Not as good as previous Frankenstein movies
Added 1/23/2009
This movie is one hour and thirteen minutes long and was released on March 5, 1943. This movie picks up where Ghost of Frankenstein and The Wolf Man left off. If that is true, then it is only half right. In the Ghost of Frankenstein; the monster is burned alive in a chateau. Yet with Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, the Monster is found frozen not burned and it is underneath a castle not a chateau. If you remember at the end of the Ghost of Frankenstein; Ygor brain is put inside the Monster and thus he speaks. With Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, the Monster ability to speak is gone. It is reported that Bela Lugosi (who played the Monster) has speaking lines. They were all cut from the movie and in some parts of the movie you can see the Monster's lips move as if he was trying to talk. When Bela Lugosi played the Monster (a roll he original turned when first offer to him and made Boris Karloff famous) he was 60 years old and needed three stuntmen for him because the costume weighed him down. The special effects are nearly non-existence and the ended is lame. This movie deserves a C+.
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A fun movie despite the flaws
Added 11/19/2008
Before there was Freddy Vs Jason there was Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man. I suppose it was only fitting this would happen sooner or later seeing as Universal was behind the Monster movies so why not take advantage of it? This was the first of the crossover movies and quite possibly the best although this movie is far from perfect and does have its fair share of flaws.
Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein are two of the greatest horror flicks ever made due to the brilliant performance by Boris Karloff and the direction by James Whale, but after Whale left the series Son of Frankenstein just didn't fully work, while I think the movie was overall good and Karloff was solid he wasn't used the way he was in the past two and he was wise to leave the series afterwards and that's where it all went downhill in my opinion; no James Whale or Karloff and the series just wasn't the same.
And that's where my problem lies with this movie if it's not Karloff it just isn't the Frankenstein Monster; no actor has come anywhere near the level of brilliance Karloff did. This time around Bela Lugosi steps into the role and Lugosi was always in Karloff's shadow and as much as I love Lugosi he was in Karloff's shadow for good reason. The interesting thing about Lugosi playing the Monster was he was the original choice to play the role in the original. One report has Lugosi turning it down seeing as an insult coming off Dracula, while other reports are it was James Whale that didn't want Lugosi; which ever one is true doesn't matter now since Lugosi would end up playing the role.
The first half of Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man was very well done, but around the middle of the movie it begins to run out of some steam. The script was written by Curt Siodmak who wrote The Wolf Man and overall his script was solid if not a bit flawed. Not as well written as The Wolf Man, but the script is good, but only really suffers from being a sequel. It doesn't really add anything new to the Frankenstein or Wolf Man series, but it still gets the job done. Curt Siodmak was an excellent writer and also wrote the classic I Walked with a Zombie, if you like Siodmak's work you'll probably enjoy this one. It's not easy taking these two Iconic characters in the Frankenstein Monster and The Wolf Man together, but Siodmak works it well.
Director Roy William Neil does well with the Wolf Man scenes, but there are some problems with the Monster. Like I said after Whale left the series the Monster was miss-used. A lot of people see the Monster as a walking idiot and those who say that obviously never saw the first 2 in the series, but after Whale left the Monster did sort of become that cliché that he's seen as. If not for Karloff in Son of Frankenstein the Monster would be a walking idiot, which he became afterwards. The pacing is solid early on, but does drag in some spots in the 2nd half, but Roy William Neil is able to keep the movie above float and never lets things get too slow except for a scene or two. The first half is the better half when the story is only on Larry Talbot, and there are some fairly creepy scenes as well.
Lon Chaney Jr. is great once again in the sympathetic role of Larry Talbot who becomes the Wolf Man when the moon is full. Chaney Jr. despite having a great career and playing one of the most Iconic film monsters of all time was never really able to live up to his full potential and I suppose a lot of that has to do with who his father was, but I personally prefer Jr. over Sr. and once again Chaney Jr. delivers a brilliant performance.
As much as I love Bela Lugosi I didn't really like his take on the Monster. While not as horrible as some make him out to be he really wasn't all that great either. In fairness he isn't playing the same Monster made famous by Karloff. In Ghost of Frankenstein, Ygor played by Lugosi had his brain transplanted into the Monsters so you can I suppose make a case for why Lugosi was good, but none of that is brought up in this one and the Monster just stumbles around sort of like he's drunk. It's not easy to play this character due to how brilliant Karloff was, but while not horrible Lugosi just wasn't all that good either.
Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man is a fun if not flawed movie; seeing these two Iconic characters in the same movie is a real treat for the fans, but it would have been better off with Karloff, but what's done is done and for what it's worth it's a fun movie flaws and all. This was probably the best of the crossover movies well with the exception of Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, which trumps all the crossover movies.
