IMDb RATING
5.8/10
3.7K
YOUR RATING
Abbott and Costello's version of the famous fairy tale, about a young boy who trades the family cow for magic beans.Abbott and Costello's version of the famous fairy tale, about a young boy who trades the family cow for magic beans.Abbott and Costello's version of the famous fairy tale, about a young boy who trades the family cow for magic beans.
Bud Abbott
- Mr. Dinkel
- (as Abbott)
- …
Lou Costello
- Jack
- (as Costello)
- …
Arthur Shields
- Patrick the Harp
- (voice)
- (as ?)
Bobby Barber
- Man Running Down Street
- (uncredited)
Mel Blanc
- Farm Animals
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Claire Du Brey
- Villager
- (uncredited)
Jack Perry
- Villager
- (uncredited)
Almira Sessions
- Mrs. Mergatroyd
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
I bought this DVD recently because it was a cheapy and I love A & C. I would say it is pretty funny and action packed if you look at it with the innocence of a child I think you will enjoy it more. If you look at it closely you will see Lou doing a lot (if not all )of his stunts himself which adds greatly to the enjoyment of the picture.The male and female leads are pretty bad and were no threat to Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald in the talent department but the girl is beautiful in a 1950's kind of way.As a big Superman fan , the biggest kick I got out of it is that the baby boy in the beginning of the picture is none other than baby Kal-el from the first episode of the George Reeves TV series "Adventures of Superman" entitled "Superman On Earth". I don't know what this baby's name was since he is not credited in either appearance but it's definitely the same tot.If he was born in 51 he would be in his early fifties now and I'm sure all Superman and A & C fans would like to know his name and what became of him. So if you are out there little Kal-el give a holler!By the way Betty Page fans will enjoy the tall actress who dances with Lou in the film.
Just purchased this film on DVD along with their Africa Screams for $4.99! While it does turn out to be the full 81 minute version it is a very bad print It is still worth having in a collection and a joy to watch. Abbott looks tired though but a surprise to see Costello jumping around and carrying on, although I know a lot of it was stunt work. The disc also has a cute trivia section and BIOS. The above review mentions the giant as Max Baer Sr (Jethro's father) but the IMDb lists him as Buddy Baer, Max's brother. Of course the change from sepia to colour is very reminiscent of Oz and watching it one could almost think it was made around the same time, but it's 1952!
I'm a big Abbott & Costello fan. Theyve been a huge influence on my life. This one was a let down overall. I enjoyed the songs, the actors, but the overall feel was very sloppy. It's one of their later works and yet it seems less out together and we'll thought out. It's just messy. They couldn't even get dancers that were in sync?
Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk" was the best of the team's fifties features. Shot around the same time as their television show, it represents one of the two color films they made in their career. The original photography was actually in Eastmancolor. The prints were made in the Super Cinecolor 3 strip process was was similar to Technicolor but grainier and difficult to focus due to the dual emulsion print stock. It looks as if the framing devise might have been filmed in Eastmancolor too but printed on B&W sepia toned stock. I used to watch this picture as a child in syndication and found it amusing and even charming. While a far cry from their pre-1948 movies, I give them a lot of credit for trying something different. The supporting players are fun with Buddy Baer (Jethro's dad) having a ball as the giant. The princess is played by Shaye Coogan who later became a pop singer. James Alexander popped up on their TV show too. One of the campy elements of the film is Johnny Conrad and his dancers who often out of synch during the songs. Consumers should be aware that there are three versions of the film put out by different companies due to it public domain statis. The uncut version was taped from a Preview print,contains extra scenes and runs approx. 82 min. It was released on laserdisc with extras. The standard release cut 78 minute version is also on tape. The cut scenes include a sequence of the butcher arguing with ladies in town and extended versions of the song, "Darlene" and "Dreamer's Cloth". It was re-issued by RKO in B&W in 1961 and used to played in syndication that way for many year. Good luck in hunting a complete version.
Abbott and Costello's talents shine in the happily childish version of "Jack and the Beanstalk". The use of sepia tone and colour, the music and choreography, song and dance, the crossing over of players from one role to another, plus various other aspects of this very fine movie make it obvious that techniques and styles used for "The Wizard of Oz" are being toyed with here. And that works right well for our intrepid duo. There are certain other things involved that make this movie a treat for me ... Buddy Baer's, Max Baer Jr. of "The Beverly Hillbillies" uncle, appearance as the cop and the giant. Pat Costello, Lou's brother, having been involved in the writing of the script. These things help make this film fun. It does, however, have it's down side. I do think that the choreography is poorly done. But the cute tunes and accompanying vocals help detract from the rather sloppy dance numbers. Some of the players, the couple in love ( prince and princess ) to be precise, aren't very good at their trade. But these things are a small price to pay for an otherwise throughly enjoyable walk down the yellow brick ... er, I mean ... climb up the beanstalk.
Did you know
- TriviaBud Abbott and Lou Costello made an independent, two-picture deal in which they agreed that this was to be "Lou's film" and the next to be "Bud's". They retained individual ownership of the respective films.
- GoofsThe makeup and lipstick on Henrietta the cow disappears between shots.
- Crazy creditsInstead of the usual "The characters and events depicted are fictitious, etc." disclaimer, are these four simple words, "This is a fable".
- Alternate versionsOriginal press screenings featured a print that ran 83 minutes and 45 seconds. An uncut 35mm preview print survives in a private archive, but has not been released on DVD. The deleted sequences include some dialogue between Jack and his mother about how to bid while selling the cow and his strange choice to give a male name to a cow; an extra section of 'Dreamer's Cloth' sung by the Princess and the complete song 'Darlene'. Some video versions have parts of the missing scenes, but not all missing sequences.
- ConnectionsEdited into Muchachada nui: Episode #4.1 (2010)
- SoundtracksJack and the Beanstalk
Written by Lester Lee and Bob Russell
Sung over the opening credits
Sung again by Lou Costello, Barbara Brown, and the Villagers while he is climbing the beanstalk
Danced by Johnny Conrad and The Johnny Conrad Dancers (four women)
Sung in the finale by Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Barbara Brown, James Alexander, Shaye Cogan, and the Villagers
Danced by Johnny Conrad and The Johnny Conrad Dancers
- How long is Jack and the Beanstalk?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Jack et le haricot magique
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $683,000 (estimated)
- Runtime
- 1h 18m(78 min)
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content