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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:53 am Post subject: |
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I found a few nice trivia items on IMDB. The first two items are related, so I put them together.
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The scene in which Wilbur (Lou Costello) is unknowingly sitting on the lap of Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange) required multiple takes. The scene allowed Costello to improvise wildly, which caused Strange to constantly break up laughing during the takes.
When Wilbur (Lou Costello) sits on the lap of the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange) in the basement of Dracula's castle, you can see that, when Wilbur has seen the Monster and he is sliding down his lap, the Monster is almost smiling. This is because Costello was ad-libbing different reactions to meeting the Monster in the basement and Strange would start laughing.
Note from me: A pity that these shots weren't preserved. We'd all like to see them.
Bobby Barber was employed for the film as a "court jester". It was his job to keep the energy level up through a series of practical jokes and deliberately blown takes. Often when Lou Costello expected Lon Chaney Jr. to come through the door, Barber would run in wearing a hat and cape and immediately run back out. Bela Lugosi enjoyed Barber's antics as long as he was not the victim. On one particular occasion while filming a scene in which the solemn and sinister Dracula descends a staircase, he was followed by Barber, who imitated his every move. After the cast and crew burst into laughter Lugosi glared at Barber and yelled in his thick Hungarian accent, "We should not be playing while we are working!" and then stormed off the set.
Note from me: And these outtakes would also be wonderful to see!
Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948) was shooting near this movie on the lot. Tourists were shocked to see Glenn Strange's Frankenstein Monster having lunch with Ann Blyth in her fishtail costume. Both Strange and Lon Chaney Jr. in his Wolfman make-up were invited to the "Mr. Peabody" wrap party, where they hammed it up in make-up.
Note from me: "Coming soon to a theater nears you! Frankenstein Meets and Mermaid . . . for Lunch!"
Glenn Strange was playing the Frankenstein monster, but during shooting one day he tripped over a camera cable and broke his ankle. Lon Chaney Jr. (playing the Wolf Man) wasn't working that day, so he put on the Frankenstein makeup/outfit and filled in for Strange, in the scene where Dr. Mornay gets thrown through the window. So Chaney wound up playing two monsters in this movie.
Note from me: As I stated in a post above, I've always thought it would be cool if the Frankenstein monster had been turned into a werewolf by a bite he received in the fight during Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.
Then the next movie could have been Frankenstein IS the Wolfman ??? and Chaney could play both monsters in that one. too!
As it turns out, that actually (sort of) happened in the scene from THIS movie!
During the final chase scene, when Wilbur and Chick are standing in front of a door and the Frankenstein monster punches through it, Lou Costello deliberately went off his mark and got hit on the jaw. Director Charles Barton liked his reaction, so he decided to keep it in the film.
Note from me: Abbott and Costello never shied away from anything that provided a good "punch line"! (Ouch . . . sorry! ) _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Pow Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3479 Location: New York
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Posted: Sun Jun 04, 2017 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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Frankey dumps Drac!
I love how while the Frankenstein Monster battles with Bud & Lou, or should I say Chick & Wilbur, in the castle hallway, the monster ignores his master, Count Dracula, who is himself fighting the Wolf Man in the same area.
You'd think that given the monster's last encounter with the Wolf Man in Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman that the monster might give up on Bud & Lou & go after Talbot?
Actually I get why the monster payed no attention to Dracula's predicament. Once restored to his full power the monster felt he owed no loyalty to anyone.
In fact, he might have gone after the Count himself.
Last edited by Pow on Sat Oct 15, 2022 12:41 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Jun 05, 2017 9:06 am Post subject: |
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It's been a while since I've seen this great movie, and I'd forgotten about the double battle in the climax until you mentioned it. The battle is an amazing example of comedy/action.
The show-stopping scene that I've always loved is when Dracula tries to escape by turning into a bat and flying off a balcony. The Wolf Man dives over the stone handrail, grabs the bat's wings, and plummets to the ocean below!
Amazing! _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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Gord Green Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 06 Oct 2014 Posts: 2945 Location: Buffalo, NY
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2017 6:40 pm Post subject: |
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DailyMotion has a nice download of Abott and Costello Meet Frankenstein!
Bulldogtrekker and I are planning to watch it tomorrow evening, on Halloween, in the chat room starting at 6:30 pm EASTERN STANDARD TIME.
Hopefully a few other folks will join us. Here's the link to the chat room.
All Sci-Fi's Chatzy room
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___________________ A&C Meet Frankenstein
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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Mar 17, 2020 2:04 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Pow Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3479 Location: New York
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2017 2:31 pm Post subject: |
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Just saw this wonderful film last week on MeTV's Svengoolie show.
