It's Classic Cretins and Creatures Tonight- When "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"!

Posted on November 23, 2024

We’ve had so many viewers asking when we were going to show it- and, tonight, you get your wish! We’re showing what may be the most requested film in our library-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 “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”!

Just about everybody knows the story, but allow me to explain it one more time-we meet railroad baggage clerks Chick and Wilbur who are hard at work -well, one of them is- when Wilbur’s girlfriend, a stunning woman named Sandra, drops by to visit. 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- it’s a long distance call from London- from a stranger named Larry Talbot, with a desperate warning for the boys. Unfortunately, before he can deliver it, the full moon transforms him into a werewolf!

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Just then, Mr. McDougal, a grouchy customer, 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.

Wouldn’t you now that it 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”?! It is 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 their escape from the museum. Arriving after the fact, the furious McDougal thinks the baggage handlers have stolen his valuable exhibits and wants them put in jail!

The next stop for Dracula and the Monster is 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! We learn her real reason for interest in the chubby fellow-not as a romantic partner, but as a subject for her goal.She plans to transplant his easily-manipulated brain into the Monster- thus making the powerful creature easier to command, and the perfect pawn for Count Dracula!

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 is 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 carries out his scheme to control the powerful Monster for evil intent!

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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 “boyfriend” for the brain transplant- with the Frankenstein Monster restored to full and dangerous power – and the rising full moon having the usual effect on Talbot, pitting Wolf Man against vampire- with the revived Monster on the loose in pursuit of Wilbur and Chick in 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, interviews with some fans you probably know from TV shows, one for being “King of Hell” and one for being a hellish nemesis of Smallville’s Clark Kent-some anniversary greetings from various celebrity friends- and a song and a classic Thanksgiving bit!

“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 – MeTV asks that you use the hashtag #svengoolie in your Tweets. This morning, local Chicago area viewers get another chance to witness the return of Vincent Price’s evil organist when “Dr. Phibes Rises Again” on WCIU- the U- at 11 am.

You may have seen above, there is a big sale happening now in the MeTV Mall as everyone starts their holiday shopping. Use promo code METVHOLIDAY and get 20% off everything, which includes the 2024 Svengoolie Holiday Sweater, all of our great 45th Anniversary items, and even the Super7 Glow in the Dark Svengoolie action figure. See the site for details, and start your shopping now while supplies of these products last! And remember, NO PERSONAL CHECKS!

We had a great time at the Ed Debevic’s retro diner birthday celebration last week in Chicago- so many fans dropped by to meet me and have dinner while being entertained by the talented wait staff. There is the possibility that we might return there in the future!

And-speaking of returns- make sure you tune in to MeTV tonight- for the return of what may be our most-requested horror comedy!

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3394 Comments

 during show

1MikeM 4 days ago
...and dat was da Brady Bunch Meet da Mummy...and dat's da name a dat tune!
Kylethesecond 4 days ago
Howdy from the land of weird weather!

The Eye Crawls at Midnight, or slightly earlier depending on your local time zone.
Cartoondave 4 days ago
Ok here are my guesses for bloggers first blogger will be of course, non other Mr Cool himself Mikeyyy abc123 and his fan in a close second
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Mikeyyy Cartoondave 4 days ago
Thanx for your support Dave!
Katink Drang 4 days ago
Until we fall asleep, Drang. . . Don't know how the Easties stay awake for the blog turnover!
abc123 Cartoondave 4 days ago
I will try my hardest to make you incorrect (and be 1, not three or worse...).
Mikeyyy Katink 4 days ago
I'm usually in bed at 11 PM.
daleuhlmann 4 days ago
Fittingly, on this day after Thanksgiving, there are two movies titled BLACK FRIDAY. The first, of course, is the 1940 Universal horror favorite starring Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. The second is a 2018 zombie spoof that features THE EVIL DEADLY movie series' Bruce Campbell. One film doesn't have anything to do with the other. They just happen to share the same title.
Drang 4 days ago
OK, day-late Thanksgiving Dinner is done. Turkey, roasted new potatoes, homemade cranberry-orange relish, and a nice Fess Parker Pinot Noir (2017).

If we can keep the cats away from the leftover turkey breast, there will be soup.

