#Jane Aubert

[tanambogo2113]

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein 1948

Bela Lugosi almost didn't appear in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein because the studio thought he was dead.

[tparadox]

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Yesterday's Movies meets Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

[huntsvillehq]

on october 31st, it started as a rumble: a low sound deep within the earth. the telephone poles and street signs began to sway. the ground shifted and opened up: a jagged split down the middle of main street, three feet wide and fifty feet long, revealing a black void beneath.

buildings cracked and crumbled. the huntsville bank lost a third of it's structure; the shelves in the library toppled and crashed into each other; pete's garage collapsed completely; the playground in the park slid to an angle.

the earthquake destroyed all the booths and stalls for the festival. a fire broke out in one of the haunted houses. a pipe burst, spraying the street with water. destruction and devastation reigned down upon main street.

it lasted a total of five minutes before the ground and dust settled and people were able to take stock of what just happened. Mayor Natasha rounded up the police and fire departments, sending them on a search and rescue to ensure everyone was recovered in some form or another and to put out the fires and check that every door with a protection rune remained intact.

shock and horror gained traction over the course of the next several hours, as reports came in. three individuals were killed and dozens were injured. Sunflower Parsons was declared missing, as her body was not recovered and no one could remember where they saw her last.

the list of deaths were posted the next morning: Minnie Garcia, Sammie Thompson, and Zoë Clark.

(below the cut are the people who were injured in alphabetical order. the muns can determine how severe the injuries are, up to and including loss of limb/disability. due to the nature of the disaster, those not listed can still have minor cuts and bruises. the event concludes on nov 11th, at which time no new event threads may be posted and we catch up to the ooc present. you will still be allowed to continue event threads until completion.)

Alessandra Nuwa Chen

Alexa Cruz-Dutton (10)

Andrew Richardson

Andy Flowers

Avery Cowling

Bowie Bardot

Briana Ryan

Calloway de la Luna

Claire Forbes

Cain Barlowe

Daishiro Takahashi

Daisy Theirry

DJ Cruz-Dutton

Domino Otto

Eagan Connolly

Edgar Wayne

Eldon Harcourt

Emma “Em” Dunford

Falco Romero

Halley MacGillivray

James Goldstein

Jane Doe

Jay Romero-Sawyer (15)

Jerico Leeds

Katarina “Rini” Roberts

Liam Jefferson

Lin Xiu

Mallard “Duck” Romero

Mylene “Myles” Karimi

Natalie Gray

Penelope “Penny” Lane

Peter “Rusty” Craven

Saffron Aubert

Salem Salazar

Sandra Quispe

Scout Garcia

Sicilia “Lia” Flowers

Spencer Holmes

Reggie Alson

Ricardo “Ric” Reider

Rosemary Felton

Valeria “Val” Moreno

Victoire “Vic” Dubois

Ward Langston

Wolf Lykaios

[brookston]

Holidays 12.13

Holidays

Acadian Remembrance Day (Canada)

Anesthesia Technicians Day (Turkey)

Bicycle Built For Two Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Clip-On Tie Day

Count the "La's" in "Deck the Halls" Day

Ella Josephine Baker Day

International ACAB Day

Jane Addams Day

Jum ir-Repubblika (Malta)

Loki Day

Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day (Poland)

Nanking Massacre Memorial Day (China)

National Bring Your Brother-in-Law to Work Day

National Day (Saint Lucia)

National Day of the Horse [also 2nd Saturday]

National Guard Day (US)

National Violin Day

New Calendar Day

Nusantara Day (Indonesia)

Peace Day (Korea)

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day

Reed Plant Dat (French Republic)

Republic Day (Malta)

Sailor’s Day (Brazil)

Santa Lucia Day (Sweden, Scandinavia)

Skip Day

Swiftie Day

Unreturned Library Book Day

World Violins Day

Yuletide Lad #2 arrives (Giljagaur or Gully Oaf; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Ice Cream and Violins Day

National Cocoa Day

National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

National Ice Cream Day

National Popcorn String Day

World Raclette Day

2nd Wednesday in December

Book Club Day [2nd Wednesday]

Independence Days

Vendsyssel (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Antiochus of Sulcis (Christian; Saint)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Comp-U-Coffee 2000 (Muppetism)

Emily Carr (Artology)

Euler (Positivist; Saint)

Feast of the Light-Bringer (Old Swedish Goddess of Light)

Hanukkah Day #6 (Judaism) [thru Dec. 15th]

Herman of Alaska (American Orthodox Church)

Ides of December (Ancient Rome)

John Marinoni (Christian; Blessed)

John Wayne Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Judoc (a.k.a. Joyce; Christian; Saint)

Kenelm, King (Christian; Saint)

Larry Storch Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Losar (Ladakh, India)

Losoong (a.k.a. Namsoong; Sikkim, India)

Luciadagen (a.k.a. Little Yule; Scandinavia)

Lucia’s Day (Pagan)