I love how they really pack in plenty of monster scenes. We see my fave,the Wolf-Man transform in London,in his apartment room in the America,in the woods at the masquerade ball,& the finale in the castle.
Count Dracula does the fantastic looking transformation via animation into/from a giant bat 4 times.
So many comedy/horror movies think that they are clever by holding the majority of the film back from the horror scenes.
"Ghost Breakers"is a entertaining movie with Bob Hope but the characters don't reach the island castle until the last 20-minutes of the film.
Martin & Lewis remade "GB"with their "Scared Stiff'' & repeated the exact same deal of reaching the island in the very last scenes of the movie.
With Abbott & Costello they jump right in & keep the pace moving. That's how it should be done. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Your comment reminded me why I dislike the way horror movies have gone from "scary in a fun way" to "scary in a deeply disturbing way".
There was a line they never crossed in the classics, the line between offering scary situations that were frightening in the darkened movie theater (but easy to shake off in the light of day), and scary situations that troubled the viewer for days afterwards.
After horror became truly horrific in the 1960s and beyond, people grew up watching the disturbing films that crossed that line, and eventually they became so hardened to the suffering of fictional characters that even the comedy in films would routinely use cruel situations as humor!
Going back to your comment, Pow, we grew up in a kinder era when mildly scary moments in a movie needed to be balanced with a bit of humor, thereby making the movie enjoyable . . . instead of unpleasant.
Sadly, those days are gone now. _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1872
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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Bud Brewster wrote: | There was a line they never crossed in the classics, the line between offering scary situations that were frightening in the darkened movie theater (but easy to shake off in the light of day), and scary situations that troubled the viewer for days afterwards. |
For me that line was crossed with The Exorcist (1973). _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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orzel-w wrote: | For me that line was crossed with The Exorcist (1973). |
By gum, I actually thought of The Exorcists while writing my post above.
Even though I've never watched it! _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958) |
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orzel-w Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 19 Sep 2014 Posts: 1872
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Posted: Wed Nov 29, 2017 5:53 pm Post subject: |
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That "frightening in the darkened movie theater (but easy to shake off in the light of day)" effect you mentioned was the same way I thought of "scary" movies until The Exorcist. I was still unsettled the next day in full daylight. _________________ ...or not...
WayneO
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Pow Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3479 Location: New York
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Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2018 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Always found it interesting that in the wild finale we see Bud & Lou battling (more like running away from) the Monster, while at the same time the Wolf Man battles Count Dracula.
The monster must have seen Dracula in trouble when they were all in the castle's hallways, yet he never goes to help him out. He ditches Drac! |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:10 am Post subject: |
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Interesting point. Does the Frankenstein monster obey Dracula because he's loyal to him, or just because he's given hypnotic commands by the evil count? _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Mar 24, 2018 8:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Pow Galactic Ambassador
Joined: 27 Sep 2014 Posts: 3479 Location: New York
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 1:28 pm Post subject: |
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Trivia } Original title was ''The Brain Of Frankenstein.''
Budgeted at $759,524, final cost was $792,270. It was Universal's second least expensive picture that year.
Glenn Strange fractured his ankle on the set. When the monster throws Dr. Mornay out of the laboratory window the stunt went wrong.
The window frame failed to break away, which sent the stunt woman flying back to Glenn & knocking him down.
Lon Chaney donned the make-up for the monster & it is he who does the scene where Mornay is thrown through the window.
The ''Moving Candle Gag'' used in the movie was first done by Lou in their earlier haunted house film "Hold That Ghost.''
Costello originally did not want to do the scene where he sits on the monster's lap by accident.
In the scene where the monster smashes his fist through the door with Abbott & Costello on the other side, Lou really did get hit in the nose by Glenn. Lou was off his mark & not standing exactly where he should have been.
Fans all note the scene where Count Dracula is biting Dr. Mornay on the neck & we can see the vampire's reflection in the mirror. |
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Bud Brewster Galactic Fleet Admiral (site admin)
Joined: 14 Dec 2013 Posts: 17174 Location: North Carolina
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Posted: Mon Oct 21, 2019 9:17 am Post subject: |
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Pow wrote: | I wonder if instead of doing these classic horror characters, Universal should have had Abbott & Costello meet up with them all together in one picture as they had done with A&CMF? Of course at the heart of it they would require a strong script. |
Coming soon to a theater or drive-in near you! Don't miss —
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolf Man, the Invisible Man, the Mummy, the Creature from the Black Lagoon, the Phantom of the Opera, the Metaluna Mutant, Tarantula, the Deadly Mantis, the Incredible Shrinking Man, and the Monolith Monsters! _________________ ____________
Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)
Last edited by Bud Brewster on Tue Mar 17, 2020 2:08 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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