Also talked to Dad, he reports that it is cold in Crossville, TN, but sunny for the first day in a week or more.
Klaatu Drang 4 days ago
That’s a nice Pinot. Did it come with a Davy Crocket hat (you know..Daniel Boone🙄🙄).
Drang Klaatu 4 days ago
No, but when we visited the Fess Parker winery in Santa Barbara (actually Los Olivos) they were selling teeny coonskin caps to put on your wine bottles, especially the Frontier Red, which had a photo of Fess as Davy.
Klaatu Klaatu 4 days ago
I love Santa Barbara wines. My wine clubs there include Au Bon Climat (they only do award winning Pinot and Chardonnay), and Gainey Family Vineyards that also includes Evans Ranch. Gainey specializes in Chardonnay and Evans Ranch specializes in Syrah and Rhone Blends. All stunning wines.
Drang Klaatu 4 days ago
Maybe I shouldn't have had that third glass, I might not be awake for the Big Race...
Klaatu Drang 4 days ago
There are more important things than the Big Race…like a fantastic glass of wine with fantastic food. Enjoy life. Don’t worry about getting First on the New Blog👍
Cessna1960 4 days ago
Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Life Of Brian plus other Python madness can be found tonite amongst the "classics" ...I can't pass these guys up !... ..See you all Saturday night The Good Lord willing..
VanGooliac Cessna1960 4 days ago
Also The Third Man starring Joseph Cotten, who we recently saw in The Abominable Dr. Phibes.
PARANORMA VanGooliac 4 days ago
Led by a wonderful performance by Orson Welles, giving a brilliant impression of Maurice LaMarche. 🐭
LmerFudd VanGooliac 4 days ago
Love that zither music!
The perfect turkey for this holiday https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=plan+nine+from+outer+space+1959&&mid=6B2C0E298284537E66FB6B2C0E298284537E66FB&&FORM=VRDGAR
scottieO 4 days ago
Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and get to enjoy a nice long weekend (including watching Sven of course.) SEE you at the movies.
CrazyK scottieO 4 days ago
ISWYDT 🔍👀

😂😂😂
Cartoondave 4 days ago
Hoping everyone is safe and warm in Florida during their big freeze including Florida Lynn
daleuhlmann 4 days ago
Glenn Strange's fractured ankle during the filming of ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN wasn't the only accident during the filming. Lou Costello was almost knocked unconscious when, during that scene in which he and Bud try to barracade the door against the Monster, he missed his mark. As a result, Strange's fist burst through the wood and knocked him right in the head! If you watch the scene again, it does appear as if Lou seems, for a split-second, slightly dazed.
MrsG 4 days ago

Our very own Sventa Claus is embracing the Season ~

🖤🎩♥️
CrazyK MrsG 4 days ago
He sure is MrsG, I just now ordered this new bundle that dropped today for Black Friday and I received the previous bundle in the mail last week (the one that included “Svengoolie meets the DC Universe” 🙌
MrsG CrazyK 4 days ago
Alright Baby ! You’re up on ALL the latest 🖤*_*♥️
daleuhlmann 4 days ago
No shopping till I drop today today on BLACK FRIDAY after having spent most of last night cleaning up my kitchen and singlehandedly keeping the Turlock Scavenger Trash and Recycle Company in business following my first Thanksgiving Day dinner at my my new place. "Waste dump cleanup" doesn't even begin to cover it! Fortunately, yesterday's Birdzilla will live on--and--on--in three large freezer bags of leftovers, some of which I will definitely be offering to my neighbors!

Today, I'm going to just sit back and watch MeTV Toons' "Black & White Friday" marathon of classic black and white cartoons. Oh, and there's a special Friday NFL game on the tube later today 🏈! Sounds like a plan?
scottieO daleuhlmann 4 days ago
All Fridays Matter
daleuhlmann scottieO 4 days ago
Yes, they do, Scottie!
NoPersonalChicks 4 days ago
Cancer took George 23 years ago.
MrsG NoPersonalChicks 4 days ago
So sad NPC , the photo too ~ John’s dreaded anniversary also coming up ~ both died way too young 🖤🎶
RIP George…😢

My fav George Harrison song 🎶 😃
PARANORMA 4 days ago
Just to mention, aside from the wonderful time shown our bro Svenboy, on Monday Knotts will be having Tribute Day for military, fire & law enforcement personnel. So yay them.
Klaatu 4 days ago
Have a great post-Thanksgiving Friday. Go spend spend SPEND!!
daleuhlmann 4 days ago
Hilarious 1940s Daffy Duck and Porky Pig cartoon, with Porky as a beat cop pursuing Daffy in a department store! 😂
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