Two Versus Two-in-One- Boris Karloff Goes Through Them Changes When "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde" Tonight!

Tonight on MeTV- we have a different take on a classic Robert Louis Stevenson horror novel – which boasts not only one of the greatest stars of Universal horror- but also the studio’s longtime top comedy team. It’s been a while since we’ve run this movie- so we have brought back  "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde"- featuring Boris Karloff as the tormented doctor!

Bud and Lou appear to be in some sort of law enforcement exchange program, as they are studying London police methods by aiding (?!) Scotland Yard’s force- a department currently preoccupied with finding some murderous maniac who’s on the loose, his latest victim being a prominent doctor! A crusading reporter happens upon a woman's rights demonstration (which, naturally, gets out of hand with the aid of Bud and Lou- and some loutish men who don't agree with equality for ladies) and becomes very interested in the young woman leading it- Vicky, a pretty showgirl who also happens to be the ward of the eminent Dr. Jekyll! In the fray, all four are arrested- with Bud and Lou losing their standing with the police. Jekyll arrives to bail out his ward, and, consequently, gets a little miffed at the attention the reporter is paying to her.

Our two "heroes", dismissed from duty, decide that they must collar a criminal to get back in Scotland Yard's good graces- Bud opts for the maniac, but Lou would rather collar a burglar they conveniently spot (unfortunately- it turns out that it IS the maniacal Mr. Hyde)! Trailing him, they end up at the theatre that Vicky performs at, where they encounter the demonic Hyde- and their pursuit of him brings them to a wax museum (with some familiar figures from one of their most famous flicks). They think they have Hyde trapped- but, along the way, he reverts to Jekyll, and Bud and Lou are again treated with disdain by their old police supervisor. The wily Jekyll asks the boys to accompany him to his home, and will pay them to stay overnight as "protection"- which leads to discoveries and mayhem- and, as the reporter becomes closer to the ward, and Vicky reveals his intentions to her guardian, Jekyll's possessive feelings for the girl and raw jealousy bring out the beast in him- literally!

It's always a plus to have Karloff in a film, with Boris working with the boys again  after previously starring with them in 1949’s “Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff”.( We know that he declined to appear in “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”). We get some interesting transformations- in fact, once Dr. Jekyll transforms into Mr. Hyde, it’s actually  Boris’ stand-in - stuntman Eddie Parker! Adding some additional star power, Craig Stevens, TV's "Peter Gunn" is the reporter. We'll fill you in on more of the cast and production details, and add in some two-faced shtick- plus, there's one particular Sven bit of business, playing off a daytime TV personality, that has become a favorite of Sven fans. We have gotten a really nice HD digital print of the movie as well!

"Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde" runs tonight on Me-TV at 8pm eastern/pacific, 7 central, or, if you're not sure of time in your area, please check your local listings or at www.metv.com . Last week, our show was among the top ten trending topics on Twitter during the show, thanks to the live- tweeting of Sven fans- and you can join in again this week, using the hashtag #svengoolie. Our Chicago area viewers get a second look at the “War of the Colossal Beast” at 11 am this morning on CW26.

The Sven zip-up hoodies, which many fans have asked for, have proven to be a big hit- with the pull-over version still available. Please check them out in our store, and join us tonight for Bud, Lou and Boris!

Finally- let us never forget the tragedy that occurred on this day twenty years ago. We honor the memory of those we lost- and the brave people who sprang into action in the worst of times.