Make 'Em Laugh (The Funny Business of America)
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Released August 07, 1941
Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)
Featuring Shemp Howard (Solo)
Universal
86 min. (Feature Film)
86 min. (Feature Film)
Chuck Murray (Bud Abbott) & Ferdy Jones (Lou Costello) are working as waiters in a nightclub, but quickly lose their jobs and go back to working at a service station. While serving a customer, gangster 'Moose' Matson, they end up in the back seat of his car when the police arrive and give chase. 'Moose' is killed by the police, but he leaves a will bequeathing an old country inn to whomever was with him when he died, so of course Ferdy and Chuck inherit.
Unknown to them, though, members of Matson's gang are looking for his stolen loot, which 'Moose' always insisted was "in his head." The boys are taken to the inn by Charlie Smith (Marc Lawrence), one of the gangsters, in a private bus. The bus driver strands the boys, along with other passengers Dr. Jackson, Norma Lind and Camille Brewster (Joan Davis). Charlie disappears, and while searching for him, the rest discover that the inn was once a speakeasy and gambling den, cleverly disquised in the event of raids. Bodies keep appearing and disappearing, and Lou is bedeviled by disappearing gambling tables, while the gangsters search for the missing loot.
Shemp Howard has a brief role as a frustrated soda jerk in the second reel.
Avg. Rating: 
[8.86/10]
[8.86/10]
Bud Abbott
Chuck Murray
Lou Costello
Ferdinand 'Ferdie' Jones
Joan Davis
Camille Brewster
Richard Carlson
Dr. Duncan 'Doc' Jackson
Evelyn Ankers
Norma Lind
Mischa Auer
Gregory
Ted Lewis & His Orchestra
Themselves
Charles 'Snowball' Whittier
'Shadow'
Maxene Andrews
Herself
LaVerne Andrews
Herself
Patty Andrews
Herself
Marc Lawrence
Charlie Smith
William B. Davidson
Moose Matson
Russell Hicks
Mr. Bannister
Thurston Hall
Alderman Birch
Janet Shaw
Alderman's girlfriend
Jack Deery
Waiter
Phil Van Zandt
Waiter
Ronald R. Rondell
Waiter
Manuel Paris
Waiter
William Ruhl
Angry nightclub patron
Barry Norton
Nightclub patron
Ralph T. Brooks
Nightclub patron
Larry Steers
Nightclub patron
Dick Gordon
Nightclub patron
Joe Gilbert
Nightclub patron
Jeanne Blanche
Pretty girl
Hans Herbert
Gas station customer
Charles Hamilton
Policeman driver
Shemp Howard
Soda jerk
Milt Parsons
Harry Hoskins
Harry Hayden
Jenkins
Don Terry
Strangler
Edgar Dearing
Irondome
Frank Richards
Gunman
Edward Pawley
High Collar
Nestor Paiva
Glum
Harry Wilson
Rosy
Frank Penny
Snake Eyes
Brooks Benedict
Maitre d'
Jeffrey Sayre
'Aurora' chorus boy
Bobby Barber
Waiter, scene deleted
Kay, Kay & Katya
Dancers, scene deleted
Howard C. Hickman
Judge, scene deleted
Stanley Smith
Court clerk, scene deleted
Spencer Charters
Storekeeper, scene deleted
Russ Powell
Chess player, scene deleted
Paul Fix
Lefty, scene deleted
Paul Newlan
Big Fink, scene deleted
Joseph La Cava
Little Fink, scene deleted
Madge Crane
Mrs. Giltedge, scene deleted
William Forrest
State Trooper, scene deleted
Charles Smith
Boy, scene deleted
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 2
Hatcheck girl
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 3
Moose's guests
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 4
Policeman
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 5
Chorus boys
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 6
Nightclub patrons
Unidentified HOLD THAT GHOST 7
Pedestrians
Arthur Lubin
Director
Alex Gottlieb
Producer
Burt Kelly
Associate Producer
Glenn Tryon
Associate Producer
Frederic I. Rinaldo
Story and Screenplay
Robert Lees
Story and Screenplay
John Grant
Screenplay
Elwood Bredell
Director of Photography
Philip Cahn
Film Editor
Jack Otterson
Art Director
Harold MacArthur
Associate Art Director
Russell A. Gausman
Set Decoration
Bernard B. Brown
Sound Supervisor
Willam R. Fox
Sound Technician
Hans J. Salter
Musical Director
Charles Previn
Musical Director
Charles Henderson
Music and Lyrics
Ted Lewis
Music and Lyrics
Milton S. Rosen
Music and Lyrics
Dave Dreyer
Music and Lyrics
Harold Adamson
Music and Lyrics
Mort Greene
Lyrics
Andrew Sterling
Lyrics
Lou Singer
Music
Gil Valle
Assistant Director
John Rawlins
2nd Unit Director
Nick Castle
Choreographer
Vera West
Gowns
Joan Hathaway
Dialogue Director
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