Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

91% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
81% of users liked it
(7,815 ratings)

It seems that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), in league with a beautiful but diabolical lady scientist (Lenore Aubert), needs a "simple, pliable" brain with which to reactivate Frankenstein's creature (Glenn Strange). The "ideal" brain belongs to the hapless Lou Costello, whom the lady doctor woos to… More It seems that Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), in league with a beautiful but diabolical lady scientist (Lenore Aubert), needs a "simple, pliable" brain with which to reactivate Frankenstein's creature (Glenn Strange). The "ideal" brain belongs to the hapless Lou Costello, whom the lady doctor woos to gain his confidence and lure him to the operating table. Lawrence Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.), better known as the Wolf Man, arrives on the scene to warn Costello and his pal Bud Abbott of Dracula's nefarious schemes. Throughout the film, the timorous Costello witnesses the nocturnal rituals of Dracula and the Monster, but can't convince the ever-doubting Abbott--until the wild climax in Dracula's castle, where the comedians are pursued by all three of the film's monstrosities. As a bonus, the Invisible Man (voiced by an unbilled Vincent Price) shows up for "all the excitement." ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 23 min.
Directed By: Charles Barton
Written By: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant
Genres: Horror, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

In Theaters: Jun 15, 1948 Wide
On DVD: Sep 30, 2006
Studio: Universal Studios Home Video

Critic Reviews

Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
This 1948 effort is probably the last of their watchable films, though it's a long way from their best.
Bosley Crowther, New York Times
The notion of having these two clowns run afoul of the famous screen monster is a good laugh in itself. But take this gentle warning: get the most out of that one laugh while you can, because the picture, at Loew's Criterion, does not contain many more.
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
While the the film is representative of the absolute worst of Universal horror... it is one of the very best Abbott and Costello vehicles.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Well-constructed and satisfyingly low
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's ridiculous, of course, but the combination of classic monsters, dizzy sets and some of Bud and Lou's funniest bits make it a keeper.
, Film4
The comedy duo's finest onscreen hour comes in the shape of this wonderful horror spoof which also unites all of Universal's scariest horror heroes under the same cinematic roof.
Kim Newman, Empire Magazine
A little bit of going through the motions with this horror spoof but fans will enjoy
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
After this film's considerable success at the box office, Abbott and Costello made seven more pictures in which they 'met' Hollywood monsters, but none were as lively and entertaining as this one.
Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan
THE best of Abbott and Costello's zany films, this time with Lugosi and Chaney playing their monsters seriously, which makes A&C's reactions hilarious.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Classic horror movie spoof.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The best of all the 35 Abbott and Costello movies made between 1940 and 1956.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
One of the funniest comedies in the couple's long series of films that use Universal's classic horrors.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
This pairing certainly works better than [anything] by Stephen Sommers, right?
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
A classic mixture of horror and comedy, one of the best in this genre and one of A&C's finest moments.
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
This is one of the best of all the Abbott and Costello features.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Superior Abbott and Costello vehicle with great Bela Lugosi Dracula performance.

Read all 16 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

First L

By 1948, the Universal monsters were on their way out of fashion. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, all had been popular for many years, but other trends (such as UFO invaders) were coming to the fore by the late forties. Abbott and Costello on the other hand, were just coming… More
By 1948, the Universal monsters were on their way out of fashion. Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, all had been popular for many years, but other trends (such as UFO invaders) were coming to the fore by the late forties. Abbott and Costello on the other hand, were just coming into their peak, and with "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" they took their career on a whole other path (this was the first of several "Abbott and Costello Meet..." pictures). Anyhow, Abbott and Costello play a pair of bumbling freight handlers who are supposed to deliver Dracula's actual remains and Frankenstein's actual monster to some house of wax museum, but when they get there, Dracula wakes up and steals the monster for some nefarious scheme. Dracula and his scientist partners decide to replace the monster's brain with Lou Costello's, because this will supposedly make him more docile and easy to control. Meanwhile, the wolf man (Lon Chaney Jr.) learns of Dracula's scheme and soon arrives to try and stop him. There are some goofy gags and some slight scares, and the film strikes a nice balance between comedy and (light) horror. Fun.
Melvin W

Dracula: What we need is young blood... and brains... "Jeepers. The creepers are after Bud and Lou." Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a silly classic that includes some of the major Universal Studio monsters of the time; including Wolfman, Dracula and… More
Dracula: What we need is young blood... and brains... "Jeepers. The creepers are after Bud and Lou." Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a silly classic that includes some of the major Universal Studio monsters of the time; including Wolfman, Dracula and Frankenstein. It is not all that funny now, but back in the flurries when it came out; it was probably hilarious. It's still a semi-fun film to watch from time to time. The best thing about the movie is the monsters and the plot isn't horrible either. Dracula plans on bringing Frankenstein back and having him have no will of his own so that Dracula can control him. Abbott and Costello then get involved in the story and silly slapstick ensues. That is what I don't like about it. The comedy just doesn't work anymore. I chuckled a couple of times, but that was about the extent to what the comedy did for me. It's not a bad movie, but I'd rather just watch the old monster movies without Abbott and Costello. It may be a classic, but it definitely isn't a must watch classic.
Ken S

