9 (UK)
credits, review

Filmfax no.57 pp.26-27 (USA)
illustrated review

TV Times 11-17 February 1989 p.35 (UK)
review

BOOKS

Aurum Encyclopedia of Film: Horror (2nd edition) p.94
credits, review

Classic Movie Monsters pp.27-30
article

Creature Features Strikes Again p.10
credits, review

Cult Flicks and Trash Pics p.1
credits, review

The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film p.1
credits

Fantastic Cinema Subject Guide p.210
credits, review

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.14
credits, review

Horror and Science Fiction Films II p.1
credits

Horror Film Handbook p.10
credits, review

Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Television Credits II p.731
credits

The Illustrated Vampire Movie Guide p.27
credits, review

Reference Guide to Fantastic Films p.1
credits

Science Fiction Film Source Book p.20
credits, review

Video Source Book 13th Edition (1992) vol.1 p.2
video data, credits

dracula, brain transplants, scientists, frankenstein's monster, werewolves, vampires, mad doctors, invisible man, masquerades, parodies, secret doors, bats, wax museums, invisibility, spoofs, castles, coffins, islands, laboratories

Last Updated: 15 October, 2008