Trivia
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Spoilers (7)
Lou Costello did not want to make the movie, declaring, "No way I'll do that crap. My little girl could write something better than this." A $50,000 advance in salary and the signing of director Charles Barton, the team's good friend and the man who some call their best director, convinced him otherwise.
Bela Lugosi's last involvement in a film for a major studio (Universal).
Although he would play similar vampires in other films since Dracula (1931), this would be only the second, and last, time that Bela Lugosi would play Dracula in a feature film.
Originally the Mummy was to be included in the cast of monsters, but that idea was eventually dropped.
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.
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.
Ian Keith was originally considered for the role of Count Dracula, a part he was up for in Dracula (1931), because Universal originally wasn't interested in hiring Bela Lugosi. According to the dvd's audio commentary by film historian Gregory W. Mank, Lugosi's manager met with the head of Universal and shamed him into giving Lugosi the role by saying, "He IS Dracula! You owe this role to Lugosi!"
The animation sequences of Dracula-as-a-bat and Dracula-changing-from-bat-to-Dracula were done by Universal-International's animator, Walter Lantz (of Woody Woodpecker fame).
When trying to seduce Wilbur, Saundra says that he is, "...so round, so firm..." and Wilbur says, "So fully packed." This is making fun of the slogan for Lucky Strike cigarettes, which was one the most pervasive tag lines in the history of advertising.
This was the final Universal film to feature Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and the Wolfman, until Van Helsing (2004).
Boris Karloff refused to play the monster, but as a favor to Universal he agreed to do publicity for this film - as long as he didn't have to see it. In several photos taken by Universal's publicity department, he is seen standing in line purchasing a ticket at a theater in New York City where the film is playing, and in other stills he is shown admiring the poster art for the film outside the theater lobby. Karloff later starred with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff (1949) as well as Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953).
According to the dvd's audio commentary by film historian Gregory W. Mank, this was the second cheapest film made by Universal-International in 1948, and it became the studio's second highest-grossing film of that year.
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.
There has been controversy for decades over whether this film should be considered part of the official Universal Horror series (thus making it a sequel to House of Dracula (1945)) or a non-canon, stand-alone film.
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.
Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia cited this movie as one that initially terrified him when he saw it as a small child. His father had died less than a year previously and Garcia had trouble watching it. Subsequently he became fascinated with the film's three monsters and they were a major inspiration for him to become, in addition to a musician, a filmmaker and artist.
Originally budgeted at $759,524, it went over by $32,746. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were paid $105,000.
Although the characters had previously appeared in House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945), this is the only Universal film where Larry Talbot and Dracula share both a scene and dialogue.
Three actors in this film had previously played the Frankenstein Monster. Aside from Glenn Strange, who again plays the role here, both Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. had experience under the flat top as well. Boris Karloff was the original Monster.
Actor Glenn Strange won the Frankenstein role by chance. Makeup artist Jack P. Pierce had seen him on the Universal lot when he was playing a pirate. Pierce paid him $25 to stay late in order to try out some makeup. He covered the mirrors with paper and applied the Frankenstein makeup. Only when he was finished did he allow Strange to see what the mystery makeup actually was. It was at that moment that Pierce decided that Strange would inherit the iconic role. Beyond the Frankenstein role, Strange was best known to later audiences in the role of Sam Noonan, the bartender at the Long Branch Saloon in the long-running TV series, Gunsmoke (1955).
Even though actors Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr. and Glenn Strange all reprise their roles from earlier films, this particular film is not considered to be part of the continuous storyline from those movies. Therefore, there was no need to explain, for example, why Larry Talbot is still a werewolf after having been cured in House of Dracula (1945).
Despite having worked for Universal for many years, makeup artist Jack P. Pierce was not under contract, but merely an hourly employee. With the changeover from Universal to Universal International came a desire to expedite movies and save money. Pierce was let go, and Bud Westmore and Jack Kevan's more cost-effective rubber appliances were used in place of Pierce's more time-consuming designs. The rubber head appliance that Glenn Strange wore to play the Frankenstein monster was so waterproof and fitted him so tightly that, after a few hours under the hot lights, he could shake his head and hear the sweat rattling around inside it.
