Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
Theatrical release poster
Directed byCharles Barton
Screenplay by
Produced byRobert Arthur
Starring
CinematographyCharles Van Enger
Edited byFrank Gross
Music byFrank Skinner
Production
companies
Universal-International Pictures Co., Inc.
Distributed byUniversal Pictures
Release date
  • June 1948 (1948-06)
Running time
82 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$792,270
Box office$3.2 million

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a 1948 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Barton. The film features Count Dracula (Bela Lugosi), who has partnered with Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert) in order to find a brain to reactivate Frankenstein's monster (Glenn Strange), and they find Wilbur Grey (Lou Costello), the ideal candidate.

The film was developed and production started with misgivings by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who disliked the script. Barton faced difficulty during the production of the film, with Abbott and Costello often absent from the set. However, the film was successful at the box office and became one of Universal's top films of the year. Several follow-up films ensued involving Abbott and Costello meeting other horror film actors and monsters. The film was mostly well received by critics on its release and in 2001, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry; it also placed at number 56 on the list of the American Film Institute's 100 Funniest American Movies.