Lucy (Christian; Saint) [Writers]

Monkey Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Odile of Alsace (Christian; Saint)

Othilia (Christian; Saint)

The Sementivaem (Ancient Rome)

Tellus (Ancient Rome, with table spread for Ceres)

Thorn Cutting Ceremony Day (Glastonbury, England; Celtic)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Martes (Unlucky Tuesday; Spanish culture) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Prime Number Day: 347 [69 of 72]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Premieres

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot (Web Series; 2016)

American Hustle (Film; 2013)

An American in Paris, by George Gershwin (Broadway Musical; 1928)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney Film; 1971)

Beyoncé, by Beyoncé (Album; 2013)

Bugsy (Film; 1991)

A Chorus Line (Film; 1985)

Clue (Film; 1985)

Dark Star, performed by the Grateful Dead (Song; 1967)

Driving Miss Daisy (Film; 1989)

Emily of New Moon, by L.M. Montgomery (Novel; 1923)

Fool Coverage (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Foxy Lady, recorded by Jimi Hendrix (Song; 1966)

The Getaway (Film; 1972)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Film; 2013) [3 of 3]

Jerry Maguire (Film; 1996)

The Jewel of the Nile (Film; 1985)

Jumanji: The Next Level (Film; 2019)

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Animated Film; 2024)

Maid in Manhattan (Film; 2002)

Mars Attacks! (Film; 1996)

A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (Animated TV Special; 2008)

Monitored Noose or The Carbon Copy-Cats (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 6; 1959)

My Name is Nobody (Film; 1973)

The Poseidon Adventure (Film; 1972)

Rakuen Tsuiho: Expelled from Paradise (Anime Film; 2014)

Richard III (Film; 1955)

Saving Mr. Banks (Film; 2013)

Scooby-Doo! Pirates ahoy! (WB Animated Film; 2005)

The Scorched Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 5; 1959)

Sense and Sensibility (Film; 1996)

6 Underground (Film; 2019)

Star Trek: Nemesis (Film; 2002)

Tristessa, by Jack Kerouac (Novel; 1960)

Uncut Gems (Film; 2019)

Wind (Pixar Cartoon; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Jodok, Lucia, Odilia (Austria)

Jasna, Lucija, Otilija, Svjetlana (Croatia)

Lucie (Czech Republic)

Lucia (Denmark)

Ele, Ere, Hele, Loviise, Lucia, Luise, Viise (Estonia)

Seija (Finland)

Jocelyn, Lucie (France)

Jodok, Johanna, Lucia, Ottilia (Germany)

Aris, Efstratios, Ioubenalios, Evstratios, Loukia, Lucy, Stratos (Greece)

Luca, Otilia (Hungary)

Antioco, Lucia (Italy)

Lūcija, Veldze (Latvia)

Eiviltė, Kastautas, Kastytis, Liucija, Otilija (Lithuania)

Lucia, Lydia (Norway)

Łucja, Lucja, Otylia, Włodzisława (Poland)

Dosoftei (Romania)

Lucia (Slovakia)

Lucía, Otilia (Spain)

Lucia (Sweden)

Louise, Lucia, Lukia (Ukraine)

Cinderella, Cindy, Cynth, Cynthia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 347 of 2024; 18 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 50 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 1 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 1 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 30 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 17 Zima; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 30 November 2023

Moon: 1%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 11 Bichat (13th Month) [Euler]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 81 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 22 of 30)

Calendar Changes

冰月 [Bīngyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 12 of 12] (Ice Month) [Earthly Branch: Ox Month] (End-of-Year Month)

Ṭēḇēṯ (a.k.a. Tevet, Tebeth & Tebetu) [טֵבֵת] (Hebrew Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.13

Holidays

Acadian Remembrance Day (Canada)

Anesthesia Technicians Day (Turkey)

Bicycle Built For Two Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Clip-On Tie Day

Count the "La's" in "Deck the Halls" Day

Ella Josephine Baker Day

International ACAB Day

Jane Addams Day

Jum ir-Repubblika (Malta)

Loki Day

Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day (Poland)

Nanking Massacre Memorial Day (China)

National Bring Your Brother-in-Law to Work Day

National Day (Saint Lucia)

National Day of the Horse [also 2nd Saturday]

National Guard Day (US)

National Violin Day

New Calendar Day

Nusantara Day (Indonesia)

Peace Day (Korea)

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day

Reed Plant Dat (French Republic)

Republic Day (Malta)

Sailor’s Day (Brazil)

Santa Lucia Day (Sweden, Scandinavia)

Skip Day

Swiftie Day

Unreturned Library Book Day

World Violins Day

Yuletide Lad #2 arrives (Giljagaur or Gully Oaf; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Ice Cream and Violins Day

National Cocoa Day

National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

National Ice Cream Day

National Popcorn String Day

World Raclette Day

2nd Wednesday in December

Book Club Day [2nd Wednesday]

