Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were one of the world's top comedy teams when they took on cinema's most famous monsters in this 1948 romp. Chick (Abbott) and Wilbur (Costello) are hapless shipping clerks tasked with delivering two large crates to a Florida House of Horrors. Hot on their trail is Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), who knows that inside the containers lie the lifeless bodies of Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange)—cargo Talbot wants to destroy for fear that the creatures will be revived. Astute horror fans will note that Talbot himself is a pretty scary guy: when the moon is full, he turns into the Wolf Man. Director Charles Barton wisely has Lugosi, Chaney, and Strange play their parts straight, while Costello characteristically sputters and whoops as the sole witness to the creatures' revitalization and Abbott expresses incredulity at his partner's claims. Added to the mix are two glamorous women, Sandra (Lénore Aubert) and Joan (Jane Randolph), whose baffling activities add entertaining elements to the plot. The funniest horror comedy of the classical era—mixing terror and slapstick humor without sacrificing either—Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was added to the National Film Registry in 2001. Extras include audio commentary and a retrospective featurette. Highly recommended. (S. Axmaker)