Abbot and Costello search the London Fog of a murderous monster in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.
The Film
Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde works because the comedic duo are supporting players in their own film. The comedy horror film’s secret weapon is the amazing Boris Karloff as the cursed doctor who brings pathos and terror to the role. A clever riff on the Robert Louis Stevenson story of the id gone wild manages to subvert the story for comedic effect and has scenes of genuine terror.
These are not sequels but spiritual cousins to one another, finding interesting ways to meld the comedic sensibilities to these Monsters. Where Meet the Invisible Man was a film noir, Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a historical horror film set in Victorian England, with Abbott and Costello playing Americans learning from English Constables at the time. The duo is put in the middle of a Suffragettes riot, where Reporter Bruce Adams (Craig Stevens) and suffragette Vicky Edwards (Helen Westcott) meet cute and quickly begin a romance. This brings the ire of Vicky’s benefactor, Dr. Jekyll (Karloff), whose experiments bring out the monster in him, who is killing around in England.
This is by far the best of the Abbott and Costello Meet the Monster series because they’re used so effectively. Rather than the focus and center of the film, they’re relegated to support, adding the comedic kick when needed. The less time on screen makes even their most tired routines effective. Abbott’s constant bullying and being an outright asshole isn’t as grating. Costello’s frightful cowardice manages to be more effective because it isn’t happening every three minutes. Adding to the mix is that Karloff never plays anything but the tragedy of the entire story.
Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a worth edition of the comedy duo’s long comedy filmography. One that truly shines above and beyond because of its visually striking and clever collaboration between director Charles Lamont and ace cinematographer George Robinson.
The Transfer
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is yet again another excellent transfer. The image is flawless without a scratch or defect throughout the runtime. The Dolby Vision encoding adds an unparalleled amount of detail to the London fog that cinematographer George Robinson imbued his image with. The transfer is sharp, giving the image an almost 3D dimensionality that the best of 4K UHD have. I never tire of seeing the unraveled work done by Kino Lorber with their 4K UHD upgrades.
The Extras
They include the following;
NEW Audio Commentary by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Editor Stephen Jones
Audio Commentary by Film Historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani
Theatrical Trailer
The first of two Audio Commentaries is an all-new track by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Editor Stephen Jones. The duo opens with a discussion of the opening titles and credits, including Abbott and Costello getting credited twice and the curious writing credits that leave out Robert Louis Stevenson. Some of the details include that they both consider it one of the best of the Meet the Monsters films and their reasons why; the cost-cutting Universal used on the film, like filming on the Universal lot and recycling costumes to produce this historical horror film set in Victorian England; the wild historical fact that Suffragettes learning Ju-jitsu to protect themselves against police at the time; where Abbott and Costello were in their career when they made this film; how Abbott and Costello have been forgotten to time; the work of cinematographer George Robinson; the work and career of director Charles Lamont; the various Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptations for film beyond the Universal ones; the casting what if of Basil Rathbone who was offered this film; the contribution of artist Milicent Patrick on this production; a discussion of the career and films of Abbott and Costello – including a discussion of their time away from one another and what made them so well together; the collaboration through the years between Karloff and make up effects artist Jack Pierce; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The second Audio Commentary is an archival track by Film Historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani. The duo opens the track with their credentials before diving into the score that opens the film, which is a recomposition of the original score from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Some of the other details include Scrivani’s father knew Costello, and the context in which they knew each other; the various sets of the production used on the Universal Backlot; a discussion of the Abbott and Costello films of the 1940s and the 1950s, and what differentiated them; a discussion about Karloff’s displeasure in doing this film; a larger discussion throughout, there are various quotes and anecdotes from friends and family about Lou Costello; a larger discussion of various production notes and details from the shoot; and much more.
Theatrical Trailer (2:03)
The Final Thought
Another winner from Kino Lorber and their 4K UHD releases. Highest recommendations!!!
Abbot and Costello search the London Fog of a murderous monster in Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. New to 4K UHD from Kino Lorber.
