So Glad This Exists! Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Movie Reaction!!

[@jokerz7936]

What makes this film work so well is that the monsters are never the butt of the jokes.

[@shallowgal462]

Superman took off into the air through an animated transition in the movie serial of the late '40s starring Kirk Alyn (who had a cameo in 1978's Superman: The Movie) and Noel Neill (TV's Lois Lane after the first season). Although practical effects were used to make George Reeves take off and land in the first Superman feature film (1951), he flew in animated form in the movie (but not in the TV series after). (Noel Neill also had a cameo in Superman: The Movie in 1978 and in Superman Returns in 2008 too, which also featured her TV co-star who had played Jimmy Olsen 1952-58).

[@keithgoodnight3463]

Abbott & Costello did a whole series of movies together before this, all featuring them as in-story friends or partners; this one proved such a success that they followed it up with a series of monster movies, meeting the Invisible Man, the Mummy, and Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde. Later in their careers, they mixed things up a bit with movies where they both starred but as independent characters rather than in-story partners, which gave them opportunity for different sorts of comic interaction. Their whole filmography is worth watching; although not every individual film stands out, they're overall an amazing showcase of old school vaudeville comedy.

[@davidlionheart2438]

Abbott and Costello at their peak, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney jr. in the roles that made them immortal, great script and direction, and Frank Skinner's iconic score: What's not to love?

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

Not their peak this film was made after a rough period between the team.

[@courtneyraymer6586]

Don’t forget Boris Karloff as the Frankenstein monster.

[@BrotherDerrick3X]

​@@courtneyraymer6586Karloff didn't want to reprise the role of the Frankenstein monster for this.

[@rafaelrosario5331]

This was the second and last time Bela Lugosi played Dracula in a film....the Frankenstein monster was portrayed Glenn Strange who portrayed the monster a couple of times...years later he was the bartender on Gunsmoke...a long running tv western... Lon Chaney Jr...repeated his Wolf man which he originated...he was the only actor to portray all 3 major universal monsters in film...Wolfman... Frankenstein and Dracula.

[@StrawberryShorty]

And the Mummy!

[@jimtatro6550]

I saw this when I was about seven years old on a TV show called family Classics. This was in the 70s ,it became my gateway to horror along with Young Frankenstein. I love this movie as much now as I did 50 years ago.

[@BeeWhistler]

The gateway drug that leads to horror movies, hm? That’s kinda cute.

[@tmatthewnielsen]

Another great classic insurance investigator story on the more serious side is the film noir "Double Indemnity," starring Fred McMurray. I feel like that was a profession that showed up more in older movies.

[@bighuge1060]

Believe it or not, this movie, March of the Wooden Soldiers (Babes in Toyland), King Kong, Son of Kong and Mighty Joe Young used to be our channel 11 and 9 annual Thanksgiving offerings on television in the 1970s. They'd also rotate Santa Claus Conquers the Martians and The Christmas That Almost Wasn't. Odd as that seems, that tradition has carried over into the 2020s for me. Lou Costello was a live wire and Bud Abbott was one of the greatest straight men in history able to pull Lou back to their sketches. For a good glimpse of this, you should catch a few of their live Colgate shows.

[@gregschultz8639]

I would highly recommend the Universal Classic Monster films as a marathon, specifically the Frankenstein/Dracula/Wolf Man series. If you consider this an alternate ending to the three monsters, House of Dracula (1945) gives Larry Talbot a happy ending by ending his curse surgically. Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi are the original Wolf Man and Dracula. Boris Karloff played the original Frankenstein creature for his first three films.

[@redviper6805]

Vincent Price was the voice of the invisible man!

[@BigGator5]

"I've had this brain for thirty years. It hasn't done me any good!" Fun Fact: The archive footage of the London policeman is from Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943). Count Dracula Fact: Although he would play similar vampires, ghouls, zombies, et al, in other films since Dracula (1931), this would be only the second, and last, time that Bela Lugosi would play Dracula in a feature film. Casting Notes Fact: Bela Lugosi's last involvement in a film for a major studio. Lou Costello didn't want to make the movie. A $50,000 advance in salary and the signing of director Charles Barton, the team's good friend and the man some call their best director, convinced him otherwise. Authentic Battle Damage Fact: Lenore Aubert did all of her own stunts and all her own screams, including the scene in the laboratory in which the Monster, played by both Glenn Strange and Lon Chaney Jr., picks up Sandra and carries her to the skylight window to throw her through it. Aubert wanted to do the stunt to its completion and be tossed through the window, which was actually made of spun sugar; however, director Charles Barton and studio head Robert Arthur, explained to her they were nervous and scared for her safety, and while they took every precaution to ensure she would not be hurt in any way they could not let her be tossed through the window because the insurance company would never allow her to do it. It was a good thing she didn't do the stunt to completion, though, because her stunt double, Helen Thurston, fell on her right hip after being tossed through the window because the cable wire she was attached to was given too much slack.

