MONSTER MASHUPS #66

Until now I've tended to suppose that 1943's FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN was the first true monster-mash, but as I've recapitulated in this review, Walter Lantz got there first in 1934 with his cartoon short "Wax Works." There was also a 1933 Mickey Mouse cartoon that predates that one, and that technically gets pride of place, though "Wax Works" is the one that really gets major mileage out of the creature-crossover concept.

MONSTER MASHUPS #65

 

I debated about whether or not to give individual entries to Universal's four "monster mashes," which are pretty much sui generis.  I finally decided that although the films just barely keep continuity with one another, they do all use the same basic template, in which a mad scientist-- or, in one case, a vampire controlling a mad scientist-- interacts with at least two monsters, shows preferential treatment for one over the other, and gets undone by the neglected-child monster.

I won't go into great detail here, since I've reviewed all four monster mashes in depth on my film-blog. Links follow:

FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN (1943)

HOUSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1944)

HOUSE OF DRACULA (1945)

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948)

ADDENDUM: I originally posted this entry here as one of the crossover-entries, but I realized that I hadn't included a post talking about these seminal flicks in the mashup category of fiction-- and so, here this repost, under its own separate heading.

MONSTER MASHUPS #64

 

Just reviewed CARRY ON SCREAMING here, which boasts a couple of very hairy Frankensteins, a living mummy and an ersatz Edward Hyde.