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Universal's First Monster Mash
Added 4/20/2008
Slickly produced, "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" was the first of Universal's monster pairings. This 1943 sequel remains a memorable showcase for Lon Chaney Jr.'s tragic werewolf - highlighted by excellent transformation sequences. Due to post-production tampering, Bela Lugosi's portrayal of the Frankenstein Monster proved less effective (the studio eliminated all references to his blindness). Nevertheless, Bela has a priceless moment when the Monster displays a wicked smile after regaining his full power. The long-awaited "rumble in the castle" is a horror-movie classic. "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" may not represent great art, but it's nostalgic fun.
14 out of 14 people found this helpful.
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THE FIRST MONSTER TEAM UP IN THE HISTORY OF FILM MAKING!
Added 2/22/2008
I'm sure when this film hit theaters, kids couldn't wait to go see this! Although it doesn't deliver that much in the way of the two monsters meeting, it has one of the most memorable beginnings in any of the Universal horror films.
This film is actually the sequel to two films 'The Ghost Of Frankenstein' and 'The Wolfman' and the beginning of this film deals with the Wolfman. A very atmospheric graveyard scene with two grave robbers finding their way to the Talbot mausoleum. They break in and find the seemingly final resting place of Larry Talbot A.K.A. The Wolfman. This is a very chilling scene and it one of the finest moments in the entire franchise's history.
Exit Chaney as the monster as he wanted to keep the Wolfman as "his baby" so, the studio brings in poor old Bela Lugosi to play the monster who has become a walking zombie at this point. Lugosi was not all that young anymore so, they had to have a stunt man play the monster in some scenes adding to the confusion. In the last installment Igor's brain was put in the monster's skull and the monster talked with Igor's voice. This was carried over to this film, but the end result was too ridiculous(even for Universal's standards!),so the dialogue was cut leaving the film an incoherent mess and Lugosi wondering around like a dolt! It's a mixed bag to say the least and this could be next to the worst film in the 'Frankenstein' series.
Even with all these flaws and problems, I do enjoy watching this film from time to time. This is available on DVD on the Frankenstein Legacy collection and in a double bill with 'House of Frankenstein' The DVD transfer is very good for both films.
I wish somehow they could find that cut footage with Lugosi talking, it would be most interesting to see the film the way it was intended originally. ;-( I rate this film 3 1/4 stars.
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Releasing the Monster Again
Added 11/8/2006
There is a full moon over a graveyard. Two men approach the TALBOT mausoleum and break in. They find the casket of Lawrence Talbot and search for a gold ring. Things go awry! Next a constable finds an injured man in the street. Taken to a hospital he quickly revives. But a full moon brings out a new side to his character, and the result is an anti-social act. Would psychoanalysis cure him? Can medical science prevent recurring bad times? The doctor consults a thick book and finds a definition that covers his delusion. The police Inspector and the doctor visit the mausoleum and find the empty casket. How can that be?
Lawrence Talbot escapes from the hospital, and find the old gypsy woman who can help him. They travel to a rural village to find Dr. Frankenstein, only to learn he has died! The villagers hated him and his monster. Another full moon transforms Talbot into a werewolf. Soon a dead girl is found, and the villagers form a well-armed posse to hunt the wolf at night. Talbot flees, and falls into an icy chamber. The next morning he finds a body encased in ice. Frankenstein's Monster has survived! Alive, he leads Talbot to Dr. Frankenstein's secret store of documents, but do not find what is sought. Talbot gets to meet the daughter Baroness Frankenstein by posing as a buyer for the lands and ruined castle, a unique location. But she has no records, she says.
Outside the peasants of Vasaria are celebrating the Festival of New Wine. [Did they know the secret of drinking red wine to counteract fats?] "Life is short and death is long, so drink up." The more oppressed a people, the wilder their celebrations. Doctor Mannering find Talbot and wants to bring him back to England to cure him. The happy festival is disturbed by the appearance of the Monster in the town square, like a stock market crash bringing an end to exuberant times. The people gather together and resolve to put an end to the Monster and its terrorism. The Baroness and Doctor Mannering go to the castle to search for Frankenstein's diary and the Secret of Life and Death. Doctor Mannering decides to repair the machines in order to put an end to the Monster that periodically creates havoc among the people. His intentions are good.
But Mannering is seduced by dreams of power, and decides to increase the power of the Monster! The Baroness intervenes and pulls a switch, causing the machinery to fail. But the Monster breaks loose and attacks Mannering and the Baroness. The wolfman breaks loose to attack the Monster, letting the Doctor and the Baroness escape. One of the peasants blows up the dam and the flood flushes away the castle, the wolfman, and the Monster. Is this the end? The moral to this fable is to beware of creating a powerful monster that will escape from control and oppress the people. [This story in this film is not as good as some others in this series.]
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classic movies
Added 11/29/2008
A little on the corny side but what did you expect? It's nice to see and old black an white at Haloweeen
1 out of 3 people found this helpful.
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Frankenstein Meets Universal Pictures!
Added 11/21/2008
These movies are probably tier 2 on the movie monster list. Still they are pretty good and a lot of fun! Enjoy and have a nice evening!
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Some details and positive comments for 'House of Frankenstein'
Added 9/4/2008
I just wanted to drop in here and express my sincere enthusiasm for "House of Frankenstein," which is one of the two films on this DVD.
