The statement “they don’t make them like they used to” has been worn out to the point of exhaustion, but there are some occasions when even the most forward-thinking of viewers see a film and are struck by the realization that we may never see something quite like that ever again, which is both a beautiful and daunting process. It has been over 75 years since Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein – in which the titular pairing of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello teamed up on the screen for their 22nd collaboration – but yet every time someone watches it, the same discussion is inevitably had: this is a near-perfect film and one that represents an era in Hollywood history that is not likely to ever see replicated, despite constant attempts to revisit the same kind of style and storyline that made their work so exceptional. Here, they are Wilbur and Chick, a pair of down-on-their-luck baggage clerks who inadvertently get plunged into a sinister plot that features Count Dracula travelling to Florida, accompanied by Frankenstein’s Monster, who he intends to reanimate as soon as he finds a perfect candidate to donate their brain, which proves to be quite an easy decision to make once he meets our eccentric heroes, who remain oblivious to the reality of the situation until it is much too late, and they have to scramble to get out of this precarious position or risk having their lives cut short in the most hilarious way imaginable. Directed by Charles Barton, who went through quite an ordeal to make this film (since not only was the production somewhat difficult, but the two stars were very agnostic to the merits of the script, which was arguably not an easy idea to market), but who carefully and methodically pieces together various outrageously funny fragments, creating a comedy that remains one of the most entertaining and compelling of its entire era, and one that continues to be revisited by subsequent generations, earning legions of new devotees who are driven to the irrepressible humour and heart that anchors so many of their films, with this being arguably their definitive masterpiece.

The fact that Abbott and Costello were not initially receptive to the premise of this film is not difficult to understand – based on a cursory glance, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein contains an objectively difficult concept to sell, and the screenwriting trio of Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo and John Grant (the latter a frequent collaborator of the central duo) had quite a challenge ahead of them when it came to trying to convince not only the stars, but the studio, to make this film. At the time, comedy and horror were mostly kept separate – there were horror films with comedic touches and comedies that had spooky elements, but they had very rarely encountered one another in a way that seemed to draw equally from both, which is one of the reasons it was a tough subject to sell. Yet, under Barton’s exceptional direction (and his participation bringing some comfort to the stars, who ultimately agreed to make the film), it becomes spellbinding in both concept and execution. Despite being two entirely different genres that share very little in common, horror and comedy tend to be quite interesting bedfellows when they collide, which proves that there are certain qualities shared between them. Most of all, we find that they are both aimed at eliciting quite a clear reaction and when you look at it both psychologically and biologically, there isn’t much separating a scream from a chuckle, which is the precise element that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein aim to exploit as it tells this delightfully dastardly story that draws inspirations from decades of work in both genres, which are blended to create an captivating romp through an alternative version of reality. Barton was extremely experienced, and considering he had done work as both an actor and director, he had a good command over all the necessary elements of this film, being able to pluck certain traits from the two overarching genres and implement them creatively into the fabric of the film, which proves to be very effective and genuinely quite compelling.

Film history is filled with so many comedic pairings, that choosing the best of them is nearly impossible. My usual approach is to look at them by era – Laurel and Hardy dominated the 1930s, while Lewis and Martin were a force to be reckoned with in the 1950s. Squarely in between them (and many others) are Abbott and Costello, two of the funniest individuals to ever work in the medium, and actors who have more than proven their exceptional skills, to the point where anything they do is going to immediately be worth watching solely because of the effort they put in, and how they play off one another. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is their crowning achievement for several reasons – it serves as a fantastic showcase for both of them and demonstrates their remarkable chemistry, especially since they essentially function as opposites, having perfected the art of the goofball vs. straight-man trope that has been so often imitated, but never replicated to even a kilometre of their radical success. It’s incredible to see these two comedians at the very peak of their skills, and watching them is akin to seeing the greatest athletes at their prime – and the physicality of this film is also nothing to underestimate either. They’re joined by a few other familiar faces, mainly borrowed from Universal to bank on the astonishing success of their monster movies that had proven to be beyond iconic for audiences at the time. Bela Lugosi returns as Count Dracula, while Lon Chaney Jr. is a very sympathetic Wolfman who is the catalyst for most of the events of this film. Glenn Strange (who had taken over the role of Frankenstein’s Monster from Boris Karloff a few years prior) is also present and is doing his best approximation of Karloff’s iconic character. New additions such as Lenore Aubert, Frank Ferguson and Jane Randolph are also quite exceptional, and contribute to a film that is masterfully constructed and genuinely quite enticing based on the hilarious work being done by these actors – and all of them prove to be more than capable of crossing over genre boundaries, with Abbott and Costello showing their prowess for horror, while Lugosi, Chaney and Strange are more than brilliant when it comes to the humour of this film.

