Moviecut—In Society

source: In Society

In Society

This movie is so disjointed no one seems to know why they are in it... except perhaps to recycle tired old vaudeville gags. With the movie's tenuous attempt to evidence any continuity, the viewer is confused and disappointed..... try Buck Privates, or Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, or better yet Hold That Ghost, if you really want a well made Abbott and Costello comedy.

A&C as plumbers - cue a 100-or-so cross-talk routines, trouble with pipes and a plethora of vulgar noises, before the duo somehow becomes embroiled in a high-society art theft. Naturally they save the day, but not without ruining the substantive part of it first. This particular A&C film is often much funnier than most, but it nevertheless remains as unbearably noisy, frenetic and annoying as any similar 'Three Stooges' short spun out to feature-length would have been. Rather more insultingly, a lot of the footage is lifted from WC Fields' 'Never Give A Sucker An Even Break'.

The famous "fire-truck" car-chase footage (exerpt) reused in 3 Universal movies shows up here, also in "Never give a Sucker an Even Break", and "Fireman, Save my Child". As "Society" plumbers they tear up the bathroom and it floats away. They are mistakenly sent another society invitation to a party instead of a complaint letter for destroying the plumbing. They "borrow" other guests' clothing and attend the affair. Lou undressing for the bath is a scream! Arthur Treacher plays "Pipps" the English butler. All too familiar material, even the stolen painting ("Animal Crackers") gag. Best enjoyed for "The Bagel St." and Susquehanna Hat Co." routine as everybody Lou asks for directions goes berserk and "pops" a straw hat. Only one (of four) songs is enjoyable: "No 'bout' a doubt it..." sung by (another) beautiful blonde. More action than later films. Tally Ho! The fox hunt is great fun, as Lou ends up "cuddling" with the fox.

Made towards the end of their first contracted stint with Universal Studios, "In Society" is possibly the last eminently watchable Abbott and Costello feature until they initiated their horror spoofs with "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", the picture which has probably survived the sands of time better than any of their others. In "In Society", the emphasis is very much on the physical and visual side of the pair's vaudevillian humour and there is little in the way of the verbal routines or snappy one-liners which are dotted around many of their other movies. But the visual set-pieces are performed with a great vivacity and enthusiasm for which Costello's apprenticeship as a stuntman in some pictures of the late twenties had prepared him well, and it is refreshing to find an unexpected but heart-warming tribute to W.C. Fields, including shots taken directly from the master's 1941 "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break".

This film definitely rates as one of Bud and Lou's best and the laughs kick off almost immediately as we see what I have to call a takeoff on "turn on the radio." This time around, it's "blow the horn" and an irate cop getting entangled with Lou. Abbott and Costello do plumbing as well--if not better--than the Three Stooges. The biggest laughs though may come from the classic Susquehana Hat Company gag--a routine I became familiar with from watching their old TV show, but I have to say, it was probably funnier here. Lou getting his bath drawn was another highlight. Of course, there are some of the drawbacks one would usually expect to see in an A & C feature--the staged singing numbers; although they don't grate on me as they do in some of their other features. Overall--if you like Bud and Lou--"In Society" is a must see. 9 stars

Abbott & Costello play two bumbling plumbers who are accidentally invited to a ritzy country club after being hired to do some emergency plumbing work by a wealthy man(and making a mess of things in the process). This gets them mistakenly invited to a ritzy country club, where they get into more trouble. Also there is woman taxi driver Elsie Hammerdingle(played by Marion Hutton) who begins a romance with a rich man, who doesn't know her true identity. Underrated comedy from the team has a most appealing performance from Miss Hutton, and some very funny moments: the best of which is the Bagel Street sketch, the single funniest scene I have ever seen in a film! Ending and some songs are weak, but otherwise most enjoyable.

IN SOCIETY (1944)*** One of Abbott and Costello's finest and funniest comedies with the boys as bumbling plumbers hobnobbing with the hoi palloi with some amusing moments in one of the first snob/slob comedies. Best bit: "Bagel Street" bit with poor Lou being abused while trying to run an errand for a friend.