Independence Days

Vendsyssel (Declared; 2018) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Antiochus of Sulcis (Christian; Saint)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Comp-U-Coffee 2000 (Muppetism)

Emily Carr (Artology)

Euler (Positivist; Saint)

Feast of the Light-Bringer (Old Swedish Goddess of Light)

Hanukkah Day #6 (Judaism) [thru Dec. 15th]

Herman of Alaska (American Orthodox Church)

Ides of December (Ancient Rome)

John Marinoni (Christian; Blessed)

John Wayne Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Judoc (a.k.a. Joyce; Christian; Saint)

Kenelm, King (Christian; Saint)

Larry Storch Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Losar (Ladakh, India)

Losoong (a.k.a. Namsoong; Sikkim, India)

Luciadagen (a.k.a. Little Yule; Scandinavia)

Lucia’s Day (Pagan)

Lucy (Christian; Saint) [Writers]

Monkey Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Odile of Alsace (Christian; Saint)

Othilia (Christian; Saint)

The Sementivaem (Ancient Rome)

Tellus (Ancient Rome, with table spread for Ceres)

Thorn Cutting Ceremony Day (Glastonbury, England; Celtic)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Martes (Unlucky Tuesday; Spanish culture) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Prime Number Day: 347 [69 of 72]

Taian (大安 Japan) [Lucky all day.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Premieres

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.: Slingshot (Web Series; 2016)

American Hustle (Film; 2013)

An American in Paris, by George Gershwin (Broadway Musical; 1928)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney Film; 1971)

Beyoncé, by Beyoncé (Album; 2013)

Bugsy (Film; 1991)

A Chorus Line (Film; 1985)

Clue (Film; 1985)

Dark Star, performed by the Grateful Dead (Song; 1967)

Driving Miss Daisy (Film; 1989)

Emily of New Moon, by L.M. Montgomery (Novel; 1923)

Fool Coverage (WB LT Cartoon; 1952)

Foxy Lady, recorded by Jimi Hendrix (Song; 1966)

The Getaway (Film; 1972)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Film; 2013) [3 of 3]

Jerry Maguire (Film; 1996)

The Jewel of the Nile (Film; 1985)

Jumanji: The Next Level (Film; 2019)

The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (Animated Film; 2024)

Maid in Manhattan (Film; 2002)

Mars Attacks! (Film; 1996)

A Miser Brothers’ Christmas (Animated TV Special; 2008)

Monitored Noose or The Carbon Copy-Cats (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 6; 1959)

My Name is Nobody (Film; 1973)

The Poseidon Adventure (Film; 1972)

Rakuen Tsuiho: Expelled from Paradise (Anime Film; 2014)

Richard III (Film; 1955)

Saving Mr. Banks (Film; 2013)

Scooby-Doo! Pirates ahoy! (WB Animated Film; 2005)

The Scorched Moose (Rocky & Bullwinkle Cartoon, S1, Ep. 5; 1959)

Sense and Sensibility (Film; 1996)

6 Underground (Film; 2019)

Star Trek: Nemesis (Film; 2002)

Tristessa, by Jack Kerouac (Novel; 1960)

Uncut Gems (Film; 2019)

Wind (Pixar Cartoon; 2019)

Today’s Name Days

Jodok, Lucia, Odilia (Austria)

Jasna, Lucija, Otilija, Svjetlana (Croatia)

Lucie (Czech Republic)

Lucia (Denmark)

Ele, Ere, Hele, Loviise, Lucia, Luise, Viise (Estonia)

Seija (Finland)

Jocelyn, Lucie (France)

Jodok, Johanna, Lucia, Ottilia (Germany)

Aris, Efstratios, Ioubenalios, Evstratios, Loukia, Lucy, Stratos (Greece)

Luca, Otilia (Hungary)

Antioco, Lucia (Italy)

Lūcija, Veldze (Latvia)

Eiviltė, Kastautas, Kastytis, Liucija, Otilija (Lithuania)

Lucia, Lydia (Norway)

Łucja, Lucja, Otylia, Włodzisława (Poland)

Dosoftei (Romania)

Lucia (Slovakia)

Lucía, Otilia (Spain)

Lucia (Sweden)

Louise, Lucia, Lukia (Ukraine)

Cinderella, Cindy, Cynth, Cynthia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 347 of 2024; 18 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 50 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 16 of 28]

Chinese: Month 12 (Jia-Zi), Day 1 (Yi-Si)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 1 Teveth 5784

Islamic: 30 Jumada I 1445

J Cal: 17 Zima; Threesday [17 of 30]

Julian: 30 November 2023

Moon: 1%: Waxing Crescent

Positivist: 11 Bichat (13th Month) [Euler]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 3 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 81 of 89)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 22 of 30)

Calendar Changes

冰月 [Bīngyuè] (Chinese Lunisolar Calendar) [Month 12 of 12] (Ice Month) [Earthly Branch: Ox Month] (End-of-Year Month)

