Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man preview

Trailer for "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man," a later Universal offering from 1943. This was perhaps the first in a long line of films featuring tired characters who could no longer support their own series, so the studios combine them in hopes of maximizing their drawing power (see also: "House of Frankenstein," "Freddy vs. Jason," Alien vs. Predator," etc.) Here we have Bela Lugosi, at about 60 years old, finally playing the Frankenstein monster, a role he initially turned down in 1931 and which led to Karloff's star rising instead. By this point Lugosi was on the outs and apparently felt the need to right his earlier mistake. Much criticism has been foisted on his portrayal, and while it's not Karloff, it is acceptable. Rumors abound that the script originally had Lugosi's monster speaking, and the final product features the monster as blind, explaining Lugosi's stumbling and incoherency (tho this point is never made clear in the final film). Regardless, it's is a real treat to see yet another actor (and a classic horror figure, no less) in the monster make-up. The film itself is very enjoyable, and let's not forget yet another great performance by Lon Chaney Jr. as the Wolf Man. If you've seen him in the role before, this film is more of the same. He's great and adds a lot to the overall production. Unfortunately, the big fight between the two heavyweights is limited to a scant few minutes at the film's climax, but what can you do. Universal would run out of steam with their monster franchise immediately following WWII, so this film is one of the last hurrahs. I recommend this film for sure, despite a few shortcomings.

Author: StevieRotten
Keywords: Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man preview Bela Lugosi Lon Chaney Jr. horror Universal trailer
Added: February 2, 2008