[@in8hope617]

"The Time of Their Lives" 1946, with Abbott & Costello is another great movie. They have a whole series of movies, and that is the other favorite of these 2 movies(this one being the other one).

[@davidlionheart2438]

"The Time of Their Lives" is my favorite of all their films! It gets better every time I see it.

[@ChaniElkin]

With the release date of this film & the title of the one you mentioned, my mind immediately went to "Time of Your Life" (1948, James Cagney, William Bendix). If you've never seen that one (most people haven't), I highly recommend it. It's a great hidden gem of a movie: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qKSZgHqojNN3bZY

[@jokerz7936]

I love the Time of Their Lives and a piece of Trivia to it is Lou and Bud were having a bit of a falling out during the making of that film and hence why there's only one scene of them talking directly to each other.

[@coolaunt516]

I also enjoy that movie,. Used to watch it on local NY tv when I was a kid.

[@mattdrummond3552]

Hold That Ghost!

[@RayEvans-j1q]

When I was in elementary school back in the 60’s, one of our teachers was able to acquire this film! We all watched it in the auditorium after school! It was just two weeks away from Halloween! When the movie ended we all stepped outside into darkness! Forgot that it gets darker early in the fall! I ran home! Always loved this movie!

[@in8hope617]

This movie is so much fun! I loved old movies when I was a kid, and you will find that they are so SMART in the dialogue. Those people back then were just like you and me now. That is the interesting thing to see in these movies.

[@bigbow62]

Abbott & Costello met everyone.... Frankenstein Wolfman Mummy Invisible Man You name it & they also joined the Army Navy etc.... ( A total of 36 movies) Take that Tom Cruise ! I grew up watching Abbott & Costello reruns it seams like every Saturday they found a new and funny to get into trouble.. I'm so glad that the KZbin movie reactor crowd has finally found them, thank you✌️🙂

[@charlessheifer2264]

The greatest insurance investigator film is "Double Indemnity" starring Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck and Edward G. Robinson. It also was named one of the 100 greatest films ever by the American Film Institute.

[@thucy2]

I was about to post this when I noticed you'd beat me to it. Fred MacMurray is amazing in this role.

[@Myrdden71]

The voice of the Invisible Man, sounded like the great horror actor Vincent Price! Super cameo!

[@coolaunt516]

My favorite line: I know you'll think I'm crazy, but... in a half-an-hour the moon will rise and I'll turn into a wolf. Wilbur Grey: You and 20 million other guys!

[@waterbeauty85]

I love this movie! Watching it for Halloween used to be a tradition for me and my little sister.

[@hayleyferguson3346]

Same! Our Halloween tradition!

[@koosmal]

Thank you for watching one of my favorite movies. As a FedEx worker, package handling has not changed that much - including an investigator if expensive shipments disappear.

[@michaelhurley1497]

Double Indemnity (1944) is another film where an insurance agent investigates a possible insurance fraud.

[@ChaniElkin]

I haven't seen this in awhile & only just now learned/realized that Vincent Price is the voice of the Invisible Man. (Also with my sister's first 3 kids, I always ended up 'playing' Dracula like Costello does in this film).

[@elizabethstrong6057]

Our father had us growing up on the official universal horror monster movies since we were little kids. I feel like my siblings and i requested he put this one on quite often, even if i barely remember it nowadays. It's nice to see people reacting to it. Poor Lon Chaney Jr (the wolfman.). His father was The legendary Lon Chaney Sr, who is perhaps most known for playing the original silent phantom of the Opera. He tried to talk his son out of going into acting. I think Jr is quite good, but Sr was damn near a genius.

