Customer Reviews

Abbott & Costello: In Society [VHS]

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

 

 

Abbott and Costello create another winner as two bumbling plumbers trying to work their way into society bathrooms. This movie has a lot of whacky physical humor balanced by a good story.

There is also a special effects error in this film that most people don't notice. Watch the car chase carefully during the part where a car is hanging from the ladder truck. At one point you will see that car defy the law of gravity.

This movie starts out as one of the best Abbott & Costello feature films...it kind of falls flat at the end though. The first 3/4 of the movie is fast paced with some of their funniest routines. The highlights are when they try to fix a leaky faucet & one of their funniest routines ever...also just by itself worth purchasing this film...the Susquehanna Hat Company...fabulous. Everytime I see that routine it cracks me up...a true classic. Overall this is a very good movie...the last 25 minutes could've been better though.

Another great Abbott and Costello comedy. Really funny and fast moving and contains one of THE funniest comedy rountines EVER:"The Susquehanna Hat Company,"which is perfectly performed by all involved, making it a true comedy classic! Surely this sequence influenced a few Monty Python rountines. But the rest of the film is a riot also, with a truly spectacular fire truck chase (parts of which were re-used from a W.C. Fields film). Only drawback (as with many A&C & Marx Bros.movies): too many songs. But don't let that scare you. Just skip by them. The rest is hilarious, silly fun!

IN SOCIETY
Universal Pictures
Release Date: August 18, 1944
Runtime: 75 minutes

Director:
Jean Yarbrough

Producer:
Edmund L. Hartmann

Writing Credits:
Hugh Wedlock, Jr.
Howard Snyder
John Grant
Edmund L. Hartmann
Hal Fimberg

Cast:

Bud Abbott.......Eddie Harrington
Lou Costello.....Albert Mansfield
Marion Hutton....Elsie Hammerdingle
Kirby Grant......Peter Evans
Margaret Irving..Mrs.Roger Winthrop
Ann Gillis.......Gloria Winthrop
Arthur Treacher..Pipps, the Winthrop's Butler
Thomas Gomez.....Drexel
George Dolenz....Baron Sergel
Steven Geray.....Count Alexis
Murray Leonard...Marlow
Thurston Hall....Mr. Van Cleve
Nella Walker.....Mrs. Van Cleve
William B. Davidson...Parker, the Van Cleve's Butler

Music by:
Walter Kent
Vic Mizzy
Milton Rosen
Frank Skinner
Bobby Worth

Cinematography by:
Jerome Ash

Filming Editing by:
Philip Cahn

Art Direction:
John B. Goodman

Assistant Director:
Howard Christie

Sound Department:
Bernard B. Brown
Robert Pritchard

Other Crew:
Stanley Cowan - lyricist
Mann Curtis - lyricist
Carter Haven De Haven - script supervisor
George Dobbs - choreographer
Edgar Fairchild - musical director
John P. Fulton - special photographic effects
Kim Gannon - lyricist
Will Osborne - orchestra director

Plot Summary:
Eddie and Albert (Abbott

Bud and Lou are at it again. In this film the "DYNAMIC DUO" of comedy play two bumbling plumbers who are mistaken for members of society.

The BEST highlights in this film are: (1) BAGEL STREET. A hat salesman friend of the boys asks them the favor of returning a box of strawhats,sent to him by mistake by the manufacturer (one wonders WHY ANY0NE would ENTRUST A & C with such a task). On their way to deliever the hats,the pair run into a bunch of ZANIES. When Lou asks them directions to "BAGEL STREET", the lament to him the poor experiences they had their. However, when Costello mentions the name of the hat factory "SUSQUEHANNA HAT COMPANY" these people go BESERK and nearly destroy the box of strawhats as they take their FRUSTRATIONS out on Lou, who can do nothing but stand there and take the abuse. (2) The climatic chase scene. This scene uses chase footage from W.C. Fields' comedy "NEVER GIVE A SUCKER AN EVEN BREAK". The boys commandeer a hook-and-ladder fire truck, complete with aged fireman who has NEVER driven a firetruck before. UNKNOWN to them the ladder half of the truck is UNLOCKED, and as luck would have it, Costello IS RIDING in the cabin. As Lou climbs out onto the ladder, he begins to howl and whine as the truck goes through a series of ZANY curves and manoevers. (Roger Moore does a POOR imitation of this scene in his last 'JAMES BOND' film "A VIEW TO A KILL" ). But NO ONE does it BETTER than Lou Costello.

This Movie was very fun.You will laugh and laugh. This has parts like the susquehannah hat company, When the float around a bedroom in a tub and fly down a street in a couch.Just too many long lousy songs