Actress Lenore Aubert did all of her own stunts. Including all her own screams. Including, also,the laboratory scene when the Monster, played both by Glenn Strange and Lon Chaney Jr. picks up Sandra, Aubert, and carries her to the skylight window to throw her through it. Aubert wanted to do the stunt to its completion and be tossed through the window, made of sugar, however the director, Charles Barton, and the head of the studio, Robert Arthur, who were persuaded by Aubert to do all of her own stunts explained to her they were nervous and scared for her safety and while the men took caution to not let Aubert get hurt in any way they could not let her be tossed through the window because the motion picture insurance company would never allow her to do it. It was a good thing she didn't do the stunt to completion because the stunt woman, Helen Thurston, when tossed through the sugar window fell on her right hip do to the fact that the cable wire she was attached to was given too much slack.
Glenn Strange speaks for the first time as The Monster. This film marks the first time since The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) that the character has spoken, though it does not explain how The Monster has regained his voice.
Quentin Tarantino has cited this film as a big influence on him on how to blend different genres.
In September 2007 Readers Digest selected the film as one of the top 100 funniest films of all time.
In 100 Years of Horror (1996), episode {Bela Lugosi (#1.7)}, Christopher Lee showed a ring he said he wore in one of his Dracula films, and which was a duplicate of the one worn here by Bela Lugosi.
During the costume party, Lon Chaney Jr. asks a random waiter, played by Bobby Barber, if he had seen Chick Young or Wilbur Grey. The waiter exclaims, "Seen them? I don't even know them!" In fact, Barber was a frequent uncredited actor in Abbott & Costello movies and appeared often in sketches on their TV show in the 1950s.
Reportedly, the ring Bela Lugosi wore is said to have been the same previously worn by John Carradine in House of Frankenstein (1944).
In House of Dracula (1945), the previous film in the series, Larry Talbot was cured of his lycanthropy. Why and how Talbot once again becomes the Wolf Man is not explained, lending credence to the theory that this is a stand-alone film and not to be considered part of the original series. This is also supported by the fact that the Monster can again speak in this film.
This and Son of Dracula (1943) are the first Universal's "classics" monsters films that take place in the United States. All the previous films took place in Europe.
Allegedly, the ring Bela Lugosi wore was in the possession of Forrest J. Ackerman for many decades. However, its authenticity has recently been disputed, when close-up photos revealed notable differences between Ackerman's ring and the original. This, however, didn't stop an auction house from selling it - after putting pressure on a fan who had posted a detailed account of his investigation including photos showing the significant differences between the two - nor a collector from buying it.
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) is a personal favorite of "Playboy Magazine" owner, Hugh Hefner, and one of his favorite actresses is Lenore Aubert.
Universal contract players Dorothy Hart and Ella Raines were originally cast as "Joan Raymond". Hart was dropped in favor of Raines, who asked to be released because she felt that her part would be overshadowed by the monsters. The part was then given to Jane Randolph.
Glenn Strange has more screen time in this movie than he did in the previous two, House of Frankenstein and House of Dracula, combined.
The hatchet/pry tool used by Chic is identical to the murder weapon in Presumed Innocent (1990).
Originally Patricia Morison was to be borrowed from M.G.M. to portray mad scientist Dr. Sandra Mornay, however Robert Arthur, head of Universal-International Studios and the director Charles Barton signed Lenore Aubert to the studio and assigned her to the part.
Spoilers
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.
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.
During the chase in the woods, the Wolf Man attacks McDougal, who is later found alive and injured. Presumably, this means that McDougal is now a werewolf (unless the Wolf Man attacked with his claws, not his teeth).
When Dracula goes to bite Sandra you can see his reflection in the mirror but as a vampire there should not be one.
Vincent Price provides the voice of the Invisible Man in the final shot. Abbott and Costello would make A/C Meet the Invisible Man, without Price, in 1951.
When Count Dracula and Dr. Mornay are prepping the Frankenstein monster prior to the operation that will switch his brain with Wilbur's (Lou Costello), Wilbur says, "Don't let 'em do it to ya, Frankie. I've had this brain for 30 years and it hasn't worked right yet". Since this film was made in 1948, if Wilbur were 30 that would mean he would have been born in 1918. However, Lou Costello was born in 1906, which meant that he was 42 years old when he made this.
Final appearance of the "Classic" Universal monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein Monster and Wolf Man in a Universal Studios feature film. Oddly enough, the final fate of the monsters should not have prevented them from returning. Both Dracula and Wolf Man fell from a balcony into the water below. Water isn't normally known as a method to defeat either character. Frankenstein's Monster ended up walking into fire and crashing through the dock. This could be fatal, normally, but the Monster has been known to survive fire in the past. Regardless, Universal wouldn't produce another film with all 3 characters again until "Van Helsing" in 2003.