[@galandirofrivendell4740]

So many good Abbott and Costello movies to choose from. I especially like A & C Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and A & C Meet the Mummy. Another comedy act you should put on your radar is the Marx Brothers. Duck Soup is considered by many to be their best film, but I personally have a soft spot for A Night in Casablanca. In any event, it was fun watching your introduction to one of the funniest comedy duos of the 20th century. Hope you do more.

[@Jerome616]

Yesss the first crossover event of my childhood.

[@BrianSmithNow]

A favorite. One of the best.

[@melissadahl7561]

I've loved this movie since childhood and it's so fun to see it watched and appreciated!

[@deenormus1975]

My sister & I used to watch this every year - and A & C meet the Mummy! (And one w/the Invisible Man) Boris Karloff reprises his role as Imhotep. *This* one is absolutely fabulous & my fav of the bunch.

[@creech54]

Karloff is not in "A&C Meet The Mummy", although he is in two other A&C movies ("Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff" and "Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde").

[@MrGpschmidt]

Abbott & Costello are my fave humans of all-time. This is my fave film of theirs. I grew up on their films & TV show (which patterned for SEINFELD FYI) (in NYC on WPIX every Sunday they aired their movies; the first Must See TV). The boys gave so much to the community and charity and during WWII earned respect for raising funds for war bonds. Bud & Lou were just the best. This film, not necessarily the first mix of humor & horror but arguably the most successful and iconic, set the tone - for future endeavors from Mel Brooks' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN to GHOSTBUSTERS to SHAUN OF THE DEAD among others. Over 75 yrs the film still delivers the goods for laughs and chills (largely due to the fact as you mentioned Chris that the actors who play the monsters did so in other films - this was the 2nd and final time Bela Lugosi portrayed Dracula on film, Lon Chaney, Jr. as The Wolf Man & Glenn Strange, the first actor after Boris Karloff, as the Frankenstein monster. Some trivia - Walter Lantz, the animator of Woody Woodpecker, did the opening title animation as well as the bat transformations. Lou originally hated the concept and script for the film but finally gave in and it was Universal's highest grossing film of the year. The duo's career had been on the wane and with the movie's success kept them going for another decade. One big mistake in the film is when Dracula goes to bite Sandra and you see his reflection in the mirror (vampires do not cast a reflection!) During filming of the climactic battle, Strange injured his leg (I believe or his foot) and Chaney had to don the Monster's make-up (Lon played him in GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN too) and subbed for him instead (they mix both actors in the final cut of the sequence). And in the final shot that's an unbilled Vincent Price as the voice of The Invisible Man (who he would indeed portray in that film franchise's first sequel). I also recommend the boys' first 3 forays into the macabre with HOLD THAT GHOST (a haunted house jaunt) , THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (w/Lou as a Revolutionlry War era ghost) and WHO DONE IT? (a murder mystery set at a radio station) as well as all of their MEET films (THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE MUMMY, DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE, THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF and also their sci-fi romp ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS (when they split up Lou only did one solo film - another sci-fi comedy THE THIRTY FOOT BRIDE OF CANDY ROCK, as a small-town inventor whose girlfriend is transformed into a giantess, that sadly was released shortly after his passing. A great choice for Spooky Season :D

[@coolaunt516]

Also grew up seeing them on WPIX!

[@Dougn57]

WPIX(?) I think was the NY station that played a different Abbott and Costello movie every Saturday when i was a child. I watched them instead of cartoons 😊.

[@BrotherDerrick3X]

It was every Sunday when I was coming up (I was born in 1971).

[@SteveSalaba]

The Invisible Man said to his lab assistant "I want this lab cleaned up TONIGHT! Do I make myself clear??"

[@dionysiacosmos]

Our local TV stations ran these when I was a kid in the late 60s. Weekend schedules that had blank spots because there weren't sports, used them for filler but you never knew what was coming up. Also weekday mornings or afternoons. Loved Abbott and Costello, saw a couple of Road Pictures -- Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin. Saw 12 Angry Men, Inherit the Wind, The Bad Seed. The monster movies were generally shown on Friday or Saturday nights

[@jayharvey7043]

The voice of the Invisible Man was Vincent Price, who played the Invisible Man in The Invisible Man Returns, there's also an Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, but another actor plays him.

[@JAYWALKER1000]

It helps when the studio that makes the movies of the comedians also makes the monster movies. It was almost a no brainer.

