Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Director: Charles Barton
Year Released: 1948
Rating: 1.5

I'm not exactly sure why this has persevered as a comedy classic, when even the lowliest Hope and Crosby Road movie is considerably funnier and more creative. Perhaps it's because I don't really care for Lou Costello's infantile sounds and gestures or Bud Abbott's perpetual grouchiness - I'd rather go with zippy one-liners, droll wit or elaborate physical gags (which you can find in the best Marx Brothers pictures). Most of the humor here consists of Costello (1.) pretending he doesn't see one of the three monsters (Frankenstein, Dracula or the Wolf Man) lurking around the room, (2.) slowly finding his way closer to them before (3.) noticing the creature and then (4.) running away and screaming for Abbott, who (5.) doesn't see a thing. And so on.