Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (4K UHD Review)
Director
Charles LamontRelease Date(s)
1953 (November 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Universal-International (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A
- Audio Grade: A
- Extras Grade: B+
Review
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were winding down at Universal, and in general, during the 1950s. Though their films were still popular with audiences, especially children, they were simply not getting along and their time as a comedy duo was coming to an unfortunate end. However, they still had a couple of films left in them, and since their team-ups with the Universal monsters had proven successful, it was time for another one. Rolling out in the summer of 1953 was Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which saw them once again taking on Boris Karloff, who they had worked with previously in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff.
Bud (Slim) and Lou (Tubby) are two flat-footed policemen who, after trying to break up a brawl during a women’s suffrage assembly, wind up in trouble with their superior, subsequently losing their jobs. One of the suffragettes, Vicky (Helen Westcott), meets newspaper reporter Bruce (Craig Stevens), who’s not only sympathetic to her cause, but the two also quickly fall in love with each other. This doesn’t go over well with Vicky’s legal guardian, the respected Dr. Jekyll (Karloff), who has been experimenting with a serum that transforms him into the chaotically evil Mr. Hyde (Eddie Parker). Once this monstrous side of Dr. Jekyll begins committing murder, Slim and Tubby take it upon themselves to try and capture him so that they’ll be reinstated as policemen. Also in the cast are Reginald Denny, John Dierkes, Marjorie Bennett, and Vic Parks.
It’s clear by this point that Bud and Lou’s best days were behind them, and that there seemed to be fewer ideas for their film projects. Their television show was in its second and final season, but they were definitely not on the same page with each other. Indeed, it was getting more difficult to keep them together. Their latter work suffers for it, but that’s not to say that films like Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde don’t have their charms. Bud and Lou’s usual banter and slapstick routines may be tired and even neutered to some degree, but the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde plot isn’t that bad at all. In fact, it has the feel of a latter era Universal monster movie, just with some of the duo’s comedy thrown in. However, the plot manages to actually outshine them.
Their usual collaborator, Charles Lamont, returned to direct the film, though Boris Karloff was purportedly not thrilled to be in the picture. He had been asked to reprise his role as Frankenstein’s Monster for Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, but had refused, subsequently appearing in two of their other films. He takes on the role of a crazed aristocratic erudite bent on having his young ward for himself, which raises all sorts of red flags that I’m surprised the Hays Code didn’t have more of an issue with. He doesn’t even perform as the Mr. Hyde personality. Instead, low budget Western actor and stuntman Eddie Parker took on the role for Karloff, who was 67 at the time. Also worth pointing out is that Lou’s usual double Vic Parks stepped in whenever, through a series of comedic circumstances, he became the monster. Craig Stevens and the beautiful Helen Westcott are pleasant in their roles, though the suffragettes singing and dancing during their public rally certainly won’t be noted as the height of feminism.
Any and all flaws aside, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an enjoyable and brisk 76 minutes, and while critics were a little mixed on it, reception to it was generally favorable, especially for kids who lined up to the film during matinees. Robert Louis Stevenson probably wouldn’t have been all that pleased with it, and most Abbott and Costello fans certainly discount it along with their other latter works, but I’ll take more Abbott and Costello over none at all.
Cinematographer George Robinson shot Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde on 35mm black-and-white film with spherical lenses, the results of which were processed photochemically, and presented theatrically in the aspect ratio of 1:37:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a triple-layered BD-100 disc. It’s another gorgeous black-and-white image with a light layer of photochemical grain and a fairly stable bitrate that sits almost exclusively at or around 75Mbps. Detail is so much richer and tighter than previous incarnations, even opticals blend better than they have in the past. The HDR wrings out the detail in the shadows with super deep blacks, perfect grayscale, and excellent contrast all around. It’s also a clean and stable presentation, though there are occasional scratches and speckling, but they’re brief. Overall, it’s an impressive image.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a clean and satisfying track with discernible dialogue and plenty of support for sound effects and the musical score, some of which has been repurposed from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. Only a light natural hiss is audible, making for a solid mono experience.
The Kino Lorber Studio Classics 4K Ultra HD release of Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sits in a black Amaray case along with an inner sleeve and slipcover featuring the original theatrical artwork (though it’s worth noting that the main menu re-uses the film’s VHS artwork, which is a nice touch). The following extras are included on the disc:
- Audio Commentary with Kim Newman and Stephen Jones
- Audio Commentary with Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:03)
The first audio commentary features novelist and critic Kim Newman and writer and editor Stephen Jones who look at the film more through the eyes of monster movie fans than Abbott and Costello fans, though they admit that they do enjoy that aspect of it, as well. It’s a broad encapsulation of the era in which the film was made and the cast and crew behind it. The second commentary, recorded in 2008 for the initial DVD release, features film historians Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani. Acting mostly as a chat between the two men with Weaver occasionally punching up some quiet sections with additional information, it’s a more informative track based upon the shooting script, testimonies from those involved, and the pair’s own experiences with the film, particularly Scrivani who saw it during matinees as a kid. Despite some silent sections in the second commentary, both are terrific tracks and well-worth a listen. Last is the film’s trailer.
Not included from the original DVD release are the documentaries Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld and Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters. Also missing in action from Shout! Factory’s Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection 2019 Blu-ray boxed set is an image gallery and a set of production notes. There’s also the matter of the Castle Films 8mm excerpt that could have been unearthed and utilized, as well as a shorter trailer for the film, which is available on Youtube.
Even the most ardent fans of Bud and Lou admit that Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde isn’t one of their best, but I actually prefer it over some of the others, mostly for its solid monster movie antics. And even without lavish treatment, this 4K UHD release features a terrific presentation of the film that will be the preferred viewing option for many for quite some time. Caveats aside, this is still a highly recommended disc.
- Tim Salmons
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