Who Done It?

Who Done It finds our intrepid duo as soda jerks who want to be mystery writers and work on the Murder at Midnight Show. Bud and Lou go to a broadcast just in time to witness the real murder of the head of the network, Thomas Gomez.

So what do our two geniuses think to do? They decide to impersonate police officers and try and capture the criminal themselves. Interfering with a police investigation is an offense unto itself, but when Abbott and Costello do it, it's strictly for laughs.

The two cops who don't think it's that funny are William Gargan and William Bendix. Supposedly Costello was not happy with Bendix playing the dim bulb detective because he was getting more laughs than him. Mary Wickes who plays the secretary of Thomas Gomez also said she did not get along with Costello on the set.

The actual murderer turns out to be a very peripheral character who only had a couple of inconsequential lines before he's unmasked at the end. I tend to think there was probably more of his part, but it was edited out. Not that there are not a host of suspects like Patric Knowles, Jerome Cowan, Don Porter, Ludwig Stossel, and even Wickes and Louise Allbritton.

One actor who did not get any billing, but should have because he was very funny constantly getting the better of poor Costello was Walter Tetley who played the fresh mouthed young elevator operator. What he did to Costello bordered on sadism.

Who Done It is a fine slapstick burlesque of all these mystery films that all the studios were putting out back then. I guess it said that if even Abbott and Costello can solve a case anyone can.

WHO DONE IT? (Universal, 1942), directed by Erle C. Kenton, is a perfect example of how good a comedy can and should be, a fast-paced story with murder mystery combined. The result: 77 minutes of non-stop fun. Starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, this is prime Abbott and Costello, and the first to actually showcase them to best advantage, having the movie all to themselves, much to the delight of their fans.

Plot summary: Chick Larkin (Bud Abbott) and Marvin Q. Milgrim (Lou Costello) are a couple of soda jerks (no pun intended) at the Radio Center drug store where they hope to interest somebody in using their "Muck and Myer" script to land them jobs as mystery writers for GBS radio. Jimmy Turner (Patric Knowles), a former English college professor, is hired as a new staff writer for the "Murder at Midnight" program, thanks to Jane Little (Louise Allbritton), his former sweetheart and the show's producer. This does not fare well with its Marco Heller (Jerome Cowan), who fears of losing his job as top writer. While Chick and Marvin attend the broadcast of "Murder at Midnight," Colonel J.R. Andrews (Thomas Gomez), executive director and producer, about to make an important announcement, suddenly dies. His physician, Dr. Merek (Ludwig Stossell) diagnoses it as his failing heart but Jimmy discovers the victim was electrocuted and calls it murder. Chick and Marvin take the opportunity to act as detectives to solve the mystery themselves, even when Moran (William Gargan) and Brannigan (William Bendix), take over as investigators and wanting to place the two phoneys under arrest. Later, Marek is found murdered and a mysterious figure is seen roaming about the building. Juliet Collins (Mary Wickes), the script girl and executive secretary to the late Colonel Andrews, assists Chick and Mervin, in spite the fact that Mervin, who she has become interested, is using her to break into the radio business. Juliet even keeps the two from the clutches of the detectives. While doing a little detecting of his own, Jimmy finds a secret panel in Andrews' office consisting of coded messages, learning that a spy had been using the network to relay information over the air. Feeling he has discovered a motive, Jimmy, with the help of Jane, decides to re-enact the "Murder at Midnight" broadcast in order to trap the real killer. Easier said than done with Chick and Marvin around.

With plenty of gags, inside humor and classic A&C routines expertly worked into the plot, WHO DONE IT? has everything going for it, highlighted by atmospheric scenery, a wild roof top chase resembling that of a silent Harold Lloyd comedy (with Costello hanging onto a extended flag pole way above the city streets), and a well-kept secret to the killer's identity, which is enough to categorize this as a top-notch mystery-comedy. Aside from the question of "Who done it?," memorable stunts include Lou's involvement with an obnoxious elevator boy who tricks him into giving him five drinks of lemonade for the price of one; getting duped out of tickets to a broadcast; and by getting short-changed ("give me two dimes for a nickel"). For the record, the obnoxious elevator boy is wonderfully played by Walter Tetley, not by Bud Abbott Jr.

