Customer Reviews

Abbott & Costello: Who Done It [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Early Abbott and Costello flick that converts a murder mystery into frantic comedy. Nazi spies infest a major radio station in the early days of WWII. Bud and Lou are soda jerks at a nearby drug store lunch counter. When the "Murder at Midnight" program turns seriously deadly, our heroes pretend to be detectives and investigate the murder. The real detectives chase Bud and Lou around the radio station as the boys stay one step ahead of the crooks. Bud and Lou make the most of their comedic opportunities. They are more energetic and enthusiastic for the material than in their later films. There are none of the intrusive musical numbers that plagued some of A&C's other films. In fact, there isn't an Andrews Sister in sight. Some grumble that Lou Costello copied his comedy style from Curly Howard of the Three Stooges. Regardless of the merits of that argument, snappy dialogue and frenetic sight gags move the action right along. The laughs come in rapid-fire fashion. Check out Lou's encounter with the transcript recordings of killers in action, and the disembodied voice that inquires, "Do you have halitosis?" His attempt to make an urgent telephone call (ALexander 2: 2-2-2-2!) from a busy pay telephone with an unresponsive operator is also hilarious. William Bendix adds to the fun as a slow-witted police detective. Bud tells Lou to flirt with the station president's secretary (Mary Wickes) to help them get into the radio business. She studies a book on various ways to commit murder, or, in Lou's phrase, "...different ways to cook a guy's goose."

Great comedy is timeless. This movie has a very '40s look to it, but Bud and Lou manage to keep the comedy fresh and energetic. The movie is of value to collectors of classic comedy. It's also a good chance to introduce the kids to the world of Abbott and Costello. Enjoy the fun. ;-)

Really funny and fast moving A&C. Including one of their best routines "Alexander 2-2" (with Lou trying to make a phone call). Fun rooftop chase and finale.

(And I have to say, I never really got the comparison to Curly of the Three Stooges mentioned in other reviews. There are some similarities-- both being overweight and childlike, but I think both comics are hysterical and uniquely different. Lou Costello is more of "the little man"lost in a world he doesn't always comprehend, the victim of others selfishness, just trying to get by(the "Alexander 2-2" routine in this film being a good example) -- while Curly Howard is more of the frustrated simpleton who is often the main benefactor of his own stupidity. Both were brilliant, but in different ways.

Once again the boys are at it in this classic mystery-comedy. Abbott & Costello play two soda jerks (CHUCK LARKIN & MERVIN MILGRIM) and amateur radio writers, who pose as real detectives to solve the murder of a radio network president. This film teams the duo with two legendary comics - Mary Wickes and William Bendix (later to star the the TV show "THE LIFE OF RILEY"). Very clever sight gags and highlights abound in this film. One funny highlight has Lou winning the "WHEEL OF FORTUNE" and after many attempts, he successfully gets into the radio station to claim his prize, which happens to be a brand new transitor radio. When Lou & Bud turn it on they hear themselves performing 'WHO'S ON FIRST'. They then turn the radio off in disgust, Lou says:"Every time you hear those two. It's ALWAYS 'Who's on first,What's on second'." 5 STARS once again to ABBOTT & COSTELLO.

Colonel J.R. Andrews is head of a radio broadcasting company. A new writer is hired for a murder mystery show. Chick and Mervin are working in a drugstore, and put on their comic skits. The film shows how a radio mystery show is produced. But Colonel Andrews is murdered by a clever plot. There is another skit on the use of words that sound alike. [The jokes show the attitudes of those days.] Can life imitate art? Misunderstandings provide comedy. Strange events cause Mervin to look for clues in a closet; he finds something that doesn't belong there. "Which way did they go?" Is there a secret in Colonel Andrews' office? Is the murderer after this secret?

There is confusion in the dark. The elevator is manually controlled. Could a plain language code be used on radio? [Yes.] The acrobats show their skills. Who will win the prize? Is the line busy? "What are we doing to do?" We see a portable radio from that era (tubes and big batteries). Some of the jokes seem old and dated. Can a radio broadcast solve the murders? Will a surprise cause a confession? There is a comic chase to end the story.

This film lacks the songs and dances of earlier films. There is a reference to the war, and the events of those days. Did you recognize that foreign language?

