Ni vivos ni muertos

Following the disappointing returns of "Little Giant," Universal decided to continue the experiment of using Abbott and Costello as separate characters in a film -- but with a few changes. The pathos of "Little Giant" was dropped, and the focus returned to comedy. A stronger plot was created, and the movie was set in part in the 18th century. The end result was "The Time of Their Lives," which must rank high among the best of A&C's films.

Perhaps one reason A&C's characters were not a team again in this film was a feud between Abbott and Costello, but no one is quite sure. The reason was probably due to wanting to try something different. With "Little Giant," this effort failed; with "TOTL," they succeeded because Abbott fits so naturally into both his characters and because the storyline is fresh and different.

The tried-and-true A&C routines are missing, but no one notices because much of the humor derives from situations, which are often funny. The reactions to Costello's hauntings are hilarious, and Bud gets some very genuine laughs. I agree with everyone that if A&C had broken up at this time, Abbott would have made a fine character actor in comedies, in a Eugene Pallette sort of way (though without Pallette's girth.)

Despite the reputation this film enjoys today, 1946 audiences seemed rather tepid towards another A&C situational comedy with the boys not appearing as a team. As a result, this type of film was never again tried by A&C. However, it is a film worthy of viewing and deserves the reputation it enjoys today as one of their finest. 8 out of 10.

This one had by miles the best plot of any A&C film, and has always been in my Top 5 favourites of theirs. Otoh it isn't the best A&C film as they were again working within a separate framework ('Little Giant' being the other), instead of Abbott & Costello the comedy team this was Abbott, and Costello the comedy actors. With less reliance on the violent slapstick TTOTL can hold its own against other films of this genre, on its own merits. And even though the print is in pristine condition, at the time of writing in 2005 had not been shown on UK TV since 1.10.1977!

The plot - Costello and Reynolds shot by their own side by mistake and also rather vehemently accursed as traitors by the Major in charge in 1780, after 165 years as ghosts they both get the chance to clear themselves of the slur and take their place in Heaven. Although the similar 'Ghost Goes West' is much better in nearly all departments, this also manages exceptionally well to capture the bittersweet and melancholic mixed emotions that this type of storyline could generate.

A marvellous experiment, and one I wish they'd tried a few more times in the following years - instead what followed a few years later was 'Captain Kidd' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk' - no comment!

Their cinematic effort preceding "TTOTL" is an little unknown comedy called "Little Giant," in which Bud and Lou--showing, perhaps the strain in their personal relationship at the time--act apart as opposed to as a team. "TTOTL" continues that experiment, but produces much better results.

The tail--of a pair of Revolutionary War ghosts (Costello and the beautiful Marjorie Reynolds) trying to clear their names in 1946--has heart. Again, there's comedy here, but also pathos, something Lou Costello was brilliant at playing and for which he received precious little credit. And the *story* is engaging, not just a platform for free-form A&C routines.

The SPFX are top-notch for the day. Watch Costello and Reynolds run at each other and swap clothing. And the performances matter, too. Gail Sondergaard is very creepy during a seance sequence, and even Bud flexes his dramatic-comedic muscles as a fluttery psychologist.

Things are mucked up a bit at the end, when Bud's car goes awry with Lou at the wheel (I guess by then producers felt it couldn't be an A&C picture without at least *one* chase). But with that one transgression forgiven, "TTOTL" is a terrific film (my second-fav of Bud & Lou's, after "Who Done It?").

This enjoyable and rather creative Abbott and Costello feature gives Bud and Lou each a chance to do a lot more on their own, while telling an entertaining story at a good pace. It's different from most of their films, in that Bud and Lou have very few moments when their characters interact. It works quite well, though, and it is certainly among their better movies.

The story takes a little while to set up, but then it begins to move more quickly. Once the prologue is over and the main plot begins, Costello and Marjorie Reynolds are quite entertaining as the two ghosts. There is just enough explanation provided to make the plot work, without going overboard or taking the premise too seriously.

The lengthy sequence with Bud and his friends trying to communicate with Costello and Reynolds provides many of the movie's best moments, and there is plenty of good material in the rest of the film as well. This picture delivers just what you hope for in a light comedy.

Coming after LITTLE GIANT, a film in which Abbott and Costello were NOT a pair and in which Bud Abbott played a dual role, here is the second film that experimented with the A&C format. The film is set in the Revolutionary War period and then in 1946, with Costello playing the same role in both parts, and Abbott playing different roles (although the characters are related, just spread over 170 years!). There are a lot of funny sequences, but the historical angle makes the rest of the film very interesting in its own right. With appearances by such b-movie stalwarts as Kirk Alyn and Rex Lease, a fine supporting cast, and good-looking historical settings,the film is handsome looking and holds up well today. THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES is a nice change-of-pace for the Abbott and Costello fan, and once again shows that Costello was capable of carrying an entire feature film himself--and that Bud Abbott was excellent in character roles, not just as half of a comedy team. Newly reissued on DVD, the film should find an appreciative new audience.