Talk About Cinema

Remember how I said Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was a strange idea for a crossover? Well, that's a normal idea compared to the idea of Abbott and Costello's second and last color film, Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd . At least the Universal Monsters were already part of a long-lasting franchise. Captain Kidd was a 1945 dramatic film featuring Charles Laughton in the role of the title character. They even managed to get Laughton on board to reprise his role for this film. Why they chose Captain Kidd specifically to make a crossover with, we may never know. Abbott and Costello play Rocky Stonebridge and Oliver Johnson, a pair of tavern workers who are entrusted by Lady Jane (Fran Warren) with the task of delivering a love note to their co-worker, Bruce Martingale (Bill Shirley). Captain Kidd (Laughton) and his crew are in town and while serving him, Oliver mixes up the letter with an important map belonging to Captain Kidd. Rocky seizes on this opportunity to ...

At first glance, Lost in Alaska wouldn't appear to be all that promising of a film given that the whole snowy theme was already done in Hit the Ice . But while Lost in Alaska does have a few problems (very few Abbott and Costello films don't), overall it actually does manage to be a pretty solid comedy film. Lost in Alaska finds Abbott and Costello playing Tom Watson and George Bell, two volunteer firemen who save the life of "Nugget" Joe McDermott (Tom Ewell) after he attempts to kill himself. McDermott had struck rich in the Yukon, but decided to end his life when his girlfriend, Rosette (Mitzi Green) stopped loving him. He later receives a telegram from Rosette claiming she still loves him and decides to return to the Yukon with Tom and George in tow, since the newspapers mistakenly reported that Joe had been murdered by the two of them. In Alaska, Tom and George must protect Joe from "old-timers" who want to kill Joe for his gold. The story is dec...

Jack and the Beanstalk marked the first of two independent films that Abbott and Costello made to be distributed by Warner Bros. Both were filmed in color and clearly had high production values put towards them, certainly higher than their most recent Universal film . Does this make it a good movie? Eh...kind of. Costello plays Jack, who is given the task of babysitting the siblings of Eloise Larkin (Shaye Cogan). While attempting to read the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk" to Eloise's brother Donald (David Stollery), Donald instead ends up reading it to Jack and makes him fall asleep. In his dreams, Jack imagines himself as the Jack from the fairy tale, with Abbott portraying Mr. Dinklepuss, the man who cons him into trading his cow for magic beans. When the beans grow into a beanstalk, Jack and Mr. Dinklepuss climb it in an attempt to find everything that was stolen by the giant, including a princess and a prince (Cogan and James Alexander). This is one of the mor...

Comin' Round the Mountain sucks. The end. 1 out of 10 OK, OK, fine. I'll talk about the film, but...oh my gosh, I could not believe how awful this film was! Sure, Abbott and Costello made awful films before, but this film was just flat out uncomfortable to watch, even more than Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff . Abbott plays Al Stewart, a theatrical agent who represents Dorothy McCoy (Dorothy Shay) and The Great Wilbert (Costello). After hearing Wilbert scream during a bad performance, Dorothy deduces that he must also be a member of the McCoy clan, and takes him and Al to meet the rest of their family after revealing that Wilbert could make millions from a treasure that was hidden by his grandfather. Granny (Ida Moore) agrees that he's a member, but cannot reveal the location of the treasure until after Wilbert is married. This results in entanglements with love potions, a feud with the Winfield clan, and some backstabbing from members of the McCoy ...

It's surprising how well Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man holds up given that, at first glance, it seems to be an obvious attempt to cash in on the success of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein . Yet, somehow, it manages to be better than the not obvious cash-ins made since Meet Frankenstein 's release. Abbott and Costello play Bud Alexander and Lou Francis, a pair of detectives awaiting their first big case. They get their first case from Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz), a boxer who was framed for murder and needs their help in clearing his name. Nelson disguises himself by using a special serum that will turn him invisible, and uses this to spy on the people who set him up. Ultimately, his plan to clear his name involves posing Lou as a boxer! To me, the most interesting thing about this film is the relationship between Bud, Lou, and Tommy. Initially, Bud wants to turn him in and attempts to double cross him a couple times. This isn't like most other times wh...

It's been quite a stretch of time since I've seen a good Abbott and Costello film and, unfortunately, Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion continues that trend. While not quite as bad as Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff , this film was still a chore to sit through. Abbott and Costello play wrestling promoters Bud Jones and Lou Hotchkiss, who fix wrestling fights. One of the wrestlers, Abdullah (Wee Willie Davis) is supposed to lose the next match but refuses and leaves to return to Algeria. Since they took money from a syndicate in order to bring him there, they have to go to Algeria and bring him back. In the process, they get mistaken for spies by Abdullah's cousin, Sheik Hamud El Khalid (Douglass Dumbrille), who is involved in a railroad scheme along with Sgt. Axmann (Walter Slezak), a Foreign Legionnaire. Axmann tricks Bud and Lou into joining the Foreign Legion, Bud and Lou meet a French spy, they have to prove that Axmann is involved in the sc...

Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is like the 1940s equivalent of clickbait. It promises you a lot while delivering very little. While Abbott and Costello do indeed "meet" Boris Karloff in this movie, he is not the killer, nor is his role nearly as prominent as the title suggests. Costello plays Freddie Philips, a bellboy for a hotel who enrages guest Amos Strickland (Nicholas Joy) and ends up getting fired as a result. Philips, mad about this, threatens Strickland and this results in him becoming the primary suspect when Strickland is murdered. House detective Casey Edwards (Abbott), believing Philips to be too dumb to commit the murder, attempts to help him clear his name, while also having to deal with a group of former clients of Strickland's, including Angela Gordon (Lenore Aubert) and Swami Talpur (Boris Karloff). When this film first started, I thought it actually seemed pretty promising. Costello's threat to Strickland made it seem like he...

With a supporting cast that includes Shemp Howard, Max and Buddy Baer, and future Abbott and Costello Show regulars Hillary Brooke and Joe Besser, one would think that Africa Screams is better than it is. That's not to say that Africa Screams is necessarily a bad film; just an underwhelming one. Buzz Johnson (Abbott) and Stanley Livingston (Costello) work at a book store. When Diana Emerson (Hillary Brooke) expresses interest in a book containing a map in it, Buzz and a reluctant Stanley take the opportunity to accompany her on an expedition to Africa, as Stanley has read the book that she was looking for and supposedly remembered the map. Along the way, Stanley is followed by a gorilla that he unintentionally saved and the duo continues to annoy the members of the expedition, which also includes famous animal trainer Clyde Beatty, nearsighted hunter Gunner (Shemp Howard), and the whiny Harry (Joe Besser). The main problem with this film is Abbott and Costello themselves. The s...

With Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein being such a huge success at the box office, you'd think that Universal would try to just cash in on that right away and make even more crossovers between Abbott and Costello and the Universal Monsters. Actually, that wasn't the case, at least, not yet. Instead, they chose to adapt a Cole Porter musical, Mexican Hayride . Add this to the fact that Charles Barton, director of The Noose Hangs High and  Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein , was set to helm this project, Universal must have thought they had all the elements to succeed. They did not. Costello is Joe Bascomb, a man from Iowa who's on the run after getting involved in an oil stock scam set up by Harry Lambert (Abbott). After another misunderstanding involving his ex-girlfriend, Mary (Virginia Grey), Bascomb finds himself travelling through Mexico as the United States's "goodwill ambassador" under the new name of Humphrey Fish. Meanwhile, two cops (Tom Po...

Get ready for the ultimate crossover! Dracula is on the hunt for subjects to give the Frankenstein monster a new brain. With the help of his assistant, he is going to take these new subjects to his castle and perform the operation. However, one man is standing in his way: Larry Talbot, a.k.a. the Wolf Man. Featuring Bela Lugosi as Dracula, Glenn Strange as the Monster, Lon Chaney, Jr. as the Wolf Man, and, in their most frightening performance yet, Abbott and Costello...wait, what? Yes, this movie actually happened. Someone at Universal must have said, "You know what moviegoing audiences have really been clamoring for? They want Abbott and Costello to meet the Universal Monsters." I mean, sure, these were two of their most profitable franchises, but pairing them together makes as much sense as having Martin and Lewis meet King Kong, or having Daffy Duck and Porky Pig meet the Groovie Ghoulies... oh right, that happened.  Whatever happened, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenst...

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,...

The Time of Their Lives is the second and final film to feature Abbott and Costello working as two separate acts as opposed to a duo. Not only is it the superior of these two experimental films, but it’s also one of their best films period. Costello plays Horatio Prim, a tinker who is engaged to Nora O’Leary (Ann Gillis) in 1780. Nora is a housemaid for Tom Danbury (Jess Barker), who is taking part in Benedict Arnold’s plans to betray the American army. Tom’s fiancée, Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), finds out about the plot and along with Horatio attempts to expose the plot. Unfortunately, they are mistaken for traitors by American troops and shot to death. Their ghosts are cursed to stay on the estate until their innocence can be proved and 166 years later, they might get their chance when they discover a letter of commendation from George Washington to Horatio may still exist. With the help of some residents at the estate, they must find the letter to prove their innocence...