Ṭēḇēṯ (a.k.a. Tevet, Tebeth & Tebetu) [טֵבֵת] (Hebrew Calendar) [Month 10 of 12]

[adelphe]

Jane Aubert

Paris Aux Etoiles, Moulin Rouge, 1927

[perfettamentechic]

6 marzo … ricordiamo …

6 marzo … ricordiamo … #semprevivineiricordi #nomidaricordare #personaggiimportanti #perfettamentechic

2021: Carmel Quinn, cantante e attrice irlandese naturalizzata statunitense. Ha iniziato la sua carriera a Dublino cantando con band locali. Dopo essere arrivata negli Stati Uniti nel 1954, è apparsa nel programma radiofonico Talent Scouts di Arthur Godfrey nel 1955 e ha vinto il concorso. È diventata una presenza fissa nello show. È apparsa in numerosi spot televisivi e ha registrato molti album…

[movie--posters]

[dweemeister]

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Universal Pictures was, for the most part, not considered a major studio when it released its first horror films in the early synchronized sound era. Its line of classic monsters includes The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Dracula (1931), Frankenstein (1931), The Mummy (1932), and others. Horror, seen as a popular (but lesser) genre in American filmmaking at the time, burnished Universal’s reputation through the 1930s and ‘40s. But despite the commercial success of so many of the Universal Monsters movies (not considered a franchise until the 1960s and ‘70s), the studio still did not command the resources of a Paramount or a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). Unlike Hollywood’s biggest major studios, Universal did not have as many contracted craftspersons and actors in its ranks. As such, the studio often had to rely on its rivals loaning talent out to them. Universal, more than any other studio, leaned on actors at the time better known for their radio work. Among those radio stalwarts were Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose “Who’s on First?” routine remains widely-referenced.

By the mid-1940s, Universal’s stable of monsters was well-known to the general American moviegoing public. Many of those monsters – Frankenstein’s monster especially – had appeared in various sequels over the years, to decreased budgets and diminishing returns on audience frights. In an attempt to rejuvenate this then-unofficial series of movies, Universal hatched the idea to put their leading comedy duo and many of their monsters in the same film. To some at the time, the very idea of pairing Bela Lugosi’s Dracula with Abbott and Costello was the death knell for Universal’s monsters. Instead, Abbott and Costello Meets Frankenstein, though chaotic in terms of plot, is a first-rate comedy. It is perhaps the best movie made featuring Abbott and Costello. However, the film’s naysayers are partly correct – this is the beginning of the end of Universal’s classic horror movies. And for those who have been able to see each of the original Universal Monsters movies prior to this, this is a hilarious way to cap off a journey into the most iconic horror movies of Golden Age Hollywood.

One evening, Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) telephones a train station in La Mirada, Florida, warning of two packages addressed for McDougal’s House of Horrors (a wax museum) that must not reach their destination. But just as Larry is about to complete his thoughts, the moon rises, and he transforms into The Wolf Man. Without that critical information, baggage clerks Chick Young (Abbott) and Wilbur Grey (Costello) make the deliveries. As they crack open the crates, they realize that they are delivering Dracula’s (Bela Lugosi; this is not Lugosi’s final role as a vampire, but it is his final go-around as Dracula in a movie) coffin and Frankenstein’s monster (Glenn Strange; Boris Karloff refused to appear in this film). With a cast of characters also including Mr. McDougal (Frank Ferguson), Dr. Sandra Mornay (Lenore Aubert), and an undercover insurance investigator named Joan Raymond (Jane Randolph), the so-called plot bounces around a number of horror hijinks that center on Dracula attempting to provide Frankenstein’s monster a more intelligent and obedient brain.

The film’s opening credits and its seamless vampire bat transformation sequences were animated by Walter Lantz, best known as the creator of Woody Woodpecker and the original voice actor for Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Vincent Price has a voice acting cameo, years before his association with the horror genre.

For almost the entirety of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, the film depends on the shtick that defines the titular duo. This is an Abbott and Costello movie first, a Universal Classic Monsters movie second. Where Costello is the prone-to-face-scrunching, excitable, and more easily-frightened of the two, Abbott is the straight man with the composure in the hairiest of situations. And this shtick – which I admit never sounds appealing when reading it, so it is best to view it for yourself – does not overstay its welcome. It is most effective in the scenes immediately after revealing Dracula’s coffin and the monster’s boxes and when our beleaguered baggage clerks (there is an incredible joke about unions that I do not wish to spoil for first-time viewers) meet Larry Talbot, in-person, for the first time. As messy as this movie can be in spurts (it feels as if there were several ideas cross-stitched together in hopes of forming a coherent whole), Abbott and Costello’s brand of humor fits neatly in this film. Their comedic dynamic feels natural in a world where heavily-accented, cape-wearing vampires and reluctant werewolves exist – let alone humans who might want to profit off the actions of these monsters or ride the coattails of Dracula’s machinations.

