We’ve had so many viewers asking why we didn’t show this movie last month- well, it’s because it wasn’t available to us then-but tonight-we have it for you! It’s probably the most requested film we present-and one of the few that our viewers demand to see at least annually! While Universal’s perennial top comedy team had lost some of their box office power, this film teamed them up with some of Universal’s classic monsters, who had also been declining in popularity (at least in the opinion of the studio heads)! Two of the classic monsters are played by the men who established them as horror legends- Bela Lugosi as Dracula and Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man- with the Monster portrayed by Glenn Strange- for the comedic and creepy encounter known as “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”!

Just about everybody knows the story, but to refresh your memory-we meet railroad baggage clerks Chick and Wilbur who are hard at work -well, one of them is, anyway. Wilbur’s girlfriend, a stunning woman named Sandra, drops by to visit and Chick is dumbfounded as to why this beauty is attracted to his little pal! When the phone rings, he barks at Wilbur to answer it. When he does, it’s a long-distance call from London- a stranger named Larry Talbot, with a desperate warning for the boys. Unfortunately, before he can deliver the full message, the full moon transforms him into a werewolf!

Just then, a grouchy customer, Mr. McDougal, arrives -demanding that the boys deliver a couple boxes from their latest shipment to his “house of horrors” exhibition. He laughingly brags that they supposedly contain the authentic coffin of Count Dracula, and –the body of the REAL Frankenstein Monster! Chick is not buying that story, but, regardless, promises he and Wilbur will make the delivery that evening.

It just happens to be a dark and stormy night as the boys work the late shift to bring the items to McDougal’s “House of Horrors”- the perfect setting for the nervous Wilbur to learn –to his dismay- that the display pieces are indeed authentic! Count Dracula rises from his coffin (or, his “bunk”, as Lou refers to it) and, upon freeing the Monster from his crate, leads him in escaping from the museum. When he arrives after they have left the premises, the furious McDougal thinks the baggage handlers have stolen his valuable exhibits and wants them put in jail!

Dracula and the Monster make their way to a castle sanctuary on an island, in which the laboratory notes of the original Dr. Frankenstein are in the hands of a renowned surgeon. Shockingly, that surgeon is none other than Wilbur’s beautiful girlfriend- Sandra! This explains her real reason for interest in the chubby fellow-not as a romantic partner, but as a subject for her latest experiment. She plans to transplant his easily manipulated brain into the Monster- thus making the creature easier for Count Dracula to command as his powerful slave!

Back on the mainland, Wilbur and Chick have been jailed by McDougal- but are soon bailed out by a woman who they assumed was Sandra. A pretty blonde stranger named Joan shows up at their apartment and reveals that SHE posted the bail! Little do the boys realize that Joan also is not seeking Wilbur as her boyfriend-she’s working undercover with McDougal’s insurance company, investigating the supposed theft of his property in hopes of recovering the missing display items. Meanwhile, the boys run into Larry Talbot, who has just arrived from England and enlists the boys to aid him in finding the two evil creatures of legend, before Dracula can carry out his scheme to control the Monster for evil intent!

The boys and Joan head to the island castle to pick up Sandra to attend a costume ball- and, at the urging of Talbot, search the place, stumbling onto a hidden lower chamber where Wilbur again encounters the monsters- but he has no way to convince Chick that he's actually found them! When they return to the main level, Sandra introduces them to her associate, Dr. Leighos- who appears to be the spitting (or biting?) image of Count Dracula!

The costume ball seems to be a must-attend event for everyone in the area- that includes nasty Mr. McDougal; Doctor Leighos dressed in a suspiciously spot-on Dracula “costume”; and the always “less than festive” Larry Talbot. The party degenerates into a frantic catastrophe that puts Chick and Wilbur in peril- leading the group back to the island castle, where Sandra prepares her supposed “boytoy” for the brain transplant- and as the Frankenstein Monster is restored to full and dangerous power – the rising full moon has the usual effect on Talbot, pitting Wolf Man against vampire- with the revived Monster on the loose in pursuit of Wilbur and Chick, leading to a hectic and hilarious conclusion!

We’ll go over the impressive cast list of this film and present a vintage version of our drawing game “Too Drawn Out”- plus a fun interview from Flashback Weekend with Pamela Shoop who played a nurse in “Halloween II” and whom you’ve seen in countless TV shows- as well as a visit with our old friend, the star of “Halloween III” Tom Atkins- and a song, more past convention fun, and more surprises!

“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” returns to our airwaves tonight at 8 pm eastern/pacific, 7 central time. Yes, there is still live-Tweeting going on during the show on Twitter/X, as well as live commenting done on Bluesky. MeTV asks that you use the hashtag #svengoolie in all your posts. This morning, our local Chicago area viewers get to celebrate the star of “Godzilla Minus Zero”’s anniversary as we present the film that started it all- featuring Raymond Burr from … well, you know…it’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” at a special time- 10:30 am- on WCIU- the U.

If you’re ready to start thinking of holiday gifts, look no further than our MeTV Mall- with a variety of Sven merchandise and more! Just click the “store” tab here on our website.

Join us tonight for the film that so many of our viewers have been waiting for- with Bud, Lou, and the classic Universal monsters!