[@ChaniElkin]

I'm about to watch your reaction, but I had to make this comment first. With this reaction, you are showing an appreciation, enjoyment, and willingness to watch themed classics. As such, I am recommending (essentially pleading) for a reaction to the quintessential Halloween movie: "Arsenic and Old Lace" (1944, Cary Grant). It's the Halloween film I watch every year as a fun 'tradition' & is one of the best films ever.

[@shallowgal462]

At the end, the Invisible Man was voiced by Vincent Price (Egghead on TV's Batman & Edward Scissorhands' father/creator).

[@frankmahovlich5099]

Chris, you want more movies with insurance investigators??? Try watching "Double Indemnity"(1944), "The Running Man"(1963), "The Thomas Crown Affair"(1999) and/or, why not go straight to the point with "Insurance Investigator"(1951). And there's more out there.

[@GrinningDwarf]

Great reaction! Thanks! This is a nostalgic movie for me. Back in the 1970s, we didn't even have VCRs. We didn't even have cable TV until almost 1980. All we could watch was whatever was airing, and when it was airing. A local station used to run this around Halloween every year. The building anticipation was a highlight of the season. We never missed it! Great times.

[@gacchan]

These are a classic series of movies. I love all the Abbot and Costello gaffs.

[@gallendugall8913]

Yep, recently watched this myself. Good fun.

[@redviper6805]

Best Abbott and Costello movie. Bela Lugosi’s second and final time playing Dracula

[@bartondonnelly5293]

8:00. Funny you should say ‘the brain of Frankenstein’ because that was the original title if the movie, but they felt it was too serious sounding, so they changed it to what we all know it to be.

[@mwooldridge9155]

Love this movie and the 2 actors. You don't have to swear to be funny. The Time of Their Lives is another great movie with them plus a supernatural tilt to it. I think you would like it. Keep up with the great movies. Love your channel.

[@Nefarioso]

What helped make it especially great is that the monsters played it dead serious. Bela remained true to Dracula; Chaney remained Larry Talbot and the Wolfman.

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

At 18:47 The Monster is played by Lon Chaney Jr because Strange threw Aubert at the glass which didn't break and she bounced back into him. Strange broke his ankle so Chaney was the monster for that redone scene.

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

A lot of this amazing film is psychological horror with a supernatural twist

[@thunderstruck5484]

Hahaha awesome! Grew up on these movies in the 60s! Thanks Chris!

[@thomasoa]

Back then, the actors were signed with the studio, and were often stuck doing the films the studio wanted them to do. It was a bit of an insult to Lugosi and Chaney for Universal to require them to bring their signature characters to this movie. That said, as a kid, who grew up loving Abbott and Costello and monster movies, I was ecstatic every time this movie was on TV.

[@jeffmartin1026]

This film was an attempt to revive the Universal Monster Universe and to help Abbot & Costello, who's act had somewhat fallen from public favor. Vincent Price was in the sequel to The Invisible Man.

[@vincentsaia6545]

A classic movie where an insurance investigator is prominent is THE KILLERS (1946).

[@TimothySmiths]

Glad to see people reacting to this one and enjoying it, I grew up on this film and other of theirs, they used to have weekend marathons of their films . I've owned them on vhs, dvd and now Blu Ray. Other good ones to try is Time Of Their Lives, Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Who Done It?.

[@laurakali6522]

Time of Their Lives is so good. I’m 60 and still remember watching it on random Saturday or Sunday afternoon TV when I was a preteen. I was obsessed with wishing wells after that.

[@reverts3031]

This was fun watching your reaction to this movie!!! It's been one of my favorites for a very long time. Since Vincent Price was uncredited in this movie, check out "The Raven" with Vincent Price, Boris Karloff, Peter Lorre and a very young (and innocent-looking) Jack Nicholson. Takes Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem and adds quite a bit of fantasy! Oh, and it's fun too!

[@d.k.6361]

My greatest favorite movie of all time!! (I can re-live my very long ago childhood).

[@joanward1578]

In the late sixties, after I got home from school, I watched the tv series Dark Shadows, about a vampire and his family in Maine. There were 2 movie spin offs, and Tim Burton made the movie Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp. Something to watch that's not too scary.

[@glen1ster]

20:19--Vincent Price as the Invisible Man.

[@rubensalvador9422]

Insurance investigators can be very tenacious at times. As other commentators have mentioned, the film noir Double Indemnity is a great example. Also either version of the Thomas Crown Affair, though I prefer and enjoy the 1999 version moreso than the '68 one (which is a very good film too).