Of all the other actors not named Abbott and Costello, it is Lugosi who makes the most of his time here, even with material that is not as demanding as he may have wanted. By this time in his career and almost twenty years removed from Dracula, Lugosi was the victim of serial typecasting while contracted to Universal. The Hungarian-American actor, in his listing in the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences’ Players Directory, requested Hollywood’s casting directors not to think of him only for horror movies. And yet, he frequently found himself cast for horror movies – usually second billing behind Englishman Boris Karloff. Once more, for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Lugosi was in overly familiar territory – but at least this was a send-up of the horror tropes that he must have been too familiar with by then. But no one, past or present, could ever be as charismatic in a cape and stare, menacingly, at someone’s neck. Lugosi, who was not as fluent in English when he made the original Dracula, has less, but more complex dialogue for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. He nevertheless delivers it with aplomb, including his delightful dramatic pauses he occasionally inserts (“What we need is young blood – and brains.”) Lugosi might have been annoyed in starring in yet another Universal horror movie, but he never shows it here in what was his final “A”-picture (and before his association with low-budget filmmaker Ed Wood).

As a part-horror movie, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein’s favoring of the comedic duo over any of the monsters will likely irritate fans of the Universal Classic Monsters series. But I do not think imbalance of screentime is the problem (which I will elaborate on shortly).  Though longtime Abbot and Costello writer John Grant’s (1941’s Buck Privates, 1945’s The Naughty Nineties) screenplay grants considerable authority to Dracula, one cannot say the same for Frankenstein’s monster and The Wolf Man. After the opening scene of the film, Lon Chaney Jr. never again appears as if he is committing himself fully to playing Larry. Glenn Strange’s turn as Frankenstein’s monster, too, feels far too labored a performance (and a performance that is never given enough attention in this film). This monster mash, on paper, should be a graveyard smash. But by film’s end, the screenplay has not done Frankenstein’s monster or The Wolf Man the narrative justice that both characters deserve, given the legacies they have at Universal.

This imbalance is of no fault of the comedic aspects of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, or of Abbott and Costello themselves. Horror and comedy are not oil and water. The two can absolutely mix, as seen in Young Frankenstein (1974) and Tremors (1990) – in these examples (among many others), the comedy does not interfere in the gravity of the horror, and the horror elements do not detract from the audience’s laughter. For director Charles Barton (the principal Abbott and Costello director from 1946 on, 1959’s The Shaggy Dog) and John Grant, the film’s most glaring problem is their unwillingness to use their monsters’ hallmarks and their lack of trust in the monsters’ stage presence until the film’s unexpectedly gruesome finish. As such, despite some fascinating, atmospheric art direction by Hilyard M. Brown (1954’s Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1963’s Cleopatra) and Bernard Herzbrun (1938’s Alexander’s Ragtime Band, Creature from the Black Lagoon), this film sags in its appeal as a piece of horror. As a comedy, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein might just be the most effective use of the comedic duo in any movie. The film is deserving of its comedic reputation from the first minutes, as we find Bud and Lou at the height of their comedic prowess. But, as a send-off for the horror characters and the actors that portrayed them, there might be a bitter taste for the most ardent fans of Frankenstein’s monster, Dracula, and The Wolf Man.

During the filming of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, practical jokes ran rampant on the set. On a set with Abbott and Costello, once has to expect daily mischief. And for this production, that meant exploding cigars, pie fights, and frequent ad-libbing to throw off other actors. According to Barton, “Bela [Lugosi] of course would have nothing to do with any of this. He would just glare at those involved with his famous deadly stare and the only emotion he would show physically was one of utter disgust.” Lugosi, by all accounts, never reacted to any of Abbott and Costello’s off-camera tomfoolery, and committed to delivering the best work possible. One of the most iconic figures of Hollywood horror movies was not going to blemish his reputation here.

By 1948, horror movies at Universal Pictures had mostly run their course during the age of the Studio System. Universal would not release another monster horror film until Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954). Within a few years, Universal would abandon its line of monster horror movies entirely. By then, a plucky studio in London was beginning to make its own monster horror movies, often using the characters that Universal had adapted and codified for audiences in the 1930s and ‘40s. For boasting such an influential run of horror movies, Universal did not truly treasure what incredible talent it fostered until decades after Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. No one in the year of the film’s release might have predicted the cultural cachet that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein eventually found as a horror comedy film. The film was inducted into the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry in 2001, and remains one of the most highly-regarded comedies in American moviemaking.

My rating: 8/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found in the “Ratings system” page on my blog (as of July 1, 2020, tumblr is not permitting certain posts with links to appear on tag pages, so I cannot provide the URL).

For more of my reviews tagged “My Movie Odyssey”, check out the tag of the same name on my blog.

[frankenpagie]

10.8.20

[huntsvillehq]

The last day of the Faire, the sky was overcast, with rumbles of thunder in the far distance. As Mayor Nat stepped up to the podium set up in front of town hall, a small crowd gathered to hear the announcement. She proceeded to declare Pandora Flowers as the winner of the costume contest, and withdrew the sword to present to the winner of the tournament, Morgan Vovk.