Little Giant is not really an Abbott and Costello film; rather, it’s a film that happens to star both Abbott and Costello. While they do share scenes together, this is the first film where they’re not treated as a comedy duo. Some have cited a rift between the two as being the reason for this while others have suggested that Universal decided on this in an attempt to boost dwindling box office receipts. Whatever the reason, Little Giant and their next film, The Time of Their Lives , were the results. Benny Miller (Costello), who lives on his mother’s farm, dreams of one day becoming a salesman. After completing a phonograph course, he sets out to work at the vacuum company where his Uncle Clarence (George Cleveland) works. Despite his best efforts, Miller manages to bungle every opportunity, irritating manager John Morrison (Abbott) and his wife, Hazel (Jacqueline deWitt) and he is transferred to another branch, where he attempts to build the confidence he needs to become a g...

The old phrase, “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” applies perfectly to Abbott and Costello in Hollywood . The team’s final MGM movie is a reworking of Buster Keaton’s first sound film, Free and Easy . Free and Easy is one of Keaton’s worst films; Hollywood is one of Abbott and Costello’s best. Buzz Curtis (Abbott) and Abercrombie (Costello) are a pair of barbers in a Hollywood salon. While cutting the hair of agent Norman Royce (Warner Anderson), they come across Jeff Parker (Robert Stanton), a singer who attempts to get Royce to sign him. At the urging of one of his clients, Gregory LeMaise (Carleton G. Young), he decides to pass on representing the boy, so Curtis and Abercrombie decide to take a shot and become Jeff’s agents. With the help of their friend Claire Warren (Frances Rafferty), they attempt to break Parker into show business. Continuing the tradition of the previous two features for MGM, Abbott and Costello are in top form and given plenty of sc...

The Naughty Nineties may as well have been called Abbott and Costello Perform “Who’s On First?” because that seems to be the one thing everyone remembers about this film. The rest of the film is basically ignored, and admittedly I can kind of see why, though I still think it’s a decent enough film. Captain Sam (Henry Travers) is the owner of a showboat called The River Queen, whose main stars are Sam’s daughter Caroline (Lois Collier) and Dexter Broadhurst (Bud Abbott). When Captain Sam accidentally gambles away 3/4 interest of his boat to a group of crooked gamblers, Caroline, Dexter, and crew worker Sebastian Dinwiddle (Lou Costello) must find a way to get rid of them. Let’s start with the film’s rendition of “Who’s On First?”. It’s good. I don’t think it’s the best rendition ( The Colgate Comedy Hour version has always been my preferred interpretation of the routine), but it’s still an energetic enough version of the routine, and it’s also the only full version to appear in a...

Here Come the Co-Eds is Abbott and Costello’s contribution to the college movie sub-genre, which had been especially popular with Golden Age comedians, and while the film is no Horse Feathers or The Freshman , they still managed to create an enjoyable film that maintains a fairly good pace throughout. Slats (Abbott) puts together a publicity stunt for his sister Molly (Martha O’Driscoll) in which she pretends to be interested in Bixby College. She is eventually accepted to the school on a scholarship, while Slats and his friend Oliver Quackenbush (Costello) are hired as caretakers. Chairman Kirkland (Charles Dingle), who holds the mortgage for the college, is not happy with her being offered the scholarship and threatens to close down the school unless she is expelled, so the school must raise the money for the mortgage in order to both keep the school open as well as allowing an expansion in their athletics program. The music is a bit hit-and-miss here. Some of the music is actu...

Abbott and Costello finally returned to MGM in 1944 to make Lost in a Harem . Although Rio Rita ’s story wasn’t really good, it did show that MGM knew how to properly showcase the team’s talents. Lost in a Harem further proves this, except this time they are provided with a better story. Prince Ramo (John Conte), whose throne has been taken from him by his uncle (Douglass Dumbrille), enlists the help of singer Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell) and her buddies Peter Johnson (Abbott) and Harvey Garvey (Costello) in an attempt to get it back. If they help him, he promises to help them return to their home country. They must steal a pair of magic rings from the uncle that hypnotize people while also avoiding being hypnotized themselves. Before moving on with this review, I think it is important to address the fact that this is a film from the 1940s that takes place in the Middle East. Unsurprisingly, there are Middle Eastern stereotypes, notably the fact that many of them keep and use a sp...

First, a bit of background history about Abbott and Costello during this time. Shortly after filming Hit the Ice , Lou Costello came down with a serious bout of rheumatic fever, which kept him confined to bed for over 6 months and shortly after recovering his infant son accidentally drowned in the family pool. This was the first Abbott and Costello movie to be released after both of these tragedies (although it was filmed after MGM’s Lost in a Harem ), so it’s very surprising to see that he actually gives such a lively performance. Despite this, though, the film as a whole is not good. Eddie Harrington (Abbott) and Albert Mansfield (Costello) are two plumbers who mistakenly receive an invitation to a high society gathering hosted by Mrs. Winthrop (Margaret Irving), who will be displaying a valuable painting called “The Plunger.” While there, they discover that a loan shark (Thomas Gomez) whom they’ve been acquainted with is planning to steal the painting and it is up to them to stop ...