[@danielchipman8967]

Definitely consider some of the Universal Monster movies. There are a lot, but even if you stick to the bare essentials (Dracula, Frankenstein, Mummy, Bride, Wolfman, Black Lagoon) you’ll have a lot of fun.

[@sasamichan]

Abbott and Costello did multiple "Meet" movies each one a different character Closest equivalent to today, Monster Squat, Scooby Doo, Ernist , Phineas and Ferb, The Chipmonks 1930s and 40s monster movies were like the MCU they set up a bunch of characters then kept crossing them over.

[@creech54]

Gross! Who wants to see the Monster Squat.

[@tomyoung9049]

It's a fun watch for sure 😊. Great reaction. Might add the classic monster movies to your list if you haven't seen them.

[@davidschecter5247]

Absolute classic!

[@moreanimals6889]

Key and Peel meet Freddie and Jason

[@DR-mq1vn]

I love this movie. I have it on DVD. Classic!

[@JWS1313]

You should try watching Abbott and Costello Meet The Killer. It stars the legendary Boris Karloff as well as Vincent Prince in Roger Corman's The Raven if you've not seen those two movies.

[@Davy.J.Y]

This movie is, amazing and very funny . I love it !

[@daannzzz7415]

Murder He Says. 1945. A fun, looney little comedy with a census taker not an insurance investigator. Thanks for the great reaction.

[@creech54]

"Honors Flysis, Income Beezis, Onches Nobis, Inob Keesis."

[@mikehuston3751]

Hello. Good video. I've loved this movie since I was a kid ( a long time ago). There was an old radio show featuring the adventures of an insurance investigator. It was called Yours truly, Johnny Dollar. The man with the action packed expense account. If you like old radio shows, check it out.

[@itt23r]

Loved Abbot and Costello as a kid. But their movies, this one for instance with its inclusion of monsters that are far more silly by today's standards than scary, make them very dated. But if you are interested in comedies that do stand the test of time, you can't do better than the Marx Brothers movies, A NIGHT AT THE OPERA in particular. It is one of the funniest movies ever made in any era and in atching it you'll understand why so many directors adore this movie as it has had enormous influence on virtually every madcap comedy made since. The Farelly Bros. even paid homage to the movie with their 1990's comedy BRAIN DONORS (another comedy worth watching). Recommendation: Skip the Abbot and Costello collection, go back one decade and dig into the Marx brothers like you did Hitchcock, Starting with the two Irving Thalberg collaborations, A NIGHT AT THAT OPERA, A DAY AT THE RACES add their other iconic classic DUCK SOUP and any more you'll be wanting to see thereafter and you'll be addicted and eager to see anything remotely related like BRAIN DONORS to quell your hunger.

[@sherigrow6480]

Another great insurance investigator movie is The Thomas Crown Affair with Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway,

[@buddinganarchist]

I love this movie.

[@thomasn3882]

Give the movie, War of the Gargantuas a watch. You won't sleep with the lights off for several days afterwards.

[@willlyon7129]

You should react to the classic universal monster movies, Dracula, Frankenstein, The Wolfman, Creature from the Black Lagoon, The Mummy, Bride of Frankenstein and The Invisible Man

[@elliotcontreras8540]

Oh man I wish Boris Karloff was nin Abbott and Costello in meet Frankenstein somehow that he played as Frankenstein that would have been really good in the world right now for him to be in it but that might have been somebody else that wanted to play as Frankenstein oh well.

[@darrenshoults4620]

Tried to give a thumbs up but there was a link there too, kept trying to go to the link.

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

Try to watch Who done it ? From 1942 when the team was truly at their peak

[@mattsnyderARTIST]

I used to say this was my favorite A&C film but honestly I laugh more with the A&C Murder Mystery from 1941 Who done it ?

[@lisarainbow9703]

Ch Ch Ch Chiiiick.....pffft....

[@Tardisius]

Big Mistake that not many notice.....when Drac is putting the bite on Sandra U can see him in the Mirror.....=))

[@dandelion1469]

they actually have a bud abbott and lou costello movie called bud abbott and lou costello meet the invisible man actually they have a whole collection of bud abbott and lou costello meet the monsters they have one movie where they meet the mummy and another where they meet doctor jekylle and mr hyde