Before she could, though, Quinn Buckley from the commune ran up on stage and grabbed the microphone from the podium.

“Listen! You have to listen. This, all of this, is because of a being far greater than us! It sent the creatures from the woods to test us! To separate the weak from the strong. It judges us because it wants us to be ready before it reveals itself. We have to listen! We have to—“

Sheriff Henry attempted to take the microphone from her, but she struggled against him, still shouting into the microphone.

“It’s real! I felt its presence! Those that listen will be saved!”

Thunder rumbled, closer than before, much closer. A loud crack of lightning illuminated the sky, blindingly bright. Beyond the clouds, briefly visible in that split second, loomed a shape, unrecognizable and massive, both bulbous and gangly. As quickly as it appeared it was gone, and what remained was the sizzling body of Tristan Wilde, struck by the lightning. The sky opened up, then, as thunder boomed directly above, and rain and hail pelted the town.

“It’s there! You all saw it! It’s real! We have to submit!” Quinn wailed, as Henry attempted to pull her off the stage. “I can prove it! I can walk amongst them untouched! I’ve been chosen! You can be chosen too!”

Her cries fell away in the deafening downpour, and those that had gathered scattered to find shelter in the nearest buildings. Whether or not they saw something or, if they did, if they believe what they saw, remains to be seen.

The storm raged on through the night, as the creatures wandered the streets unperturbed by the rain and hail. The lights of the town flickered and then, as lightning staggered across the sky, everything went dark.

(Those that ran to find shelter found themselves stuck for the night. Below you’ll find the (randomly selected) groups. You can choose for your characters to have seen the shape in the sky, to have not seen it, or to have seen it and not believe it.

Everyone can continue/finish their event threads, as all this took place on the final day of the Faire (the 29th). You may also time-jump threads, headcanon threads, or make new threads for the plot drop. The event officially ends on August 5th, at which time please do not make any more event starters, however you can continue all threads until completion.)

Town Hall

Aslan “Dodger” Ozdemir Bocephus “Beau” Romero Birdie Tilton Cain Barlowe Eagan Connolly Emma “Em” Dunford Evangeline Cruz Falco Romero Fletcher Cole Helena Theriot Hex Sif-Sidon Jessica Sinclair Kirby Louis Ryan Nickleby “Nick” Dalton Ocean Quinn Odette Abbott Olivia Hart Poppy Sarasa Prudence “Pru” Wheaton Ransome “Rance” Slade Saffron Aubert Scout Garcia Sierra Nevada Starlynn Flowers

Fire Station

Absinthe Capone Arachne Arthur “Arty” Drake Conrad Greene Corvin Delancey DJ Cruz-Dutton Harlow Cole Hawthorne “Hawk” Romero Izan Castillo Katarina “Rini” Roberts Lachlan Ramirez Logan Ferguson Lorcan Hara Luciana “Lucy” Rivera Mercy Wainwright Pandora “Andy” Flowers Phoenix Romero-Sawyer Rainn Scott Reggie Alson Ricardo Reider Ruben Hobbes Samantha “Sammie” Thompson Sebastian Keane Tae-Hyun Cho Theodore “Teddy” Collins Zain Madan

Police Station

Andrew Richardson Antonio “Toni” Estrada, Jr. Celia Ortega Elijah Atkins Emrys Rosser Finn Cunningham Halley McGillivray Hunter Hilton Jahi Karim Jane Doe Jareth Reid Kestrel Sideris Lincoln Abernathy Luke Matthews Mateo Suarez Morgan Vovk Pascal Mendoza Quinn Buckley Salem Salazar Vincent Lewis Violet Beauregarde William Monroe Wolf Lykaios Zachary Ryan Zarina West

Huntsville Bank

Alexander “Xander” Garcia Cabell “Cab” McCay Cassius Romero Catherine Wayne Christopher Winters Briana Ryan Dahlia Cruz-Dutton Frances “Frankie” Wallace Gabriel “G” Westfall Genesis “Sissy” Boone Harvey Langston Josie Reigh Mallard “Duck” Romero Mason Greene Maya Rae Mylene Karimi Raj Aiyangar Raphael Knightley Riley Saunders Sandra Quispe Sare Holmes Sasha Medvedev Spencer Holmes Valeria “Val” Moreno Wylie Bateman

Post Office

Avery Cowling Benjamin Cade Bowie Bardot Bram Williams Carter Behrens Cassandra “Cassie” Slade Eilana Kapur Freya Atkins Guillermo “Mo” Reyes Jasmine “Minnie” Sinclair Lennon Davies Leo Brockton Liam Jefferson Matthew Walker Mia Vazquez Monet Vogel Nathaniel Dawson Ondine Konar Paloma Ortiz Reed Hendrix Silas “Cyan” Canne Tari Park Wren Romero Xavier Cade Zoë Clark