This one doesn't get mentioned as much as "Hold That Ghost" but it is one of their best. Chick (Bud) and Mervin (Lou) are working in a diner but trying to break into radio as writers for the mystery show "Murder at Midnight." There is just one great gag and skit followed by another, and Bud and Lou turn every situation in this great and well-written comedy into utter chaos. In technical terms, this movie is a hoot!

The very pretty Louise Albritton trys to help Patrick Knowles break into radio, but he is having none of it and offers to help Bud and Lou by inviting them to a live broadcast of "Murder at Midnight." During the broadcast, of course, a real murder occurs and the boys see this as their big break. They impersonate the police in order to solve the murder of the radio station owner themselves and become the only radio writers to actually solve a real crime. What could possibly go wrong?

Mervin romances very funny Juliet (Mary Wickes) along the way and William Bendix has a nice turn as Brannigan, a cop who isn't even as smart as Lou. The cops, headed by William Gargen as Lt. Moran, are after Chick and Mervin, and since Lou has the real clue to the crime in his pocket, so is the murderer. Jimmy (Knowles) and Jane (Albritton) work together to find out who commited the crime while all this is going on and decide to go live with a new "Murder at Midnight" to flush out the real culprit.

The first shot of Bud and Lou working in the diner as Lou attempts to give a customer a slice of limburger cheese is worth the price of this movie alone. From beginning to end, this film is side splittingly funny. While on the run from Lt. Moran and the killer Mervin wins a $10,00.00 radio contest. If avoiding the cops so they can collect isn't enough trouble, Mervin has to come up with some kind of photo ID in order to collect. What does he finally produce? His membership card to the Girl Scouts, troop #34!

This is a terrific movie that will make you feel good. They even poke fun at themselves and their famous skit "Who's on First" in this one. I highly recommend this film if you are a fan of Bud and Lou or old time radio, or both. This film is a nice reminder of why many people consider Bud Abbott and Lou Costello to be the funniest comedy team ever. Don't miss this one!

Abbot and Costello want to work as writers for a radio show. Since they discovered that a murder occured onset, they descide to snatch celebrity spotlights by posing as police detectives. In terms of Abbot and Costello, I prefer the Wistful Widow from Wagongap and Frankenstein. This one was a good story, light mystery.

Bud and Lou are soda jerks at a broadcasting center, determined to break into radio by solving a murder mystery. This is a very funny Abbott & Costello feature, loaded with the team's ad-lib, free-wheeling routines. The direction and photography would be a credit to any legitimate mystery or horror picture, and the action moves very quickly. The tape also includes a few 1940s movie previews (the "Arabian Nights" trailer is a treat), plus "Juke Box Jamboree," one of Walter Lantz's most ambitious cartoons, and a travelogue about El Paso, Texas. If you remember the moviegoing experience in the '40s, or if you're an Abbott & Costello fan, you can't go wrong with this one. Picture and sound are excellent.

I've seen most of their comedies but this one slipped past me until recently. Costello is really revved up in this one doing his Curley Howard imitation, tripping over everything and getting outsmarted by just about everyone. His opening scene as a soda jerk making a limburger cheese sandwich is hilarious. Abbott has some great moments also, trying to show Lou how to use a water fountain and trying to explain that watts are volts. This is a fun movie and a special treat for fans of A & C. An added plus...No boring songs!

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello star as two guys trying to get into radio writing and performing, who stumble into a murder committed live on the air, and in order to make a name for themselves, pretend they are detectives that can solve it. The murdered man is the president of the network. Along for the mystery are such familiar classic film faces as Patric Knowles, William Bendix, Mary Wickes, Louise Allbritton, and Jerome Cowan. There's not much to the mystery, as it pretty much forms the thread for linking together the boys' antics and slapstick routines. So don't expect to be on the edge of your seat through the movie, waiting for the solution. Costello is especially manic in this one, bouncing off of everything and everyone. I did enjoy seeing them make fun of themselves a few times, and there were a some clever moments. It's an Abbott and Costello film, so you get what you get. It's not the best I've seen from them, but it's better than a number of their other films.

Abbott and Costello are at their best in this 1942 film, in which they play soda jerks/radio writers turned amateur detectives. Many hysterical moments ensue, including many bits with the very funny william Bendix.