Here comes Christmas, lets get chilled out and some time off with repeats on the telly !
oh,,If I p...
Here comes Christmas, lets get chilled out and some time off with repeats on the telly !
oh,,If I promise to come back with an 'E', THEN REMIND ME !!, I will not be offended.Greg
Member since:24.09.2004
Reviews:391
Members who trust:119
Abbott And Costello Meet The Killer and Hyde. ==========================
The Boys: ====== Bud Abbott was born in1895 in New Jersey, USA. Surprisingly Lou Costello was born 1906 also in New Jersey, USA. They had both toured in ‘Burlesque’ but had only limited success until teaming up in 1936. But it wasn’t until 1940 until they where signed by ‘Universal’ and went on to make their first movie ‘Night in the Tropics’. By 1950 there Star was starting to fade.
Also, not all was well between the boys, as at times throughout their career together, Bud had a 60/40 split on their earnings and this had always irked Lou. Later it would surface and eventually along with the drinking and gambling and being chased by huge Tax bills, they eventually split in 1957.
Sadly Lou Costello died 2 years later in 1959. Bud Abbott however lived until 1974! Their work will remain timeless as is the way with innocent and genuinely funny comedy.
The Killer. ====== The film is set in the hotel, 'Lost Caverns'. Lou Costello is Freddie Phillips who is probably the worlds worst bell hop. Losing cases, trapping peoples fingers in the lift doors and finding dead bodies in the cupboard are among the many mistakes he is apart of. Bud Abbott plays the hotel security detective who is forever getting Lou to do his dirty work for him.
Now there is a dead body on the premises and the police are involved. there are a few suspects including the 'Swami' (Boris Karloff) who decides to frame Lou as so sets about hypnotising him into confessing to the murder but then there is another killing and everybody starts to panic.
Enough of the plot, This is a super film. Bud and Lou are in the 'zone' and here you see them at the top of their game.
Lots of gags and the scenes concerning the finding of the dead bodies are simply superb and hilarious. Kids and adults alike, today, could watch it with no concerns of offence. Never scary enough to scare the kids. So funny that the scary bits are laughable. Bud and Lou are in the zone with plenty of slaps and puns. You know that the ending is, of course, a happy one. This is a cracking movie and worth a watch, true it's their standard stuff but that in its self is still very funny.
Recommended.
Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. ============= Abbott and Costello play 2 American cops, Slim and Tubby respectively who are sent to the uk to study our policing tactics. Really though their chief just want a rest from them! Through their usual mishaps they end up in jail but are then bailed out by a mysterious and secretive Dr Jekyll.
Unfortunately his potionfor changing himself into Mr Hyde ends up with Lou and soon he and several policemen have unwittingly taken it. London is soon over run with mini Mr Hydes. The chaos is pure Abbott and Costello with lots of running gags and slapstick made zanier with the aid of Boris Karloff who gives his usual brand of over the top evil baddie.
They had a tendency to play out a joke, then repeat it, then repeat it whilst each time building the humour higher and higher right up till and explosive crescendo. Whilst another ploy they utilised was to use pathos and have a slow burn to it. Between the three of them it makes for a standard A & C movie. Hilarious and madcap right from the start, until the barmy ending.
That doesn’t mean to say its dull or flat, in fact it is one of their better movies and worth a watch if it comes on the TV.
Sound quality at times is a bit scratchy but to me that adds to the enjoyment. Picture quality is along the same lines, really DVD but non the less highly watchable.
DVD Extras, non to speak of apart from the usual chapter selection.
Greg.
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Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
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