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The boys inherit a spooky old house with money hidden somewhere inside. Now if only they can find the money before the bad guys do.

I love that spastic dance routine Lou does with Joan Davis. She's a perfect comedic counterpart to Costello, and for me, their bits together are the film's highlights. This is an early A&C effort, and it shows with their spirited performances. It's also one of their better screenplays. Putting them in an old dark house provides all sorts of loony possibilities, like the levitating candles and the fluffy ghost. Carlson and Ankers provide a good normal contrast to the madcap antics, but surprisingly Ankers only gets one lung-bursting scream of the sort she was famous for. Also, catch a more subdued version of the Andrews Sisters, which disappointed me since I was expecting their usual finger-snapping jive. Nonetheless, it's a solid entry for A&C fans.

Another nice early film from A&C, with a good supporting cast and the usual thickly laid on Universal atmosphere included. I've seen it maybe 10 times now over the decades with no loss of pleasure.

It has Ted Lewis and the Andrews Sisters as pleasant musical bookends to what has previously been described as a Ghosts & Gangsters tale. Add comedy and murder and that's what this is all about, the lid is firmly kept on the romance between Carlson and Ankers - and may I add, she seldom looked lovelier than in here. Favourite routines: Ferdie's bedrooms changing into gaming rooms behind his back, to Chuck's harsh disbelief; The candles moving to the spluttered "Oh Chuck! What Kept You"; the figure of speech gag finished by the gangsters arrival. Abbott got in more face slapping Costello than in other films, and although it's something that never really appealed to me it's not too bad. Joan Davis has some good lines too but wasn't fully exploited. Not in A&C's Top 5, but still a nice b&w inconsequential entertaining spooky old house comedy.

All told, good stuff for A&C fans like me - masochists who already know that they don't like 'em should really try to save themselves the 81 minutes running time + their IMDb commenting time and do the rest of us a favour.

It's nice to catch a break from the two recent "service films" that Bud and Lou made this time, as they go from army and navy men to playing two domestic, unsuccessful waiters-turned-gas station attendants. They unintentionally cross paths with a dying gangster and then become the heirs to his spooky old inn that just may contain a pile of hidden loot somewhere within it. What they didn't count on, however, is that the deceased had some scheming friends who are also hungry for the dough.

HOLD THAT GHOST is often considered close to the best film from Bud and Lou, but I'm not sure I would take it quite that far. It is a good, solid, comedy/spook show that plays on the old tried and true "haunted house" theme; and once more the boys are in top form to deliver the funnies as Abbott keeps trying to calm a very nervous Costello down as he encounters everything from dead bodies to ghosts to revolving rooms to moving candles. What helps boost this one up a notch, aside from the moody setting, is some able assistance from a good supporting cast. There's Richard Carlson as a timid scientist who's oblivious to the longing advances of the pretty Evelyn Ankers (from THE WOLF MAN), and the stand-out antics of Joan Davis, who's really an asset as she plays a "professional radio screamer" who's got some great moments with Lou Costello, including the aforementioned "moving candle" bit, and a charming little dance duet.

Oh yes, and the Andrews Sisters are back for a third time, but this time they're only used at the start and finish. Hey, what can we do? They were hugely popular at that time. And I must confess, I don't mind them concluding the show with one of their better tunes, "Aurora". *** out of ****

Although released after IN THE NAVY, this was Abbott and Costello's first film made after BUCK PRIVATES. It's also the first film where they get total top billing(in ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS they were supporting players, in BUCK PRIVATES although they have top billing in the opening credits they do not in the end credits, and in IN THE NAVY they share top billing with Dick Powell). This film was the first of their horror-comedies, and Lou's frightened reactions were so hilarious, all films that followed featured at least one scene where Costello gets scared, no matter what the film was about. The film is a very clever, "Old Dark House" type of film, with an excellent cast. Most notable is the beautiful Evelyn Ankers(one of Universal's most famous scream queens) as one of the strangers trapped in the house with Bud and Lou. Everything about this film is great. No complaints on my part!

Arthur Lubin directs this scary comedy with Abbott and Costello inheriting a gangster's abandoned piece of property. A haunted house? Some guys have all the luck. Well paced funny script complete with stormy atmosphere. Hilarious and a little spooky. Joan Davis is a scene stealer. Others in support: Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers and Marc Lawrence. Classic Abbott and Costello.