Director Erle (not a typo!) C. Kenton went all out on this 1944 black-and-white film to present a Frankenstein movie which all horror fans could embrace, regardless of their preference for a particular monster. Here, we get Dracula (John Carradine), Lawrence Talbot/The Wolfman (Lon Chaney, Jr.), and Frankenstein himself (Glenn Strange)!
As if that were not enough, this cake is superbly iced with Boris Karloff (as the chief protagonist, Doctor Niemann), the lovely Anne Gwynn (Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe - The Complete Saturday Morning Serial), George Zucco (playing the snake oil sideshow man, Doctor Lampini), Lionel Atwill (cast as Arnz), and J. Carrol Naish (Dr. Renault's Secret) as Daniel, Niemann's hunch-backed, Igor-like assistant! In addition to the monsters, we get a band of Gypsies, hateable monster-victims, and Doctor Lampini's (Zucco) cool sideshow of the Dracula remains.
THE STORY (Warning! Spoilers ahead!): Doctor Niemann and Daniel escape prison when a lightning bolt explodes the wall of their cells. Niemann has promised the hunch-backed Daniel that he'll give him a new body if only they can locate the original Baron Frankenstein's journal and scientific notes. With that endeavor in mind, they soon fall upon the lamentable Doctor Lampini and take over his sideshow as Niemann has a little vengeance in mind against those who had him imprisoned, prior to setting out in search of Baron Frankenstein's notes.
It's lucky that Lampini's wagon contained the remains of Dracula because Niemann removed the wooden stake which kept him dead in his casket and then utilized the vampire to kill one of Niemann's former antagonists. Unfortunately for Dracula, the authorities catch on fast and they pursue him until the sun rises... and you know what that means for Dracula! Niemann has also fled the town, just ahead of Dracula in a double-cross (pun intended), and at the next village Daniel rescues a Gypsy girl from her brutal shill. They're all run out of this village too but Niemann doesn't care a whit because the remnants of Baron Frankenstein's castle are quite nearby.
Once in the ruins of the old estate, Daniel inadvertently discovers both the Frankenstein Monster and The Wolfman in an ice cave (great effects!), deep under the castle. Niemann commences retrieval of the two and as the ice melts away from The Wolfman, he changes back into the unfortunate Lawrence Talbot who luckily knows just where to dig out Baron Frankenstein's journal. Niemann promises to replace Talbot's brain (with that of one of his local enemies) in return for his assistance in traveling to his own decrepit estate; meanwhile, Daniel has fallen for the Gypsy girl but the latter falls in love with Talbot, a ménage-à-trois which leads to big complications.
Niemann is gratified in seeing a couple more of his former antagonists done in (thank you, Mr. Wolfman!) as he sets to work on re-animating the Frankenstein Monster in his home laboratory, much to the frustration of both Talbot and Daniel who each wanted THEIR problems dealt with first. I absolutely must stop there to avoid telling the end of the movie but rest assured that it's as good as the body of the film.
The filmscore/soundtrack for this one is terrific (and appropriate) and was generated by a number of competent folks: Hans J. Salter, musical director; Paul Dessau, composer; Charles Previn, composer; Max Rapp, composer; Milton Rosen, composer, and; Frank Skinner, composer. All except for Salter went uncredited. Special effects were brilliantly handled by John P. Fulton. The aspect ratio is 1.37:1 (full-frame) and the entire movie was filmed at Universal Studios in California.
As this is a Universal Films production there was a fairly good budget established for it, but "Kharis the Mummy" was ultimately excised from the script due to a lack of available funds. Bela Lugosi was also slated to have played Dracula but Universal's producers were displeased with his most recent performance for them as The Frankenstein Monster in Frankenstein Meets Wolfman. "The House of Frankenstein" isn't perfect as there are a few silly boners, the most prevalent of which is when Larry Talbot (Chaney) transforms into the Wolf Man for the final time, his hands aren't made up. The astute viewer can spot this just before he crashes through the glass door. Also, while not really a goof, no member of "Baron Frankenstein's family" (the Monster excepted!) ever appears in this film!
If I have a problem at all with this film it's only that I wish George Zucco's role as Doctor Lampini would have played out just a little longer before Daniel (Naish) strangled him to death. I'm Zucco's biggest fan on the planet (see my Amazon Listmania list: "George Zucco... almost live!!!") and I think that they could have carried him in the story for a bit longer. But we can't have everything.
In summary, this 71-minute treasure exudes mega-action and the filmscore/soundtrack has become quite renowned: House of Frankenstein, a rare actuality for an older horror movie. You'll also see one of the better vampire transformations (from man to bat and vice-versa) ever filmed in one of these older horror flicks. Unfortunately, "House of Frankenstein" is not available by itself on a single DVD so you either get this one or: Frankenstein - The Legacy Collection (Frankenstein / Bride of / Son of / Ghost of / House of).
I highly recommend this fine old horror film to appropriate viewers.
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