The World's Most Famous Movie Monster? by Dave Goode

 

My introduction to the classic Universal monsters (Dracula,
Frankenstein's monster and the Wolf Man)was in Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein at a Halloween party when I was about five or six.It's one of my favorite all-time movies.It's both funny and terrifying.In some places it's both at the same time.Just check out the scene in the sub-basement in the "house of Dracula".Or the film's exciting climax.

 

 

 My first Frankenstein movie was I WAS A TEENAGE FRANKENSTEIN ( a follow-up to I WAS A TEENAGE WEREWOLF). This variation of the familiar story has a descendant of the original Dr.Frankenstein, portrayed by the great Whit Bissell, following in his ancestor's footsteps. The twist has him assembling a creature from recently deceased high school athletes.

 The creature is portrayed by Gary Conway, an actor who began his career as a model in "physique magazines". I thought that this version of the monster with a fullback's legs and wrestler's upper body would have made a great adversary for a comic book hero without super-powers or for a Mexiluchahero.

 The theme was touched on in several masked wrestler movies with the heroes squaring off against variations of the Frankenstein monster. In some cases, the Frankenstein's monster itself as in Santo & Blue Demon vs. The Monsters. It's sort of like Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein without the laughs. It does have laughs....but they're mostly unintentional.