Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 1, 2019

Railway station employees Wilbur (Lou Costello) and Chick (Bud Abbott) receive a desperate call from Lawrence (Lon Chaney, Jr.), who pleads with the men to stop a special shipment bound for “McDougal’s House of Horrors.” Unfortunately, the crates make their way to the wax museum, with Chick and Wilbur making the mistake of opening the boxes, which contain Dracula (Bela Lugosi) and The Monster (Glenn Strange), who proceed to carry out their fiendish plans as the terrified are caught up in trouble.

Opening the Abbott and Costello empire to new antagonists, 1948’s “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” merges the comedy stylings of the iconic partners with the catalogue of monsters from the Universal vault. It’s a clash of the titans for movie fans, and provides a creative challenge for director Charles Barton, who’s tasked with delivering huge laughs and passable scares, embarking on a balancing act that’s pulled off with surprising care in the feature. Obviously, the frights played differently in the 1940s than they do now, but “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” has a certain creep to it, working to respect the formidable presence of Dracula, The Monster, and the Wolfman before sending them through the Abbott and Costello spanking machine.

For additional analysis, please read Jeffrey Kauffman's 2012 review.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

"Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" was originally released in 2012, as part of Universal's 100th anniversary celebration. Shout Factory isn't gifted a fresh scan of the picture, but their AVC encoded image (1.37:1 aspect ratio) presentation tries to do something with the slightly softer viewing experience. Detail isn't profound, but the essentials of the monster remain, finding fine hair and makeup achievements appreciable. Costuming does fine, along with facial surfaces, as panic and age reads acceptably. Delineation is appealing, working through dark sequences and dense outfits.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Dolby Digital 2.0 sound mix delivers a straightforward listening experience, preserving dialogue exchanges from a variety of acting abilities and accents. Comedic interplay is clear, and horror events don't encourage distortive highs. Scoring isn't precise, but it supports the feature's interest in multiple genres. Mild hiss is detected.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historian Gregory W. Mank.

• Image Gallery (6:30) collects film still, publicity shots, poster art, and theater displays.

• Production Notes (2:21) offer information on "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:40, SD) is included.

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" is effective, delivering a steady stream of laughs while reuniting fans with the Universal Monsters, who provide a little extra menace to the picture. It's also the first of many creature features from the titular team, setting the pace for future tangles with iconic screen enemies.