Huntsville Library

Artemis Hayes Axel Addams Calloway “Cal” de la Luna Casey Nestor Claire Forbes Clara Jones Finch Sanders Floyd Blackward Hank McGillivray Iniya Beckett Ivy Oberon James “Jamie” Brennan Jeconiah “Jack” Abbott Jett Liu Kieran “KB” Barnes Michael “Mikey” Beauregarde Nicolas Garcia Parker Russo Peter “Rusty” Craven Peyton Wilson Reza Kogoya Roman Forest Rosemary “Rose” Felton Sicilia “Lia” Flowers Tamaraa Jillian “Jill” Adler

[brookston]

Holidays 12.13

Holidays

Acadian Remembrance Day

Bicycle Built For Two Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Clip-On Tie Day

Count the "La's" in "Deck the Halls" Day

Ides of December (Ancient Rome)

Jamhuri Day (Kenya)

Jane Addams Day

Jim Parker Appreciation Day

Jum ir-Repubblika (Malta)

Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day (Poland)

Nanking Massacre Memorial Day (China)

National Bring Your Brother-in-Law to Work Day

National Day (Saint Lucia)

National Day of the Horse [also 2nd Saturday]

National Guard Day

National Violin Day

New Calendar Day

Nusantara Day (Indonesia)

Peace Day (Korea)

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day

Republic Day (Malta)

Sailor’s Day (Brazil)

Santa Lucia Day (Sweden, Scandinavia)

Skip Day

Unreturned Library Book Day

World Violins Day

Yuletide Lad #2 arrives (Giljagaur or Gully Oaf; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Ice Cream and Violins Day

National Cocoa Day

National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

National Ice Cream Day

National Popcorn String Day

Feast Days

Antiochus of Sulcis (Christian; Saint)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Comp-U-Coffee 2000 (Muppetism)

Euler (Positivist; Saint)

Feast of the Light-Bringer (Old Swedish Goddess of Light)

Herman of Alaska (American Orthodox Church)

John Marinoni (Christian; Blessed)

John Wayne Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Judoc (a.k.a. Joyce; Christian; Saint)

Kenelm, King (Christian; Saint)

Larry Storch Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Luciadagen (a.k.a. Little Yule; Scandinavia)

Lucy (Christian; Saint) [Writers]

Monkey Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Odile of Alsace (Christian; Saint)

Othilia (Christian; Saint)

The Sementivaem (Ancient Rome)

Tellus (Ancient Rome, with table spread for Ceres)

Thorn Cutting Ceremony Day (Glastonbury, England; Celtic)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Martes (Unlucky Tuesday; Spanish culture) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Prime Number Day: 347 [69 of 72]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Premieres

American Hustle (Film; 2013)

An American in Paris, by George Gershwin (Broadway Musical; 1928)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney Film; 1971)

Beyoncé, by Beyoncé (Album; 2013)

Clue (Film; 1985)

Dark Star, performed by the Grateful Dead (Song; 1967)

Driving Miss Daisy (Film; 1989)

Foxy Lady, recorded by Jimi Hendrix (Song; 1966)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Film; 2013) [3 of 3]

Jerry Maguire (Film; 1996)

Jumanji: The Next Level (Film; 2019)

Mars Attacks! (Film; 1996)

Saving Mr. Banks (Film; 2013)

Sense and Sensibility (Film; 1996)

Star Trek: Nemesis (Film; 2002)

Today’s Name Days

Jodok, Lucia, Odilia (Austria)

Jasna, Lucija, Otilija, Svjetlana (Croatia)

Lucie (Czech Republic)

Lucia (Denmark)

Ele, Ere, Hele, Loviise, Lucia, Luise, Viise (Estonia)

Seija (Finland)

Jocelyn, Lucie (France)

Jodok, Johanna, Lucia, Ottilia (Germany)

Aris, Efstratios, Ioubenalios, Evstratios, Loukia, Lucy, Stratos (Greece)

Luca, Otilia (Hungary)

Antioco, Lucia (Italy)

Lūcija, Veldze (Latvia)

Eiviltė, Kastautas, Kastytis, Liucija, Otilija (Lithuania)

Lucia, Lydia (Norway)

Łucja, Lucja, Otylia, Włodzisława (Poland)

Dosoftei (Romania)

Lucia (Slovakia)

Lucía, Otilia (Spain)

Lucia (Sweden)

Louise, Lucia, Lukia (Ukraine)

Cinderella, Cindy, Cynth, Cynthia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 347 of 2022; 18 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 50 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Dōngyuè), Day 20 (Geng-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 19 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 19 Jumada I 1444

J Cal: 17 Zima; Threesday [16 of 30]

Julian: 30 November 2022

Moon: 75%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Bichat (12th Month) [Euler]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 82 of 90)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 21 of 30)

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 12.13

Holidays

Acadian Remembrance Day

Bicycle Built For Two Day

Blame Someone Else Day

Clip-On Tie Day

Count the "La's" in "Deck the Halls" Day

Ides of December (Ancient Rome)