Other key A&C scenes include: "Limberger cheese" (where Lou serves the ultra smelling item to a customer while wearing a gas mask); Lou's facial expressions in fright; the Bud and Lou exchanges of "Votes and Volts," reminiscent to their classic "baseball" routine that's also worked into the plot without them enacting it. See how that's done. The big topper of them all is Lou meeting his match, tricking a dopey detective (William Bendix) into getting himself handcuffed. (This handcuff routine was reworked with Costello and Charles Laughton in ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (1952)). Let's not forget Costello's finest solo routine set in a drug store phone booth across the street from the radio station as he attempts to get through to "Alexander 2222" to claim his $10,000 prize from the "Wheel of Fortune" contest. Never able to get through becomes nerve racking, especially when everyone else is able to make their calls successfully. Character actress Gladys Blake takes part of this priceless bit as the perky operator with the nasal reply of either "The line is busy," or "Number, please?" Although musical interludes could have easily been worked into the script, being set at a radio station and all, and having the popular Andrews Sisters supplying a song or two as part of the radio hour, it wasn't for the benefit not slowing down the pace. With a fine assortment of character actors, Mary Wickes, in a Joan Davis-type performance, is an excellent foil for Costello. Sadly, their second and final collaboration, DANCE WITH ME, HENRY (1956), was far from being the best effort for both.

While not as notable today as ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948), WHO DONE IT is highly recommended viewing. Aside from availability on video cassette and DVD, it's cable TV history consisted of the Comedy Channel during the late 1980s, and American Movie Classics circa 2001. (***1/2)

This has always been one of my favourite Abbott & Costello's, it's a short, frantic murder mystery with plenty of slapstick routines to keep us fans happy. I think the pace of it all and the average volume of Lou's voice probably puts some people off, but hey they can't really be fans then, can they?

A murder is committed in full view in a radio studio, Bud and Lou are on the case unasked as detectives before the "real" ones show up. There's an odd love interest with Patric Knowles and Louise Allbritton, because he comes into the story, departs gallantly saying he won't take charity from a woman, and after the murder also gets involved unasked. Favourite bits: Watt's a volt; Lou in the "clues closet", Lou crashing through glass windows leaving his fleeing shape and even making an impression on a wall - all complete with hat; Alexander 2222.

The marvellous wartime Universal studio atmosphere pervades with some beautiful shadowy lit shots at the radio station - in fact the A&C films I love best are all from this period, replete with the atmosphere the Universal technicians achieved seemingly so effortlessly then. To a fan: one of their best, to an unbeliever: don't trouble yourself or the fans.

Who Done It? (1942)

*** (out of 4)

Chick Larkin (Bud Abbott) and Mervin Milgrim (Lou Costello) are two idiot soda jerks working in a building that's the home of some of the most famous radio mysteries in the world. When a man turns up dead on one of the broadcasts the two pretend to be detectives so that they can solve the case and get into the radio business.

WHO DONE IT? is without question the best of the early Abbott and Costello movies at Universal. This is true for several reasons but the biggest is the fact that the studio finally had enough confidence in them that they didn't need to add musical guests and numbers to the movies. Instead of music we're instead treated to several more jokes and there's no question that it really pays off and sends the duo into a new level of filmmaking.

There are many very funny gags throughout the film but one of the highlights is a sequence where Costello believes he's being shot and stabbed but he's too dumb to realize he just hit a switch to a radio broadcast. There are some other very funny moments at the expense of two real detectives and this leads to William Bendix and Costello having some nice moments together. Both Abbott and Costello are in fine form with their comic timing perfect together. They're also greeted to a nice supporting cast including Patrick Knowles, Louise Allbritton and Mary Wickes.

Fans of Abbott and Costello are certainly going to be entertained by this film but even non-fans should enjoy the actual mystery of the story and the various gags paying homage to the days when radio was king.

By 1942, with the release of "Who Done It?" Universal Studios had learned a thing or two about Abbott and Costello: Namely, that the ridiculous boy-girl subplots and the subpar music (except from the Andrews Sisters) that padded their other features to date where wholly unnecessary. Thankfully, Bud and Lou are given full reign in "Who Done It?" without any extraneous material.

That said, it's easy to see who "Who Done It?" is my favorite of all their features. Not only are "the boys" in top form, but the supporting cast is great as well; Mary Wickes is a perfect foil for Lou (bringing to mind his earlier clowning with Joan Davis in "Hold That Ghost"), and it's a shame the two didn't work together more (even *her* talents couldn't pump any life into "Dance With Me, Henry").

Abbott and Costello comedies are often long on laughs but short on plot. Not the case with "Who Done It?" The ins and outs of a radio spy ring are well crafted, providing appropriate counterpoint to the antics of Bud and Lou.

And what antics there are! Lou is convulsively funny here, from the opening moments where he deals with an obnoxious elevator boy (and "wins" a bet concerning the production of orange juice) to the later chase on the studio rooftop (and clever use of the sign "Vote for Townsend Phelps"). Classic bits--such as the insanity of "Alexander 2222", which reaches a new and self-deprecating conclusion--are here as well.

Sadly, Universal didn't remain knowledgeable about what to do with A&C for long; soon after, the love stories and drippy songs were back. But "Who Done It?" remains as a testimony to what this incomparable comedy team could achieve on its own.