11/03/2025
Welcome to “BTS Sunday,” where we share the weird, wild, and occasionally ridiculous stories from behind the camera.
Today’s pick is a classic that Jim and I both adore: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.
A movie so chaotic behind the scenes, it practically filmed itself.
1. Glenn Strange: The Monster Who Couldn’t Stop Laughing
Glenn Strange, the towering actor behind Frankenstein’s Monster, kept breaking character every time Lou Costello cracked a joke.
We’re talking full-on giggle fits in full monster makeup.
One of his slip-ups even made it into the final cut during the coffin scene, because apparently after the 47th retake, the crew just said, “Leave it. We’re tired.”
2. Lon Chaney Jr. Was Over Being the Wolf Man
Chaney hated the heavy makeup, hated the transformation scenes, hated everything except probably lunch breaks.
He famously said he’d “end up being buried as Larry Talbot”… which is the kind of energy every actor brings to hour three of prosthetics.
3. Vincent Price’s Sneaky Cameo
At the end of the film, the Invisible Man speaks, and that silky voice is none other than Vincent Price, long before he became the Sultan of Spooky.
A blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo… except you can’t blink because he’s invisible.
4. Karloff Said ‘No’… But Also ‘Kind Of Yes’
Boris Karloff refused to return as Frankenstein’s Monster for a horror-comedy (“I have STANDARDS,” he said, probably),
but he did agree to help promote the movie.
Imagine saying no to the party but still showing up for the group photo.
5. Universal’s One Rule: Monsters Don’t Do Comedy
Studio execs insisted the monsters must play everything completely straight: no jokes, no winks, no slapstick.
That contrast is what makes the film work.
Comedy from Abbott and Costello.
Terror from the monsters.
Chaos from everyone.
6. The Movie That Revived the Monsters
This film didn’t just succeed, it revived Universal’s entire classic monster lineup and kicked off a wave of horror-comedies.
Abbott and Costello walked in to crack some jokes and accidentally resurrected a franchise.
- DG
