Universal's Biggest Monster Movie Crossover Happened In A 76-Year-Old Comedy Movie

Universal's biggest horror crossover happened in a comedy from all the way back in 1948. 76 years ago, audiences were treated to yet another entry in a long-running series of films starring Universal's go-to comedic duo, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. But as the title implies, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein wasn't just another vehicle for the two actors; it was also an avenue for several horror icons to make an exciting return to the big screen.

During the 1940s, Universal tapped into an interest in the possibility of their monster villains crossing paths with each other. Rather than keep creatures like Count Dracula, Frankenstein's Monster, and the Wolf Man confined to their respective franchises, Universal started mixing them up, making movies like Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man. In terms of box office revenue, this was a working strategy for the studio. This paved the way for it to go even further with the concept, gathering a handful of creatures from Universal's monster movies for a horror-themed adventure.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Combined 4 Of Its Horror Icons

The 1948 Movie Was A True Monster Crossover

In terms of scale, Universal topped Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man when it produced two sequels, House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula. Both featured the same two monsters, but added Dracula to the equation. Taking a page from the two crossovers, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein reunited all three creatures a third time, and then enlarged the cast of monsters once more with a voice cameo from the Invisible Man. Like each creature in the main trio of monsters, the Invisible Man is the headlining attraction of his own movie series.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein only touched on the comedic potential of the two meeting the Invisible Man character. However, it served as the focus of 1951's Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man.

The 1944 horror comedy pulled this off by drawing Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's characters - Wilbur and Chick - into the orbit of Dracula. The two wind up in his castle, where the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster are also on hand, each for different reasons. The misadventures of the two characters naturally results in some chase scenes and scares where they have encounters with all three members of Universal's monster triumvirate, who ultimately converge at the end of the film in true crossover fashion.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Honored The Monsters' Roots

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Included The Definitive Versions Of 2 Monsters

It's important to note that the monsters in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein aren't just monstrous villains bearing the names and likenesses of three horror legends. Instead, it used actors already associated with the characters. Vincent Price, who played the Invisible Man in the 1944 reboot, The Invisible Man Returns, is the actor who performed the character's voice work. As for Frankenstein's Monster, he was portrayed by Glenn Strange, the same actor who played the monster in House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula.

In contrast to its decision to bring back the most recent Frankenstein's Monster actor, Universal opted for the original Dracula. Despite the fame he achieved for playing the Prince of Darkness in the 1931 film, Lugosi didn't play the character again until Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein. This movie featuring Lugosi's second and last appearance as Dracula gives it an important place in horror movie history. Lugosi's casting in particular also legitimizes its take on Dracula; comedy or not, Abbott & Costello included what was arguably the definitive version of Dracula at the time, which is exactly what a proper crossover needs in order for it to work.

The actors it cast for the monsters proved its intent on making sure audiences saw these creatures as the "real" Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's Monster.

To the same end, Lon Chaney, Jr., who had played Larry Talbot a.k.a. The Wolf Man in all four of the monster's prior appearances, was brought back to reprise the role. Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein being his last time in the role makes it all the more special. All things considered, the actors it cast for the monsters proved its intent on making sure audiences saw these creatures as the "real" Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's Monster.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Was The Best Of Universal's Monster Movie Crossovers

Its Humor Didn't Stain The Legacies Of Universal's Monsters, Who Remained Scary

In a sense, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein succeeded in honoring the "crossover" aspect of the movie in a way that its two predecessors didn't. House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula were memorable in their own right, but were really just movies that featured all three monsters; Abbott and Costello's movie was the only one of the three to work them into a single narrative. In House of Frankenstein, for instance, Dracula never meets the Wolf Man or Frankenstein's Monster. Likewise, House of Dracula doesn't revive Frankenstein's Monster until after Dracula's death.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein wisely avoids the missteps, neatly intertwining the three monsters' stories: Count Dracula wants a brain for Frankenstein's Monster, and the human alter ego of the Wolf Man is intent on destroying both monsters. Their goals eventually intersect, allowing Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein to engineer a final showdown between the characters, including a Wolf Man vs. Dracula fight. Admittedly, such an ending shouldn't be expected of a crossover with that kind of lineup, but even though it was shared by House of Dracula and House of Frankenstein, only the 1948 film delivered on that.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein Was Almost An Even Bigger Horror Movie Crossover

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As if the Wolf Man, Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster weren't enough for the film, there was almost a situation where it incorporated two additional creatures from its library (plus a more substantial role for the Invisible Man). According to the 1981 book, It's Alive! The Classic Cinema Saga of Frankenstein, Universal had a script prepared that would have brought back Kharis a.k.a. The Mummy. Including the Mummy would have been massive for the film, considering that Kharis is the fourth tentpole of Universal's monster movie universe.

Although Kharis didn't appear Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein, the comedy duo did cross paths with him eventually. Kharis appeared as the villain in 1955's Abbott & Costello Meet the Mummy.

The original script also called for an appearance from Count Alucard, a version of Dracula introduced in Son of Dracula. Why that didn't happen is unclear, but his exclusion could possibly be attributed to a couple of factors, one of which being the presence of Bela Lugosi's Dracula. It's hard to imagine two interpretations of Dracula occupying the same movie. There's also the matter of Alucard being played by Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein's Wolf Man actor Lon Chaney, Jr. in Son of Dracula. Theoretically, he could have been recast, but then he wouldn't be a recognizable character like the other monsters.