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Abbott and Costello Show

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Offline falsealarms

Anyone buy the recent E1 release of the complete Abbott and Costello show? From what I've read, the set has gotten strong reviews. 52 eps + extras for $29 (Amazon) seems like a steal anyway.

For the longest time, I only bothered with the Stooges. But more recently have gotten into the Marxes, L&H, Fields, and Keaton and have liked all of them to varying levels. I've never delved into A&C and am giving this set a whirl over their earlier Universal films. Seems like there was too much musical/romantic stuff in those earlier works. One poster reviewed IN THE NAVY on this site and wrote: "To be fair, you'd never know how brilliant A&C were from these early movies, popular as they were. The 52 episodes of their deliriously surreal TV show are the ideal showcase for the boys; I consider them A&C's equivalent of 2-reelers, as good as any from the era."

Will be interesting for me to see Besser in some non-Stooge stuff. Plus your usual smattering of Stooge supporting players, i.e Connie Cezon and Dick Wessel here.


Offline Blystone

I haven't bought these on DVD, since I still have a lot of the A&C Show VHS tapes and they're in good condition. I'm a major fan of Bud and Lou, and it happens that I watched "Africa Screams" just a few days ago. We get two Stooges in that one, Shemp and Joe B., but neither of them has much of a part. Joe is a fussy butler, and Shemp plays a Mr. Magoo-type nearsighted big game hunter. Think of his nearsighted dentist in "The Tooth Will Out;" he does basically the same routine here, but not enough of it. Too bad the writers didn't give him a few more scenes, but they didn't. A good solid comedy film overall, in Stooge terms it's worth three out of four pokes.

Addressing the criticism of too many musical numbers in the A&C feature films, maybe that's true, but some of the greatest musical talents of the 1940's appear in them, such as the Andrews Sisters, the Ink Spots, and Ella Fitzgerald. So it's not like the musical interludes are a waste of film, but as with the Marx Brothers, the films without the music are better because the tunes don't interrupt the story and stop it cold. Romantic subplots? It was the 40's, so what film didn't have a romantic subplot? Probably only Army training films and the "industrials" from the Jam Handy Company.

The TV show is a different animal— very low-budget, unlike the Universal productions that cost the studio a fair amount of money ("Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" was the most expensive). It was shot mostly on indoor sets, and you won't see any Hollywood big names co-starring, just the old stalwarts from the Vaudeville stage and radio who'd been working with Bud and Lou for years. Besser is very funny playing opposite Lou, and in fact I like him better as Stinky than I do as a Stooge. I'm also a fan of Sid "Melonhead" Fields, a truly underrated straight man who co-wrote some of the scripts. Gordon Jones as Mike the Cop is the constantly put-upon victim of the boys' schemes (kind of a Vernon Dent role), and there's also Hillary Brooke as the classy, stylish blonde who has an unexplainable attraction to Lou (which in itself, is pretty funny).

There's one A&C film that's very unusual, and it's a favorite of mine: "The Time Of Their Lives." For once, Bud and Lou don't work as a team; instead, their parts are completely separate, and so there's none of their usual back-and-forth wordplay. However, it's a weird comic ghost story with some really clever plot twists, and some special effects that are very impressive for the time.

That ought to get you started... and you won't be disappointed.



xraffle

  • Guest
I have the old 13 volume DVDs from Shanachie. The quality is excellent, but since they were released on 13 individual DVDs, it really takes up a lot of shelf space. I was thinking of selling them and rebuying the new set, but I don’t think it’s worth the hassle. Besides, I don’t think they’ll sell on Ebay. The A&C show isn’t really in high demand.

But to answer false's question- yes, $29 is a steal for this colllection. This show is hilarious. The second season is weak, but the first is top notch!


Offline falsealarms

I don't have anything against old music. In fact, I like a lot of old music. But my musical tastes pretty much begin in the early to mid 1950's with the explosion of rock and roll.


Offline metaldams


There's one A&C film that's very unusual, and it's a favorite of mine: "The Time Of Their Lives." For once, Bud and Lou don't work as a team; instead, their parts are completely separate, and so there's none of their usual back-and-forth wordplay. However, it's a weird comic ghost story with some really clever plot twists, and some special effects that are very impressive for the time.



100% agree.
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline metaldams

I don't have anything against old music. In fact, I like a lot of old music. But my musical tastes pretty much begin in the early to mid 1950's with the explosion of rock and roll.

100% agree.  Do you guys hear an echo in here?
- Doug Sarnecky


Offline Blystone

My musical taste also pretty much centers around 1950, but it runs in the opposite direction, time-wise!
::)


Offline stooge1029

I dont mind one or two songs but when a singer becomes the star of a movie thats supposed to be a comedy it gets to me. I was watching Buck Privates the other night and the singing just started to bother me. I especially didnt like that the music was basically all geared toward getting young men to join the army. I know the film came out a year before we entered WWII but the motives behind the studio were so obvious and done without subtlety.


Offline Curly4444

The Abbott & Costello monster movies didn't have too much singing in it. To bad you couldn't just buy them in a set.

Dream set:
 
Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello meet the killer Boris Karloff
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible man
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Abbott and Costello meet the mummy

These films are just hilarious. Someday i might buy the universal sets just for those.


Offline JazzBill

I dont mind one or two songs but when a singer becomes the star of a movie thats supposed to be a comedy it gets to me. I was watching Buck Privates the other night and the singing just started to bother me. I especially didnt like that the music was basically all geared toward getting young men to join the army. I know the film came out a year before we entered WWII but the motives behind the studio were so obvious and done without subtlety.

Those were different times. At least that time we had a war worth fighting. Did you ever see any of the propaganda films Germany was dishing out, about the "Master Race" ?
"When in Chicago call Stockyards 1234, Ask for Ruby".


Offline falsealarms

So far, these are pretty good. They are kind of like shorts in a way and the wraparounds are good... especially the 10-40 one.

Besser seemed better suited to this kind of stuff than he was to being a Stooge.


Offline Herman

Hey LA Abbott and Costello fans-- The Alex Theater in Glendale, CA  (which also does the annual Three Stooges Event) is screening  A&C's Hold That Ghost
which also includes a charming young gent named, Shemp!

It is playing at 2PM and 8PM this Saturday, October 23, 2010

COME ON OUT AND JOIN THE FUN!!!!!!!

Here's the Alex Link with info:

http://www.alexfilmsociety.org/schedule.php