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Two classics from Universal's Golden Age of Horror are presented in this Frankenstein Double Feature: FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943) - On a moonlit night, graverobbers uncover the tomb of Larry Talbot (the legendary Lon Chaney, Jr.), aka the Wolf Man, who then begins a desperate search for a cure for the condition that transforms him into one of cinema's greatest monsters. The search eventually leads him to a classic confrontation with the Frankenstein monster, played by a not so convincing Bela Lugosi; HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944) - Dr. Gustav Niemann (the one & only Boris Karloff) is found guilty of performing bizarre and evil experiments on dead bodies and is sent to prison. He escapes and resurrects Dracula (John Carradine), the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.), and the Frankenstein Monster (played in impressive fashion by Glenn Strange) in order to seek revenge on all those who imprisoned him. This was the first 'all star' horror film attempted by the studio and the results are impressive. Interesting trivia - Bela Lugosi was passed over by studio executives for the role of Dracula, partly because they were not happy with his performance and vocal delivery as the Frankenstein monster in FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN. My opinion - they should have known not to cast him in the role, as his accent and physical build were clearly wrong for the part. They should have blamed themselves! In any event, enjoy these two Universal classics that are still far superior to the blood and gore being passed off as horror in today's culture. Steven Holt, Movie Magic USARead full review
MGM released a bunch of the old Universal Monster classics as 2 packs. These were mostly sequels to their main line classics. These are 2 of those films. Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman: This is actually the 4th in a 5 film run starring Universal's original Frankenstein's Monster. It aired 12 years after the original & was the middle film in a 3 films in 3 years run that pretty much ended the monster's reign of terror. This is the film in which Bela Lugosi finally took up the mantle of the monster, a role he spurned so many years ago, which opened the way for Boris Karloff's jump to stardom. It's a mix of Universal monsters as Lon Chaney Jr continues his role as tormented Larry Talbot also known as the Wolfman! This film is a double sequel as it is not only the sequel to The Ghost of Frankenstein, but also the sequel to the original The Wolf Man. The story is mostly about Talbot who escapes from the grave & is found in serious condition. Nobody at the hospital he is taken to believes him to be a wolf man so he escapes to find someone who can transform him back to just a man. With the help of the old Gypsy woman who told him of his curse, he goes in search of Frankenstein's diary in the hope it may cleanse him of his curse. In the old castle, he finds what he's looking for, but also finds a frozen monster. With the help of a young doctor, who's good intentions are overwhelmed by the brilliance of Frankenstein's work, the monster is revived, but too late for Talbot who turns into the Wolf Man. An epic battle ensues between the 2 beasts as the doctor flees for his life. The townspeople blow up the damn to destroy the 2 rampaging creatures or do they? Chaney & Lugosi are bolstered by Lionel Atwill, but most of the cast are unknowns. The effects are dated, but still pretty cool. House Of Frankenstein: This the sequel to the above & reunites the legendary Boris Karloff with the Frankenstein series. He is not the monster, but instead plays the mad Doctor Gustav Niemann who is newly escaped from prison & bent on continuing Frankenstein's work. With the help of the hunchbacked Daniel, he makes his way toward his goal. This is actually a 2 movies in one deal. The first part, Niemann takes over a sideshow that has the bones of Dracula. They arrive in a small town where the Burgomeister who put Niemann in prison resides. Niemann removes the stake from Dracula's chest & he returns to his original flesh & blood form, grateful to be back & willing to help Niemann. He kills the Burgomeister & kidnaps his daughter & is chased by police & her husband. Niemann double crosses Dracula to save his own skin. Thus ends the 1st film. Niemann & Daniel continue on & pick up a beautiful Gypsy girl who Daniel falls in love with. They arrive at Frankenstein's castle & mind the monster frozen in ice. They also find the Wolfman frozen as well. The two are thawed & the Wolfman returns to his normal form as Larry Talbot. They all go to Niemann's lab but chaos ensues when Talbot realizes he's being double crossed. Jealous Daniel also becomes a problem, but the torch wielding villagers win again! Or do they? The double feature within one film gets a bit tedious, but it's still a pretty good film. Chaney & Atwill return to give Karloff much needed star support & John Carradine stars as Dracula. These are decent old monster films & a must for those who collect classic horror. They are fairly tame so they're good Halloween scare fest films for the kiddies as well!Read full review
Hans J. Salter scores and the character actors are what make these films entertaining. Other than Long Chaney, Jr. and Patrick Knowles, the lead actors are less engaging. Karloff is stuck with a weak script and gives a tepid performance at best. The sequel to House of Frankenstein, House of Dracula, is generally regarded as the better film in terms of the performances and script. The charm of House of Frankenstein is in the novelty of its campiness, which wears out before the end. It lacks a flashback sequence to establish continuity with Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman, which has much better opening and closing scenes than House of Frankenstein, and a better script for Lon Chaney, Jr. to work with. Bela Lugosi, as the Frankenstein monster, has little to do, and the same goes for Glenn Strange in the role for the "House" film, which also features John Carradine as Count Dracula. His part was replayed to much better effect in the sequel (House of Dracula), which redeems the whole "monster rally" series from the unintentional humor of the pot-holed script of House of Frankenstein. Unfortunately for gothic horror fans, Universal would later revive these characters in the atrocious Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, a film that is nothing but garbage.Read full review
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Ah yes! Universal horror at it's best. Frankenstein and The Wolfman! Can you get any better? When I was a kid these were exciting on the Early Show after school. Come home, do your homework, hack around for awhile, then the Early Show. Usually had Frankenstein, the Wolfman, The Mummy, Dracula, King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, The Beast From 200,00 Fathoms etc. Great flicks for us kids. Scary but not too scary. Eat a before supper snack with some chocolate milk or an Old Colony or A-Treat soda and relax and have fun. ENJOY!
Wonderful examples of universal monster movies. Both are worth every cent. Recommended.even if Boris does not play frankenstien.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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