Jamhuri Day (Kenya)

Jane Addams Day

Jim Parker Appreciation Day

Jum ir-Repubblika (Malta)

Martial Law Victims Remembrance Day (Poland)

Nanking Massacre Memorial Day (China)

National Bring Your Brother-in-Law to Work Day

National Day (Saint Lucia)

National Day of the Horse [also 2nd Saturday]

National Guard Day

National Violin Day

New Calendar Day

Nusantara Day (Indonesia)

Peace Day (Korea)

Pick a Pathologist Pal Day

Republic Day (Malta)

Sailor’s Day (Brazil)

Santa Lucia Day (Sweden, Scandinavia)

Skip Day

Unreturned Library Book Day

World Violins Day

Yuletide Lad #2 arrives (Giljagaur or Gully Oaf; Iceland)

Food & Drink Celebrations

Ice Cream and Violins Day

National Cocoa Day

National Cream Cheese Frosting Day

National Ice Cream Day

National Popcorn String Day

Feast Days

Antiochus of Sulcis (Christian; Saint)

Aubert (Christian; Saint)

Comp-U-Coffee 2000 (Muppetism)

Euler (Positivist; Saint)

Feast of the Light-Bringer (Old Swedish Goddess of Light)

Herman of Alaska (American Orthodox Church)

John Marinoni (Christian; Blessed)

John Wayne Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Judoc (a.k.a. Joyce; Christian; Saint)

Kenelm, King (Christian; Saint)

Larry Storch Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

Luciadagen (a.k.a. Little Yule; Scandinavia)

Lucy (Christian; Saint) [Writers]

Monkey Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Odile of Alsace (Christian; Saint)

Othilia (Christian; Saint)

The Sementivaem (Ancient Rome)

Tellus (Ancient Rome, with table spread for Ceres)

Thorn Cutting Ceremony Day (Glastonbury, England; Celtic)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Martes (Unlucky Tuesday; Spanish culture) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Prime Number Day: 347 [69 of 72]

Shakku (赤口 Japan) [Bad luck all day, except at noon.]

Triti (Unlucky Day; Greece) [Tuesday the 13th] (2 of 2 for 2022)

Premieres

American Hustle (Film; 2013)

An American in Paris, by George Gershwin (Broadway Musical; 1928)

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (Disney Film; 1971)

Beyoncé, by Beyoncé (Album; 2013)

Clue (Film; 1985)

Dark Star, performed by the Grateful Dead (Song; 1967)

Driving Miss Daisy (Film; 1989)

Foxy Lady, recorded by Jimi Hendrix (Song; 1966)

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (Film; 2013) [3 of 3]

Jerry Maguire (Film; 1996)

Jumanji: The Next Level (Film; 2019)

Mars Attacks! (Film; 1996)

Saving Mr. Banks (Film; 2013)

Sense and Sensibility (Film; 1996)

Star Trek: Nemesis (Film; 2002)

Today’s Name Days

Jodok, Lucia, Odilia (Austria)

Jasna, Lucija, Otilija, Svjetlana (Croatia)

Lucie (Czech Republic)

Lucia (Denmark)

Ele, Ere, Hele, Loviise, Lucia, Luise, Viise (Estonia)

Seija (Finland)

Jocelyn, Lucie (France)

Jodok, Johanna, Lucia, Ottilia (Germany)

Aris, Efstratios, Ioubenalios, Evstratios, Loukia, Lucy, Stratos (Greece)

Luca, Otilia (Hungary)

Antioco, Lucia (Italy)

Lūcija, Veldze (Latvia)

Eiviltė, Kastautas, Kastytis, Liucija, Otilija (Lithuania)

Lucia, Lydia (Norway)

Łucja, Lucja, Otylia, Włodzisława (Poland)

Dosoftei (Romania)

Lucia (Slovakia)

Lucía, Otilia (Spain)

Lucia (Sweden)

Louise, Lucia, Lukia (Ukraine)

Cinderella, Cindy, Cynth, Cynthia (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 347 of 2022; 18 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 2 of week 50 of 2022

Celtic Tree Calendar: Ruis (Elder) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 11 (Dōngyuè), Day 20 (Geng-Zi)

Chinese Year of the: Tiger (until January 22, 2023)

Hebrew: 19 Kislev 5783

Islamic: 19 Jumada I 1444

J Cal: 17 Zima; Threesday [16 of 30]

Julian: 30 November 2022

Moon: 75%: Waning Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Bichat (12th Month) [Euler]

Runic Half Month: Jara (Year) [Day 4 of 15]

Season: Autumn (Day 82 of 90)

Zodiac: Sagittarius (Day 21 of 30)

[mariocki]

Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

"I know there's no such person as Dracula; you know there's no such person as Dracula."

"But does Dracula know it?"

[adelphe]

Jane Aubert

Paris Aux Etoiles, Moulin Rouge, 1927