YOU SHOULD SEE: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

The gang gets spooky. Sort of...

Granted, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) is not categorically a horror film. However, it is a comic horror spoof of fantastically entertaining proportions. The A&C style of WWII spawned humor is the same as in all of their other films (Hold That Ghost, Buck Privates), with Bud Abbott playing the irritable straight man who is somehow always duped by the adorably idiotic Lou Costello. This time, the wrench in their plans for holiday romance-- with two beautiful women who are, of course, both in love with Lou's character-- is perfectly monstrous. Banking on the continuing success of Universal's monster pictures, the boys find themselves stuck in a diabolical plot involving The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula. This, my friends, is the good stuff.

The cast is what makes the film so exquisite-- a truly iconic moment in history. Bela Lugosi gamely put on his Dracula cape for the fist time since his appearance the groundbreaking 1931 classic to play this caper's mastermind, and he performed with the same sinister charm this time while cleverly adding a humorous wink. Lon Chaney, Jr. is back as the Wolf Man, who with his usual overwhelming depression tries to help the good guys out, but is reluctantly mutated every full moon into one of their worst enemies. Sadly, Boris Karloff didn't sign on to play the Monster, whose overly large shoes were instead filled by Glenn Strange. (Boris would regret his not so tactical business decision when it didn't pay off and would go on to join Bud and Lou in both The Killer and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). Even Vincent Price made a cameo of sorts, tough purely vocal, as the Invisible Man. Of course, holding it all together is the ridiculous chemistry of the two leads, whose series of bumbling mistakes somehow foil a plot contrived by the greatest villains in the history of the world. I Heart This.

THE REEL REALS: Evelyn Ankers

Evelyn Ankers

Evelyn Ankers was not blessed with superstardom, but she did all right for herself. In a career that spanned less than 25 years, she was still able to rack up over 60 film and television appearances, her most notorious being-- of course-- in the realm of horror. A fish out of water by nature, Evelyn was born to English parents in Chile. After returning to England, she developed an incurable affliction for theatrics and pursued a career as an actress. While still a teenager, she was performing opposite Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in Fire Over England, though her part was a mere featured role. However, her strange allure as a beautiful woman with intelligence (and tinge of cynicism) made her a natural for movies with a mysterious bent-- dark pictures for thinking viewers. When partnered opposite Lon Chaney, Jr. in The Wolf Man, her career in America would begin in earnest, though she'd managed a role in the Abbott and Costello haunted house spoof Hold That Ghost. After the furry monster cub of the monster club became her onscreen boyfriend, she suddenly became one of the Universal lot's "scream queens," her touching portrayal of the woman falling in love with the man falling under a curse earning her a permanent place in the scary movie rotation. In fact, she would partner with Lon Jr. in several more films, two of which were Ghost of Frankenstein and Son of Dracula.

While these roles may have been limiting talent wise, they provided steady work for Evelyn. Few women have such interesting titles on their resumes: The Mad Ghoul, Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror, The Pearl of Death, The Frozen Ghost, Captive Wild Woman, Weird Woman, Jungle Woman... (Perhaps that Whitney Houston song was written for her)??? Apparently, a schlocky horror film didn't seem legit during the hey day of the genre unless this heady damsel in distress was involved. That was part of Evelyn's charm, however. She was smart. She may have had some fainting spells, bit her fist, and screamed bloody murder, but when these token mannerisms were partnered with her direct acting style and genuinely down to earth persona, it made her fear seem more genuine. When the weak little girls in tight sweaters screamed, they evoked eye roles. When Evelyn screamed, it was like, "Oh sh*t... This is serious..." Sadly, her career lost momentum when horror temporarily lost its luster, and the thanklessness of the industry soon sent her into early retirement. After a small slew of pictures, Evelyn spent the majority of her remaining days with her soul mate, husband Richard Denning, before succumbing to ovarian cancer at the age of 67. Today's horror films miss strong, competent women like herself. Evelyn didn't need to run topless through the smog to keep an audience fixated on her. All she needed was her throat.

THE REEL REALS: Bud Abbott

William "Bud" Abbott

William "Bud" Abbott will forever be remembered as half of the comedy duo "Abbott and Costello," whose partnership of slapstick absurdity kept America laughing through the second World War. Bud is often rated lower on the hilarity totem than his partner Lou Costello-- the bashful, ignorant, lovable clown in their many collaborations-- but Bud was just as essential to their wisecracks. As Lou himself would say, a good straight man is hard to find. 

Abbotts's exceptional timing and tyrannical love taps acted as the engineers of Lou's out of control mug train. As a circus kid, Bud learned early all about entertaining the crowd, and he transitioned easily to both performing and producing burlesque and vaudeville shows before he teamed up with his serendipitous partner on the silver screen to made history. Stylish, loud, and annoyed with the charlatans surrounding him, Bud represented the exaggeration of the everyman-- just trying to stay sane in a world filled with fools. Along with his delightful play on words ("Who's on first"), Bud's comic reactions to Lou's mistakes, guffaws, and random acts of crazy were true tokens of his brilliantly instinctual approach to his craft. Lou stepping into a bucket in Hold that Ghost is funny, but Bud putting his ashamed face in his hand is funnier. 

The Abbott & Costello duo brought merriment and mayhem to cinema in One Night in the Tropics, but it was Buck Privates that would put the real fire under their career, and their monster movies would make them legendary. Over the years, the duo "met" Frankenstein, Dracula, the Wolfman, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, the Murderer, the Invisible Man, etc, and as such, worked consistently through the mid-fifties. As times changed, their style of comedy began to stale. In addition, Bud and Lou's hot and cold relationship reached a boiling point that ended their partnership. Initially, Lou had insisted that Bud receive the bulk end of a 60/40 cut; later this was altered to 50/50. Then, Lou wanted the marquee to read "Costello and Abbott." In addition, Bud's epilepsy, only exacerbated by his enthusiastic drinking, started effecting his life and livelihood. His gambling debts would result in him having to sell his properties and start from scratch, which he tried to do with a new partner, Candy Candido. But, his failing health would impede his hoped for comeback. He openly admitted that there would never be anyone as good with him as Lou. 

In contrast to his testy character, Bud was a fun-loving, life of the party fellow who spent a little too much of his juice trying to outrun his demons. He succumbed to prostate cancer after suffering at least two strokes at the age of 78. However, as a performer, he knew that with or without him, "the show must go on."