Something else that keeps Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in the conversation as far as its comedic mettle goes is how inventive it feels, to the point where it is surprising such a film was made in the 1940s, since so much of it feels thoroughly inventive and daring, in a way that has surprised many audiences, who enter into this film expecting a charming but otherwise dated comedy, when in reality when we get is a zany, off-the-wall masterpiece that feels sincerely contemporary in terms of its humour and narrative approach. A large part of this is due to the structure – as mentioned above, horror and comedy may work together well, but it takes a lot of effort to ensure that they mesh since you cannot simply throw them together and hope for the best. This kind of film requires a lot more work in terms of how the plot unfolds, and we find that Barton (who very few people consider to be an auteur, despite having the skill that would easily allow him to be defined as such) creating quite an inventive work, taking this entertaining screenplay and using it as the foundation for something genuinely innovative. The film starts as a broad comedy, with only slight undertones of something sinister lurking. This extends to the centrepiece scene in which the two protagonists are thrown into the heart of this story, after which point the terror begins to unravel and we find that it slowly takes over, becoming increasingly more unsettling while still not losing the spark of comedic ingenuity that persists throughout. It also helps that the film doesn’t use generic monsters as the villains, but rather utilizes the iconic characters that Universal saw as their most valuable commodity – it creates a cinematic universe long before such a term was even in vogue, which is very creatively implemented into nearly every frame of this delightfully irreverent dark comedy that is as daring as it is incredibly odd. Outside of the clear visual cues (which are undeniably beautiful – the entire third act, which takes place on an island off the coast of the Florida mainland – is truly stunning), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a film that has not aged at all, in terms of both its humour and narrative innovation, both of which are very effectively demonstrated throughout this delightfully odd masterwork.

There is certainly an argument that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein could be the greatest comedy ever made – and even if you may not agree with such an extreme (but relevant) opinion, it is clear that this is about as close to perfection as such a film can get, with its nuanced humour mixing with some genuine frights to create a truly euphoric experience. For decades after this film (and many of their other works – including several that attempted to replicate the success of having these eccentric protagonists come into contact with other iconic horror characters), there have been artists who have fervently tried to recreate the magic of this film – and while their efforts are certainly nothing if not wholeheartedly admirable, there’s an elusive quality that features in this film that we find very rarely can be replicated authentically. The spark of chaos, the blend of genres and the overall narrative approach all work in tandem to highlight the exceptional gifts of its two leads and the rest of the supporting cast, showing their remarkable skills and their penchant for challenging the seemingly well-defined borders of the medium. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein is a revolutionary work, a statement that is said without even an ounce of hyperbole – there’s something so extraordinary about the experience of watching this film unfold and become such an enticing piece of storytelling that we cannot help but embrace, and the fact that it has shown very little sign of ageing (in fact, it’s more hilarious today than it was back then since we can more clearly spot the creative attempts to hide the bawdy humour, and the innuendos embedded in the film being more obvious to contemporary audiences) makes it a perfect piece of media that captures the zeitgeist of a previous era, and translates it flawlessly for the enjoyment and thrill of future generations, who continue to hold this masterpiece in the highest esteem.