Quick Rating:  ***

By the early 40s, interest in Universal's horror movies had declined, and the studio as a result decided to start combining their popular characters into the same movie.  The first of such films is Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman.  Sequentially, this follows the Wolfman, and the Ghost of Frankenstein.  Graverobbers break into the Talbot family crypt and disturb Larry Talbot's grave.  Unfortunately for them, they did this on a night of a full moon.  The lunar light gives life back to Talbot, and he becomes the werewolf, killing one of the robbers, and escaping the cemetery.
 
He's found miles away and is taken to the local hospital, where he confuses the doctors and police with his stories of lycanthropy.  This part of the movie is great, as is Chaney reprising his role.  Talbot wants no more of this curse afflicting him, and decides to seek death out.  He tracks down the old gypsy lady, but she cannot help him.  She does, however, know of someone who could - Frankenstein!  They travel to Vasaria, only to find that the doctor had died.  Oops, another full moon.  This leads to more hair, a murder, and an angry mob.  Talbot stumbles upon the frozen Frankenstein's monster (this time played by Bela Lugosi.  This sorta makes sense, because in "Ghost", Ygor's brain was given to the monster, so now the man who played Ygor played the monster).  Anyway, Talbot is searching for the doctor's notes of life & death, and then contacts the doctor's daughter Elsa.
 
Well, an eloborate plan to kill Talbot is concocted and attempted.  One thing leads to another, and of course, the two monsters face off against each other.  The battle is well done, but too short.  Overall, the movie's not bad.  There does seem to be some heavy editting forces at work, especially near the end.  And Bela is not too convincing as the monster, just lumbering around, a shell of what the character was in previous films.  The film is really about Talbot, and Chaney delivers, as both the human and wolf sides of Larry.
 
 
 
 

Quality: 4.0  Visuals: 6.0  Intensity: 5.5 
OVERALL RATING: 5.1