Abbott und Costello in Hollywood

Returning to the MGM lot in the Spring of 1945, Abbott and Costello make what would be their last, and funniest, film at the Tiffany of studios. Declining revenues during the war took its toll at MGM, and the loan-out deal with Universal was not renewed. Bud and Lou probably didn't mind, as there was a downturn in script quality at MGM -- not to mention a downturn in their salaries!!!

"In Hollywood" isn't as poor as their first two MGM films, however. "Rio Rita" and "Lost In A Harem" suffered from poor pacing; here, the pacing is fine. And it's fun to see Lou get into trouble on the MGM lot(in the film, the studio is Mammoth.) Incidentally, MGM lifted the idea of Lou's cavorting on the set from Buster Keaton's 1930 MGM film "Free and Easy." Another fun scene is on the midway set; it's ludicrous to believe that Costello is staying balanced on one wheel on the roller coaster, but, hey, that's what makes the scene funny and enjoyable to watch. The best scene in the film is the "insomnia" sketch, where Costello finds it impossible to sleep through the record that's supposed to put him to sleep (people raised only on CDs can't relate to this!)

All in all, "In Hollywood" is a few notches above A&C's other MGM films. Video collectors take note: although "The Noose Hangs High" and "Dance With Me, Henry" were released on video by MGM/UA, they were actually independent productions. "In Hollywood" was their last MGM film, and a decent one at that. 7 out of 10.

Buzz Kurtis (Bud Abbott) and Abercrombie (Lou Costello) are working at a Hollywood salon for the stars. Abercrombie pays Buzz to teach him how to be a barber and it's not going well. They do a house call at Hollywood agent Norman Royce's office. They witness his work and decide to become agents themselves.

I love the shaving scenes. Lou is turning into full Curly. I like him with the kids. There are some very funny individual scenes. The overall story is not that important and it's not that compelling. This end with a couple of dangerous split second stunts and a fun roller coaster ride.

After just reviewing the first of two Laurel & Hardy movies Lou Breslow wrote (Great Guns), I thought I'd then review the only film he co-wrote for that other comedy team I've been reviewing lately on this site-Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood. The two play barbers to the stars who also service an agent which then has them switching careers. Breslow, along with Nat Perrin, wrote some pretty funny routines for Bud & Lou without the help of their usual writer John Grant whose name is prevalent in their Universal releases. This was their third and last M-G-M one. Since this one takes place in Tinsel Town, there are some stars that appear though not Metro's biggest-Clark Gable and Judy Garland are only mentioned but one gets Rags Ragland-a studio comic who gets his unfortunate treatment from Lou in the barber chair, child star Butch Jenkins who Lou tells his version of Little Red Riding Hood with Butch interrupting with nonsense questions, and Lucille Ball-years before her TV superstardom in "I Love Lucy". Like I said, the A & C routines are funny though some probably could have been edited a little. Since this was during the early part of the comedy team's movie career, there are some musical interludes of which the amusement park sequence is a highlight with Costello on a roller coaster providing some good laughs. I especially liked the sequence where he's mistaken for a dummy! So on that note, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood is recommended. So as we leave A & C on their last M-G-M picture, we'll next review Laurel & Hardy on their first time actually starring in one actually produced by that studio called Air Raid Wardens.

This is one of the three pictures Abbott and Costello made for MGM-- who proved with Buster Keaton, the Marx Brothers films after "A Day At the Races and Laurel and Hardy's late releases," that they really don't have much of a "touch" for this kind of comedy. Abbott and Costello fared much better at Universal with films such as "Hold That Ghost," "Buck Privates," "Who Done It?" "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," "The Time of Their Lives," etc. That's not to say that the film is terrible, it just suffers from sloppy pacing, almost no story, and somewhat weaker material for A&C (which was much sharper in the Universal films).

It definitely has its funny points, but it doesn't hold together very well as a complete film. Best to stick to the Universal's--- especially if you are a first time viewer of Abbott and Costello.

Being yet still in the womb and pondering my next move when this was released in the UK, it was to be several years before I actually caught up with it - during an Abbott & Costello festival at my hometown theater.

One's opinion these days depends whether you "recall it" as life WAS in the mid fifties or as an entity in its own right in 2003. Fact is, it was one funny movie and as well as being the last they actually made for MGM and remembering, that the war was not officially over during early filming, it actually had a sizeable budget allocated to it.

Way better than LOST IN A HAREM, Lou was a hoot here as a Hollywood agent (with Bud) trying to get their client the lead role in a musical. Arguably the best routine on offer was that wherein Lou remains awake listening to a record designed to make him sleep.

One of their more enduring films.