Why "Soitenly," You're the Best DAD
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Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)
81 min. (Feature Film)
Universal's adaptation of the Damon Runyon short story Princess O'Hara casts Bud Abbott & Lou Costello as two broke NYC taxi cab drivers, friends of the neighborhood's beloved carriage driver King O'Hara (Cecil Kellaway) and his daughter Peggy "Princess" O'Hara (Patsy O'Connor). Wilbur (Lou Costello) feeds candy to O'Hara's horse Finnegan, unwittingly killing it. Determined to find a new horse for the O'Haras, Wilbur and Grover (Bud Abbott) fall for three touts' story that a local stable wants to sell an old racehorse. Temporarily short on funds after mixing it up with a crooked betting parlor and a con man, the boys head out to 'borrow' the horse in the dead of night. Unfortunately, they take off with the nag's stablemate Tea Biscuit, the # 1 racehorse in the country. Further mixups and misunderstandings ensue when Wilbur and Grover try to return the horse, which leads them to Saratoga Springs, and Wilbur riding the horse in the Sweepstakes.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are in fine form, and the film's plot allows them to use their "mudder," "fodder" and "forelegs" routines. The betting parlor sequence with Richard Lane is a hilarious highlight. The film is almost stolen by gravel-voiced Eugene Pallette as efficiency expert Gregory Warner. Warner finds himself in a series of foiled encounters with Wilbur and Grover, each time leaving him fired from his latest job and owing money to somebody. Warner joins with the three touts (Shemp Howard, Eddie Quillan and David Hacker) to win Tea Biscuit's reward money, further digging a financial hole for himself.
One of A&C's lesser-known, under-appreciated films. It's an enjoyable mix of music (The Vagabonds), dance (The Four Step Brothers), pathos, and comedy. One of A&C's best.
Bud Abbott
Grover Mockridge
Lou Costello
Wilbur Hoolihan
Eugene Pallette
Gregory Warner
Patsy O'Connor
Princess O'Hara
Cecil Kellaway
King O'Hara
Grace McDonald
Kitty McClain
Leighton Noble
Pvt. Joe Collins
Shemp Howard
Umbrella Sam
Eddie Quillan
Harry the Horse
David Hacker
Chauncey the Eye
Wade Boteler
Officer Reilly
Vinton Hayworth
Golfer
Selmer Jackson
Herbert Grant
Sammy Stein
Cafeteria bouncer
Matt Willis
Cafeteria bouncer
Mike Mazurki
Cafeteria bouncer
Ray Miller
Deadbeat customer
John Sheehan
Pete, storekeeper
Kate Drain Lawson
Mrs. Rege
Janet Ann Gallow
Little Rege girl
Hans Herbert
Sandy, streetcleaner
The Hollywood Blondes
Themselves
The Vagabonds
Themselves
Sylvester Johnson
The Four Step Brothers
Al Williams
The Four Step Brothers
Freddie James
The Four Step Brothers
Maceo Anderson
The Four Step Brothers
Charles Bennett
SPCA driver
Charles Sherlock
Mug at door
Andrew Tombes
Big Hearted Charlie
Richard Lane
Slicker
Brooks Benedict
Betting parlor clerk
Herb Vigran
Betting parlor mike man
Ralph Peters
Betting parlor announcer
Harry Strang
Mounted policeman
Eddie Foster
Grafter
Samuel S. Hinds
Col. Brainard
Charles Coleman
Saratoga Hotel doorman
Jack Norton
Drunk
James Flavin
Saratoga policeman
Herbert Heyes
Mr. Doyle
Lorin Raker
Mr. Hicks
Alex Callam
Fighter in hotel
Tom Hanlon
Race announcer
Harry Harvey
Shorty
Rod Rogers
Jockey
Walter Dennis
Eddie, stable boy
Barry Macollum
Hansom taxi driver
Eddie Coke
Attendant
Gene O'Donnell
Attendant
Fred Cordova
Attendant
Hal Craig
Man in ticket line
Frank Penny
Betting window clerk
Pat Costello
stunts
Pierre Watkin
Maj. Harper, scene deleted
William Forrest
Banker, scene deleted
James Clemens
Dancer, scene deleted
George Bruggeman
Dancer, scene deleted
Harold DeGarro
Stilt walker, scene deleted
Spec O'Donnell
Newsboy, scene deleted
Eddie Bruce
Good Humor man, scene deleted
George Humbert
Gardener, scene deleted
Robert Homans
Policeman, scene deleted
Paul Dubov
Tout, scene deleted
Bobby Watson
Clerk, scene deleted
Erle C. Kenton
Director
Alex Gottlieb
Producer
Damon Runyon
Original Story
Allen Boretz
Screenplay
John Grant
Screenplay
Frank Gross
Film Editor
Charles Van Enger
Director of Photography
John B. Goodman
Art Director
Harold MacArthur
Associate Art Director
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
A. J. Gilmore
Associate Set Decorator
Bernard B. Brown
Sound Director
Jess Moulin
Sound Technician
Charles Previn
Musical Director
Frank Skinner
Orchestrator
Paul Francis Webster
Lyrics
Harry Revel
Music
Danny Dare
Choreographer
Vera West
Gowns
Howard Christie
Assistant Director
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