The Film
Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde works because the comedic duo are supporting players in their own film. The comedy horror film’s secret weapon is the amazing Boris Karloff as the cursed doctor who brings pathos and terror to the role. A clever riff on the Robert Louis Stevenson story of the id gone wild manages to subvert the story for comedic effect and has scenes of genuine terror.
These are not sequels but spiritual cousins to one another, finding interesting ways to meld the comedic sensibilities to these Monsters. Where Meet the Invisible Man was a film noir, Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a historical horror film set in Victorian England, with Abbott and Costello playing Americans learning from English Constables at the time. The duo is put in the middle of a Suffragettes riot, where Reporter Bruce Adams (Craig Stevens) and suffragette Vicky Edwards (Helen Westcott) meet cute and quickly begin a romance. This brings the ire of Vicky’s benefactor, Dr. Jekyll (Karloff), whose experiments bring out the monster in him, who is killing around in England.
This is by far the best of the Abbott and Costello Meet the Monster series because they’re used so effectively. Rather than the focus and center of the film, they’re relegated to support, adding the comedic kick when needed. The less time on screen makes even their most tired routines effective. Abbott’s constant bullying and being an outright asshole isn’t as grating. Costello’s frightful cowardice manages to be more effective because it isn’t happening every three minutes. Adding to the mix is that Karloff never plays anything but the tragedy of the entire story.
Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a worth edition of the comedy duo’s long comedy filmography. One that truly shines above and beyond because of its visually striking and clever collaboration between director Charles Lamont and ace cinematographer George Robinson.
The Transfer
The all-new HDR/Dolby Vision Master – From a 4K Scan of the 35mm Original Camera Negative is yet again another excellent transfer. The image is flawless without a scratch or defect throughout the runtime. The Dolby Vision encoding adds an unparalleled amount of detail to the London fog that cinematographer George Robinson imbued his image with. The transfer is sharp, giving the image an almost 3D dimensionality that the best of 4K UHD have. I never tire of seeing the unraveled work done by Kino Lorber with their 4K UHD upgrades.
The Extras
They include the following;
The first of two Audio Commentaries is an all-new track by Novelist/Critic Kim Newman and Writer/Editor Stephen Jones. The duo opens with a discussion of the opening titles and credits, including Abbott and Costello getting credited twice and the curious writing credits that leave out Robert Louis Stevenson. Some of the details include that they both consider it one of the best of the Meet the Monsters films and their reasons why; the cost-cutting Universal used on the film, like filming on the Universal lot and recycling costumes to produce this historical horror film set in Victorian England; the wild historical fact that Suffragettes learning Ju-jitsu to protect themselves against police at the time; where Abbott and Costello were in their career when they made this film; how Abbott and Costello have been forgotten to time; the work of cinematographer George Robinson; the work and career of director Charles Lamont; the various Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adaptations for film beyond the Universal ones; the casting what if of Basil Rathbone who was offered this film; the contribution of artist Milicent Patrick on this production; a discussion of the career and films of Abbott and Costello – including a discussion of their time away from one another and what made them so well together; the collaboration through the years between Karloff and make up effects artist Jack Pierce; a larger discussion of the various actors that appear in the film; and much more.
The second Audio Commentary is an archival track by Film Historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani. The duo opens the track with their credentials before diving into the score that opens the film, which is a recomposition of the original score from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Some of the other details include Scrivani’s father knew Costello, and the context in which they knew each other; the various sets of the production used on the Universal Backlot; a discussion of the Abbott and Costello films of the 1940s and the 1950s, and what differentiated them; a discussion about Karloff’s displeasure in doing this film; a larger discussion throughout, there are various quotes and anecdotes from friends and family about Lou Costello; a larger discussion of various production notes and details from the shoot; and much more.
Theatrical Trailer (2:03)
The Final Thought
Another winner from Kino Lorber and their 4K UHD releases. Highest recommendations!!!
Kino Lorber’s 4K UHD Edition of Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is out now.
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