The secret to Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is that the comedy duo takes a backseat in their own picture. That might sound like a criticism. In fact, it’s what makes this the best entry in their “Meet the Monsters” series after Meet Frankenstein. Less is more, and more Boris Karloff is never a bad thing.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are Slim and Tubby, two American cops studying police methods in Victorian London when they stumble into a suffragette riot. Here they meet newspaper reporter Bruce Adams (Craig Stevens) and young activist Vicky Edwards (Helen Westcott). Eventually, they cross paths with Vicky’s guardian — the tragic Dr. Henry Jekyll (Karloff, Frankenstein). Jekyll’s experiments have unleashed something monstrous, and bodies are piling up across the city, sending citizens into a growing panic.

What elevates this entry is Karloff’s instinctual commitment to playing the material straight. He brings a genuine sadness to Jekyll, never winking at the camera or condescending to the comedy around him. His presence grounds the film, making the horror elements feel real even when Abbott and Costello are doing their wacky routines. Moreover, because the duo has less screen time than usual, their comedic bits land better. Bud’s constant needling and scheming doesn’t wear as thin. Lou’s panicked cowardice actually works because the film doesn’t lean on it constantly as a crutch for easy laughs.

Director Charles Lamont and cinematographer George Robinson reunite for a film that looks far richer than its modest means suggest. Victorian London was conjured entirely on Universal’s backlot with recycled costumes, yet Robinson’s fog-drenched imagery creates a sense of genuine menace. The Mr. Hyde makeup—applied to stuntman Eddie Parker, rather than Karloff—feels rooted in monster tradition while carving out its own identity. So potent was the horror that Britain slapped the film with an X rating for Hyde’s violent outbursts and a “suggestive” dance-hall sequence featuring high-kicking chorus girls.

As with Kino Lorber’s previous Abbott & Costello 4K releases, this 4K restoration is a revelation. Sourced from the original camera negative and encoded in Dolby Vision, Robinson’s atmospheric compositions gain near three-dimensional depth. The image is sharp, clean, and reveals textures long lost to earlier editions.

Two commentary tracks add further dimension. Kim Newman and Stephen Jones deliver a lively discussion, noting the curious omission of Robert Louis Stevenson from the credits and exploring Universal’s cost-cutting strategies. They even unearth a fascinating historical tidbit that has become a IYKYK bit of info: suffragette bodyguards trained in jiu-jitsu to fend off attackers. Tom Weaver and Richard Scrivani’s archival track digs deep into production lore and Karloff’s rumored misgivings with the movie, though his performance hardly shows any displeasure.

Despite narrative detours and a plot that sidelines its marquee comedians, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde emerges as a worthy third entry—one that restores the monster to center stage with style.