Deux nigauds toréadors

This film is a bit unusual for an Abbott and Costello film in that Bud and Lou work against each other. In other words, they are not friends in the film and Lou is hiding out in Mexico. It seems that Bud is a swindler and has made it look like Lou is guilty. Naturally, Lou's goal is to get the money back so that he can pay off everyone back home and get the police to drop the case against him. Again and again throughout the film, Bud promises to give Lou all the money...in a few days.

Complicating things is that the police have just spotted Lou and are hot on his trail. But, they aren't positive it's the right guy and they are forced to back off when Lou is designated the "Guest of the People of Mexico". In other words, he was supposedly randomly chosen to be wined and dined as a sign of good will between the US and Mexico. In a very ironic scene, just when the Mexicans are set to honor Lou, the American police are ready to arrest him. What stops them is that one of the cops also matches this vague description! And, in reality, this part is played by Pat Costello--Lou's older brother in real life! Low points in the film include Luba Malina's performance. At times, she speaks with a typical American accent and in others she tries (in vain) to approximate a Mexican accent...and fails miserably. Why the director didn't bother to fix these scenes or notice is beyond me. Apparently, Malina was Russian-born and lived all around the world and if you listen, you can clearly hear this in her voice! Another is the scene late in the film where Lou is hiding out as an old lady with a tortilla wagon. His fake Spanish is really, really lame and sounds like Spanish only to someone with severe brain damage--and it's not really very funny--though the scene otherwise isn't bad at all. Could audiences back in 1948 have actually thought this was an approximation of Spanish?! High points are the lack of musical numbers and irrelevant secondary characters in the film. There is no handsome couple (unless you count Lou and Luba) and the film tends to focus exclusively on Bud and Lou.

Unfortunately, though, there aren't a ton of laughs in the film and it is a rather bland affair compared to the rest of the comedy team's work. An mildly interesting diversion and that is all.

Abbott & Costello play two con-men who sell phony stock to gullible would-be buyers, who are now pursued by the police. They then flee to Mexico, where they travel incognito, and meet up with an old friend who is now a bullfighter, which of course creates lots of opportunities for Lou to get chased around by an angry bull, and who also has recently been in some kind of a dance marathon, so now whenever he hears a Samba, can't help himself dancing uncontrollably, no matter the situation. Entirely forgettable(and forgotten) comedy is competently made but utterly unfunny, and the team play rather unlikable characters this time, despite their ineptitude.

MEXICAN HAYRIDE (1948) **1/2 Bud Abbott, Lou Costello.

A&C comedy south of the border with con man Bud bilking samba-loving Lou who unwittingly foils some phony silver stock plans. Highlight: the bull fight.

Two con men selling phony stock flee to Mexico ahead of the law, where they run into a woman friend from their earlier days, who is now a bullfighter.

The plots of the various movies don't really matter one way or the other. What really matters are the gags. I loved the painting gag, even though I saw the punchline coming. And the Smith / Jones routine is the sort of back and forth people love from this duo (myself included).

I think the comedy duo tends to be best remembered today (2017) for their series of films meeting the Universal monsters. But let's not forget some gems like this one, which has aged surprisingly well.

I don't know why people think so poorly of this film. Although it seems a little odd the way it begins in the middle of the story, it ticks along at a good rate; Pat Costello has an effective repartee with Lou, which is very interesting; Luba Malina, Fritz Feld, Sid Fields and Chris-Pin Martin are all funny. Costello is over the top, yet seems lovable and genuine in this movie. There are no gratuitous musical numbers to FF through, but there are a couple of comic musical numbers. It does not have the slow moments or the maudlin handling they had in "Little Giant" (which does have some good moments, by the way); Lou keeps things moving, and I can count 10 good skits off the top of my head--the one with Lou preparing tortillas has something close to a spectacular ending...if only the plot hadn't got in the way. Even the grand finale with a few rear-projections (and a "trained" bull) turns out pretty funny.

It's the logical extension of Abbott's character for him to be an all-around swindler, so that doesn't bother me; their teamwork is still top-rate, and I'm happy to see Costello get the better of Abbott once in a while. It's also relieving that in this context (and maybe an off-screen agreement?), Abbott refrains from slapping Costello, which would make his character unacceptable.

So spend a few bucks and watch it on DVD. Not a classic, but a good Sunday afternoon comedy with two comedians still at their peak of performance. And that's not bad.