Moviecut—Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

source: Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

I love Abbott and Costello. They always make me laugh. This is a pretty good movie. However, I can't figure out if they were trying for straight comedy or if they were trying to carry on their service comedy films. Rags should have stayed through out the film. It is a funny movie.

When it comes to their performances on radio, stage, and television Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are usually hilarious. Why they can't seem to fare as well in films is really strange. This 1945 series effort produced by MGM (the boys were on a loanout from Universal) sadly ranks as an overlong and dissapointing film entry for these two comic talents. MGM lost big money on this one.

Bud and Lou seem oddly Awkward at Times on the Back Lot of MGM. There are some Ups and Downs in this Mediocre Comedy with the Highlights often Coming from Special Effects oriented Chases and Lampoons with the Roller Coaster Climax amid an MGM Style Musical Number arguably the Funniest. There are a Few other Bright Spots including, again, a wide open Western Movie Set with Costello being Flung about, using SFX as a "Dummy". But the Banter between A&C is Not up to the Teams best and except for a Good Bit with a Sleep-Help Record there's not much else that is Prime Abbott and Costello. Sort of a Mid Range Movie for the Team and there is Enough to Recommend for Fans but casual Viewers are likely to be a bit Bored with some of the Stiff Stuff that goes on about Agents and Their Clients.

I accept that this isn't the best A&C movie ever made but you cannot blame the stars. The script was poor and some of the co-stars either didn't want to be there or just weren't up to the skills of ability that A&C achieved. There are some classic one on one scenes between Abbott & Costello with the best being the barber scene that will have you in stitches if you like burlesque style of humor. I for one am a fan however if you are a first time viewer of the famous duo I would recommend a movie released in the same year "The Naughty Nineties" or my personal favourite of "Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion" This is still a must see for A&C fans however if you watch this without prior knowledge you will be disappointed and you may not appreciate just how hard A&C work to make this a half decent movie. Thanks for the memories boys.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD (1945) **1/2 Pretty funny send-up of poking fun at Tinsel Town with the boys running amok on a studio's backlot (MGM) and causing the usual problems/laughs. Think of it as a precursor to "The Player" without the irony. Look for Lucille Ball in a cameo. Best bit: Lou being used as a stunt dummy in a Western shoot.

Abbott and Costello play bumbling barbers who become talent agents. Their first (and only) client is singer and actor Bob Haymes. They go to great lengths to make him a success. Fun but lesser outing from Bud and Lou; their last of three for MGM. The Hollywood backdrop provides for some funny gags like Lou pretending to be a stunt dummy. They don't get to meet any really big stars. Sure, there's Lucille Ball, but this is before TV. She was a B-level star at this time. In addition to her there's Preston Foster, Butch Jenkins, and Rags Ragland -- hardly the cream of MGM's crop. Rags' scene is pretty funny, though. Mike Mazurki, Warner Anderson, and Donald MacBride are all good in supporting parts. Frances Rafferty and Jean Porter provide the pretty. Haymes gets some singing numbers but nothing particularly noteworthy. Like I said, it's a fun Abbott & Costello movie but not one of their best. Certainly not something you'll regret watching. A nice way to pass the time.

As a fan of A&C when I was a kid, I remember being very excited the first time I saw this on television. But what a letdown. Yes, there's the usual A&C schtick, but where was the promise of Hollywood glamour and stars promised in the title? If I remember right, the closest to a big star the boys run into is Lucille Ball, and this was a long time before "I Love Lucy." She and a couple of second string directors are about the only real glimpse of "Hollywood" you get, except for Lou running amok in the studio, which is hardly a surprise. Still, I suppose it's my own fault for expecting an Abbott and Costello title to live up to its promise: in Abbott and Costello Go To Mars, they go to Venus, in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, Karloff isn't the killer (sorry, is that a Spoiler?) and in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, they don't.