Abbott et Costello à Hollywood

I don't know why this AC movie is so underrated though includes a lot of funny routines and scenes, watch the "drop dummy" one, will surely laugh a lot.

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.

Abbott & Costello play two barbers in Hollywood who dream of being agents, and get their chance when a young singer they know becomes quite good, but is unknown, so the team schemes to change all that, and of course many mishaps and misunderstandings occur as a result. Last of their three films to be made at MGM is much better than "Lost In A Harem"(Never saw the other one, named "Rio Rita") Film does have some good scenes like when Lou is mistaken for a prop dummy, or they have to shave a balloon. Real actors at the studio have cameos like Lucille Ball, Preston Foster, Rags Ragland, and director Robert Z. Leonard. Still, this film isn't funny enough to succeed, and remains forgettable.

It so often seems that iconic Hollywood comedians of years' past continue to shine more brightly than their spiritual successors; it's hardly that their modern brethren can't be funny, but the likes of Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd, and Laurel and Hardy filled their pictures with heart as much as laughs. As Bud Abbott and Lou Costelllo entered the scene in the 40s they added certain smart aleck sensibilities and specific routines to the general gags, physical comedy, situational humor, witty repartee, and paired dynamics that characterized the works of their contemporaries and predecessors. The result, as seen in this 1945 movie, is just as fabulously fun as we could ever hope of any such fare, and without the mean streak, off-color jokes, or punching down that would increasingly dominate comedy in years to come. It may not sound like much from the outside looking in, but 'Abbott and Costello in Hollywood' is fantastic, and well worth checking out!

True, this is perhaps a tad uneven insofar as the film careens from energetic hijinks to softer scenes of repose, and musical numbers; there are also some inclusions that go too over the top for their own good. The disparity is infrequent, however, and by far the length is filled with one tremendously entertaining bit after another. At its best the feature is flush with terrific stunts and effects, and while the leading duo definitely carry most of the humor all by themselves, the cast at large unreservedly embrace the zesty spirit of the production. The narrative may mostly serve as a vehicle for the shenanigans, but still Nat Perrin and Lou Breslow are to be commended for whipping up a delightful scenario that lets the cast and crew have a blast from one moment to the next. The sets are splendid in and of themselves, and in addition to fine costume design, hair, and makeup, and sharp editing and cinematography, one would be remiss not to mention the outstanding choreography that we're treated to in the climactic sequence. The scene writing is even more important as it fuels the silliness, and even just by that measure this is super.

All the way through to the end I think this would have benefited from a smidgen more consistency. If that's the worst I have to say a title, though, then it's surely done pretty well for itself. I don't think I'd go so far as to say this is a must-see, yet even if imperfect it's a good time all around. I can understand how some viewers may have a harder time engaging with older cinema, and I'd have said the same myself at one time, but much more than not this flick bears such vibrancy that I think it should skirt around such concerns. There's no disputing the honored place that Abbott and Costello have in cultural history, and while it may not be the utmost exemplar of their style, 'In Hollywood' squarely illustrates why. Don't necessarily go out of your way for it, but if you do have the chance to watch then this is great!

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.