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What did you rate ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde''?

posted 14 years ago by J. Spurlin
11 replies | jump to latest

This is probably my least favorite meet-the-monster Abbott and Costello movie. Even for a silly slapstick comedy, the anachronistic depiction of Victorian-era London is annoying. The ward of a gentleman is a suffragette and a dance hall girl? The condescending depiction of the women's right-to-vote movement is also an eye-roller.

The slapstick is fast and lively, but way too broad. Abbott and Costello get very few funny things to do, and a lot of their antics are taken over by stunt men. Boris Karloff is always good to see, but since he's not really playing Mr. Hyde (despite the credit), he's not in it very much.

I rated this kiddie comedy 4/10 for the database. What did you rate it?

...Justin Glory be, Delbert, you should eat! You're a count, for God's sake!

[–] Strazdamonas 14 years ago

i rated it 8. this was probably the best meet the monster part of AnC.

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"Common sense is not so common."
- Voltaire

[–] J. Spurlin 13 years ago

How would you rank the others in order of preference?

...Justin

[–] Strazdamonas 13 years ago

I am really lazy to look it up at the moment. if you want to, you can do it yourself on my voting history: http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=32183105

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"Common sense is not so common."
- Voltaire

[–] ANDREWEHUNT 13 years ago

I gave it higher than you did, just because it was such a fun movie. I think I gave it about a 5.5. You're right about the Victorian London scenes not being authentic at all. And the woman suffrage movement is portrayed in a very unflattering way. I also didn't like the fact that all the Mr. Hydes in this movie (spoiler: there are more than one!) are way more like the Wolf Man than the traditional Mr. Hyde of the novel and of past film depictions. This Mr. Hyde snarls and looks like a werewolf. But I still thought the movie was a lot of fun. For me, the weakest Abbott and Costello meet the Monsters film is Meet the Mummy.

"You can dish it out, but you got so you can't take it no more." - Caesar Enrico Bandello

[–] J. Spurlin 13 years ago

Meet the Mummy is very childish, and the monster is not very scary or convincing. (Good monsters are what makes Meet Frankenstein so good.) But I liked it a bit better than this one because I laughed a bit more. The hide-the-medallion sequence is priceless.

...Justin

[–] dmnemaine 13 years ago

If Karloff isn't really playing Mr. Hyde, then who is? Certainly looks like him to me.

[–] J. Spurlin 13 years ago

Eddie Parker, a stuntman, played Hyde: imdb.com/title/tt0045469/trivia.

...Justin

[–] BreakingDexter 12 years ago

This one I rate 5/10. It just seemed like everyone was phoning it in, the writers, director, and A&C included.

[–] Iridescent_Phantom 11 years ago

The A&C monster factory was winding down by the time they got to Jekyll and Hyde. Everyone was simply going through the motions, included A&C, who were only a couple of years away from the breakup.

Also, both men were aging and it must have been getting really hard to do a lot of those old pratfalls without resorting to a stunt man.

It isn't rated very highly by critics and most A&C fans, but I found it more interesting that A&C Meet the Invisible Man and A&C Go To Mars. And it's always good to see Karloff in anything, even if he was subbed by Eddie Parker as Hyde.

To God There Is No Zero. I Still Exist.

[–] Ten-Inch-Toni 10 years ago

Also, both men were aging and it must have been getting really hard to do a lot of those old pratfalls without resorting to a stunt man.

Maybe you don't realize this, but Abbott and Costello always used stuntmen for their pratfalls in their films. I'm not certain who Abbott's steady stunt double was but Costello's stunt double was his older brother, Pat Costello. He didn't double for Lou in this one but was his brother's double in 10 of the A&C films. Starting with "Buck Privates".

Of course, Lou has his own stunt credits and in his younger days of vaudeville did all his own stuff.

[–] greenbudgie 10 years ago

This film is my favourite of the 'Meet' series by Abbott and Costello. I think 'Meet Frankenstein' beats it for monster jokes. But 'Meet Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' keeps me amused more. It's visual. So there is less of the Abbott and Costello patter which I am not very keen on. Like you, I would like to have seen more of Boris Karloff. I'm not too bothered by the movie's anachronisms. I don't mind a bit of Universal pastiche of the time period and customs and Robert Louis Stevenson's story. Boris Karloff plays a less treacle-like Dr Jekyll than is usual. He even turns nasty with his ward without having to turn into Mr Hyde. I think the film is great fun. I award 7/10.