Talk About Cinema

The Noose Hangs High had been in the works at Universal as early as 1945, according to Matthew Dessem’s book, The Gag Man , but it was shelved. Abbott and Costello later bought the rights to it and had it produced independently, which was probably for the best, as The Noose Hangs High ranks as one of their best films. Ted Higgins (Abbott) and Tommy Hinchcliffe (Costello) are window washers who are mistaken for employees of the Speedy Messenger Service by bookie Nick Craig (Joseph Calleia). A mishap results in them bungling a job for Craig that cost him $50,000, and he gives them 36 hours to get the money so he can deliver it to the man he owes the money to, J.C. McBride (Leon Errol). The movie takes a somewhat episodic approach to it. The film actually opens not with story explanation, but instead with Costello dealing with a broken tooth and having to see a dentist. I like this approach; it kind of reminds me of The Abbott and Costello Show in a way, albeit with a...

It’s pretty clear that Universal was running out of ideas for Abbott and Costello considering that they followed Buck Privates Come Home , which itself was a sequel, with a second attempt at a western comedy, after Ride  ‘ Em Cowboy . Not that I’m complaining, though, as The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap is definitely better than their first attempt. Duke Egan (Abbott) and Chester Wooley (Costello) are traveling salesmen who decide to try their luck in Wagon Gap, Montana. Wooley shoots his gun in the air at a random time and seemingly kills criminal Fred Hawkins. By law, he is forced to care for his widow (Marjorie Main), all the while dealing with a town that wants to overwork him in order to pay off Hawkins’s debts. Abbott and Costello actually don’t do that many routines together in this film. The only real one of note from the past is the clam chowder routine, this time with a frog substituting for the clam. Actually, to their credit, this is a pretty good rendition ...

With Abbott and Costello officially a team again, it seemed only natural that Universal would attempt to make a sequel to the film that made them famous, Buck Privates , as their comeback film. If you recall, I thought that Buck Privates was a film with hilarious routines and some great music numbers, but its unbalanced characters and ridiculous amount of time devoted to the romantic leads really bogged it down. Buck Privates Come Home was made at a time when Universal had gotten a better idea on how to incorporate Abbott and Costello into their own films. Does that mean it’s better than its predecessor? Well...let’s look at the story. Slicker and Herbie have been discharged from the Army, but not before taking in a six-year-old French orphan named Evey (Beverly Simmons). When she is discovered, immigration officials attempt to send her back, but she’s determined to stay and hides out with Slicker and Herbie. Slicker and Herbie have to find a stable job so they can adopt Evey,...