Transylvania 6-5000

Mac Turner orders Jack and Gil to go to Transylvania to pursue the lead on Frankenstein and deliver a banner headline. He warns that if they return with nothing, they will be fired. The mission is pitched as a make-or-break assignment for their careers.

The duo travels by planes, trains, and buses across Europe to reach Transylvania. They brace for a story they hope will catapult them to bigger outlets. The trip sets the chaotic tone for their expedition.

Jack spots Elizabeth Ellison, a pretty tourist from New York, and makes a pass. Gil, meanwhile, begins his reporting by probing a hotel desk clerk about Frankenstein, only to be met with ridicule. The contrast foreshadows the chaos to come.

Gil's question about Frankenstein triggers hysterical laughter from staff and locals, even the hotel staff; the mayor is drawn into the moment. Jack has to pull Gil away to avoid further humiliation and they retreat to their hotel. The incident signals how out-of-step they are with the locals.

A gypsy named Madame Morovia notices the writers and orders her companion to bring them to her. She hints that the truth behind Transylvania’s oddities lies beyond conventional questions. Her presence nudges the plot toward darker discoveries.

Jack and Gil arrive at their hotel, a castle-like structure with an Opening Soon banner. Fejos the butler greets them, and at brunch they meet Lepescu, where they also meet Radu and Lupi, who all seem to know more than they admit. Inspector Percek adds a note of skepticism about their quest.

The locals laugh off the two writers as outsiders and mock their Frankenstein hunt. Percek the local inspector remains dismissive, while Morovia urges them to stay the course. The atmosphere grows more tense as oddities accumulate.

The pair confront real horror figures: Wolfman Larry, vampire Odette, and swamp monster Twisto. Each encounter blurs the line between legend and reality and escalates the danger around them. The town’s quiet veneer starts to crack under their presence.

They learn of Victorio Malavaqua, a Sicilian doctor who lost his license and has been conducting 'experiments' in a sanatorium. Gil tries to secure an appointment but is rebuffed by the guard. The discovery points toward a secret medical operation behind the scenes.

Gil sneaks into the sanatorium and overhears Percek talking with Malavaqua about the experiments. They discuss a patient who resembles Frankenstein's monster and claim the creature died, setting up a chilling twist. An exhumation of the body later proves otherwise.

The investigation reveals Malavaqua as the mastermind behind Odette, Larry, and Twisto, with Radu serving as his lab assistant. Malavaqua’s goal is to clear his family name by creating ‘normal’ lives for those cast as outcasts. The town's fear gives way to uneasy sympathy for the 'freaks'.

Jack is attacked by the Wolfman, forcing Gil to intervene and save him from further harm. The police arrive but refuse to listen to Jack's account and lock him up. Elizabeth arrives and rescues him, exposing the town's misdirection during the crisis.

Jack and Gil confront Malavaqua in front of the town and reveal his plan to manipulate the townsfolk with his creatures. Elizabeth confronts Percek at the wine festival, persuading others to face the truth. Laura, who had vanished, returns with the monster but is revealed to have been sleeping, not dead. Mac finally gets his banner headline declaring Frankenstein Lives and the truth.