Very very silly
AJ V

I liked this movie it's fun and has both comedy and horror movie stars. And of course, it's very funny.
David L

Baggage men Chick, (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur, (Lou Costello) are ordered to keep a series of crates from delivery to a House of Horrors, but they take them there anyway and unpack them. While delivering the crates, they find that they contain the bodies of Count Dracula, (Bela Lugosi)… More
Baggage men Chick, (Bud Abbott) and Wilbur, (Lou Costello) are ordered to keep a series of crates from delivery to a House of Horrors, but they take them there anyway and unpack them. While delivering the crates, they find that they contain the bodies of Count Dracula, (Bela Lugosi) and Frankenstein's Monster, (Glenn Strange) and they slip off in the night in front of a terrified Wilbur. Wilbur and Chick eventually run into Larry Talbot, (Lon Chaney Jr.) who reveals that Dracula has plans to revive Frankenstein's Monster. Tracking the two to a castle, they find that Larry was telling the truth about the experiments, and have to escape before they are used in them. I'm a fan of Abbott And Costello so I might be a little bias here for some but this is my favorite horror comedy. It's the best example of the genre, keeping one of the main characteristics that few who have followed it fail to accomplish: the threat that comes in the film is treated as a serious threat. The monsters are serious and can really injure the protagonists, and aren't played for laughs or gags against them, which many who follow never really utilize well and therefore fail. The gags that come are therefore funny as the situation is serious and the out-of-place gag has some merit. This one does it really well and is the better for it. When it all comes crashing down at the end provides some nice action that was common-place among the era, as there's some spectacle thrown in that is quite exciting. The different battles going on that all intermingle with each other provide some nice action, including the ending on the dock. The monsters themselves are integrated into the usual situation with the two men, and in keeping with the tradition of integration, the monster storyline is carried along nicely as well. The gags are nice and funny, and the wordplay and slapstick they are famous for are in nice abundance here. It's a very rare film that should satisfy all the different types of fans out there. Some of my favorite lines: Chick Young: I don't get it. Out of all the guys around here that classy dish has to pick out a guy like you. Wilbur Grey: What's wrong with that? Chick Young: Go look at yourself in the mirror sometime. Wilbur Grey: Why should I hurt my own feelings? Larry Talbot: You don't understand. Every night when the moon is full, I turn into a wolf. Wilbur: You and twenty million other guys.
Dean !

The best of their films!
DOCTOR P

A comedic classic. The film stars Abbot and Costello who are of course hilarious. The plot is hilariously executed in a way that makes a great use of the 3 most beloved monsters (Dracula, The Wolfman and Frankenstein) in a way that no other movie has ever been able to do as well.… More
A comedic classic. The film stars Abbot and Costello who are of course hilarious. The plot is hilariously executed in a way that makes a great use of the 3 most beloved monsters (Dracula, The Wolfman and Frankenstein) in a way that no other movie has ever been able to do as well. The film still works today as it did when it was released so it's pretty much aged well. Overall this is a classic film well deserving of a watch or two, or three.
Matthew Y

The best of all the Abbott and Costello Meet (insert person/monster here) films. Abbott and Costello are a legendary comedy team who created the greatest comedy duo bit ever with "Who's on First". That being said just about everything else of theirs I've seen has… More
The best of all the Abbott and Costello Meet (insert person/monster here) films. Abbott and Costello are a legendary comedy team who created the greatest comedy duo bit ever with "Who's on First". That being said just about everything else of theirs I've seen has been lacking. I give the film a fresh rating simply for the cameos of just about all the Universal movie monsters, especially Bela Lugosi reprising the role of Dracula.
Jim W

The Abbott and Costello movies are usually all the same, Costello sees something scary and keeps calling Abbott to look but by the time Abbott gets there the monster is gone. Then the joke is repeated over and over again until Abbott finally believes Costello. Still, I think… More
The Abbott and Costello movies are usually all the same, Costello sees something scary and keeps calling Abbott to look but by the time Abbott gets there the monster is gone. Then the joke is repeated over and over again until Abbott finally believes Costello. Still, I think their movies are surprisingly well made comedy/adventures. The sets and costumes are all top notch for their time. While just seeing Abbott and Castello with all these classic monsters is also well done.
Marion R

Awesome! Really like this film, a favorite in my house.
Christopher B

The best Abbott and Costello film! Hilarious with all the monsters. I can sit down and watch this anytime. CHET!
Leo L

Hilarious!
Barry L

Sunday afternoon kids films...Brilliant.
Anthony V

The best of the Abbott and Costello monster parings.
Sean S

My favourite of the A & C movies. Hey Aaaabooottt!