Customer Reviews

Abbott & Costello: Meet the Killer Boris Karloff [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Movie horror star and former 'FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER' Boris Karloff co-stars in this HILARIOUS mix of comedy and whodunnit. Bud and Lou play the bumbling house detective and bellboy at posh resort hotel. When a famous lawyer is mysteriously murdered, Lou is the prime suspect, since he was seeing arguing with him earlier. And vowing that the lawyer will wind paying for making him lose his job. Abbott has a VERY HARD time NOT ONLY trying to convince the police that his partner is innocent of the crime,because he keeps telling them that Costello is TO DUMB to commit a murder, but also trying to clear Lou (although Costello does most of the work).

Three highlights stand out in this classic comedy: (1) The team's efforts of trying to get rid of a series of dead bodies that keep turning up in the most bizzare places. (2) The scene where Karloff TRIES to hypnotise Costello into committing suicide. But Lou FOILS him by proving that he is TO STUPID to be hypnotised. (3) The climatic chase scene, in which Costello gives chase to the REAL murderer in a series of caverns beneath the hotel.

Classic A&C film. 5 STARS once again.

WORTH THE MONEY
WHO DINT LOVE THIS SHOW , THIS SHOW WAS GREAT
I LOVE THIS VHS, BRINGS BACK LAUGHTER AND MEMORYS AND YOU NEVER GET BORED WITH IT,

I have rented this movie at least 11 times! Even the children love it. This is one of there best movies!!

It was a dark and stormy night at the Lost Caverns Hotel. A famous lawyer visits this hotel, and asks for Mr. Strickland. Bellboy Freddy makes mistakes, and is fired. He threatens the lawyer. Casey the detective now carries luggage for this important guest. When Freddy goes to apologize he finds the lawyer is dead! The hotel manager tries to prevent this bad news from getting out, but Freddy spills the beans. Could the murder weapon be planted to incriminate an innocent man? The police detectives arrive and begin the investigation. Angela visits Freddy and asks him to sign a statement. Then they have cocktails and a comic scene follows. The guests were clients of this famous criminal lawyer and all have something to hide. The mystic tries to hypnotize Freddy and make him do something, but it doesn't work as planned.

Then Freddy finds something in his closet; this leads to a comic disguise. The same thing is found in another closet. The police continue to question people. They try a trick of selling evidence. Freddy can prove his innocence if he becomes the next murder victim! Will the murderer fall for it? Will another body turn up? Freddy gets a call to go to the caverns alone at night and bring the evidence. A mysterious stranger wants the evidence of the handkerchief.

All the guests are assembled in a room for the ending. The questioning reveals the actual murderer for a surprise ending. The reason was to cover up a blackmail scheme.
[The use of murder as a background for comedy was a change from earlier films, which used scenes from daily life.]

A very good murder mystery. However, this is not the funniest performance Abbott & Costello put on. One of the better stories for an Abbott & Costello movie. This movie reminds me much of "Clue" and has it's similarities to the Pink Panther's "Shot In The Dark". Overall this is a fine movie for murder mystery fans but if you're looking for laughs there aren't as many in this one. Try "Rio Rita", "In The Navy" or "Time Of Their Lives".

Another who done-it with a hotel bellhop Freddie (Lou Costello) and house detective Casey (Bud Abbott) become mixed up in a murder at the "Lost Cavern" hotel. A famous lawyer gets kills and the evidence points to Freddie and as Casey tries to help, Freddie gets into worse trouble. The Swami (Karloff) tries to hypnotize Freddie into killing himself but with his subnormal mentality Freddie can't be hypnotize - at one point Freddie is ask how he want to die and he responds "old age." Finally Freddie is lured to the Lost Caverns and finally chases the real killer back to the hotel.

The movie has lots of laughs with dead bodies turning up and moving around on Freddie. Seeing Lou dress up, as a hotel maid is a sight one must see. Karloff's main scene is when he tries to hypnotize Freddie - his part is not large but effective.

ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF (1949)
Universal-International Pictures
Release Date: September 18, 1949 (New York City, New York)
Runtime: 84 minutes

Director:
Charles Barton

Producer:
Robert Arthur

Writing Credits:
Hugh Wedlock, Jr.
Howard Snyder
John Grant

CAST:

Bud Abbott....Casey Edwards
Lou Costello....Freddie Phillips
Boris Karloff....Swami Talpur
Lenore Aubert....Angela Gordon
Gar Moore....Jeff Wilson
Donna Martell....Betty Crandall
Alan Mowbray....Melton
James Flavin....Inspector Wellman
Roland Winters....T. Hanley Brooks
Nicholas Joy....Amos Strickland
Michael Conrad....Gregory Milford
Victoria Horne....Mrs. Hargreave
Percy Helton....Abernathy
Claire Du Brey....Mrs. Grimsby
Harry Hayden....Lawrence Crandall
Vincent Renno....Mike Relia

Music by:
Paul Sawtell
Milton Schwarzwald

Cinematography by:
Charles Van Enger

Film Editing by:
Edward Curtiss

Art Direction:
Bernard Herzburn
Richard H. Riedel

Set Decoration:
Oliver Emert
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by:
Rosemary Odell

Sound Department:
Leslie I. Carey
Robert Pritchard

Other Crew:
David S. Horsley....special photography

Plot Summary:

Freddie Phillips is a bellhop at the Lost Caverns Hotel and finds himself the main suspect of a murder. Hotel detective Casey Edwards looks to help Freddie clear himself. Swami Talpur tries to hypnotize Freddie into confessing, but Freddie is too stupid for the plot to work. Inspector Wellman uses Freddie to get the killer.

ROUTINES & HILARIOUS MOMENTS:
Mysterious moving body
Slipping a mickey
Hypnotized Lou tries suicide
Running around cavern

Trivia (from imdb.com): This was originally intended as a vehicle for Bob Hope (1903-2003). After the huge success of "ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN" (1948), Universal-International wanted another thrill comedy with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello so the script was rewritten for them. Oddly enough, the role played by Boris Karloff was originally written for a woman.

This is a nice whodunnit.It had a nice set of characters in a hotel on a stormy.This film will make you laugh but will keep you in suspence through-out.

This is a real snappy comedy mystery.Alan Mowbray plays the hotel manager. Karloff seems to be having so much fun saying his lines.He borrowed Bela's hand techniques here with hypnotic results

The A and C routines are just fine with dead bodys all over the place and the big search for the culprit who may not be the murderer. All this and Lenore Aubert too!! How can you miss it!!