Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein: Charles Barton

There are some things that don't quite mix. I remember when I learned that a crossover between Archie and the Punisher existed, I was floored. How could two such massively different characters possibly interact? The same thing went through my mind when I first heard of the film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Horror and comedy rarely mix. Abbott and Costello rely on slapstick and word-play to entertain their audiences. The Universal Monsters of the 1930s and 1940s relied on atmosphere, pacing, and dread. So, while the film has moments of genius, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein falls flat. The basic premise of the story is that through an unfortunate series of circumstances and coincidences, Abbott and Costello find themselves trapped in an island castle with Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Wolfman. I will admit that the horror aficionado in me delighted in seeing Béla Lugosi return to his role as Dracula. But his performance here is predictably more campy than in the original Dracula (1931). Lon Chaney, Jr. does his father proud as the tortured Wolfman. In a way, I dearly wish that this film could have been made without Abbott and Costello and focused solely on the monsters. The film does a decent job capturing the atmosphere of the early Universe Monsters. But it is ruined by the upbeat and cheerful antics of Abbott and Costello. This should have been two films instead of one. But still, it's an old school monster mash. That's reason enough to see it.

6/10