Customer Reviews

Pardon My Sarong

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

 

 

I'm no fan of Abbott and Costello but this is one of their funnier romps. The "Tree of Truth" skit is particularly amusing and so is Costello's encounter with a native blowhard (Leif Erickson).A funny takeoff on all those South Sea romances that were so popular in the forties.

Abbott & Costello star in this classic comedy spoof of South Sea romances and the "ROAD" pictures of Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Dorthory Lamour. The team play two busdrivers who get stranded on a tropical island with notorious jewel thieves. The FUNNIEST scene in the movie is "THE TREE OF TRUTH" sequence. The boys are seated under a "MAGICAL" tree with a native girl. The girl explains to them that whoever sits under the tree, and tells a lie, that something TERRIBLE will happen to him. Lou states that if that is the case, he DOESN'T have a thing to worry about because he DOESN'T TELL any lies. He is then IMMEDIATELY hit on the head with a coconut. This goes on for some time. Every time Costello tells a lie,a coconut falls on his head. In order to prevent this Abbott suggests to his partner that he tell the girl the story of "THE TRAVELLING SALESMAN AND THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER", stating that she is a native and has never heard it before. Since the story is FULL of so many falsehoods, Lou ALWAYS winds up getting bonked by a coconut. The end result is when the girl asks Lou what the travelling salesman in the story wanted at the farmer's house, he replies that he wanted a drink of water. POOR Lou is then IMMEDIATELY showered by a downfall of coconuts. 5 STARS once again to this classic comedy.

The film begins at the Chicago Bus Terminal. Bus 5111 has disappeared. Somehow it is on its way to Los Angeles. Tommy Layton and his girls are on the bus. Algernon and Wellington perform their comic skits. [Note the use of flash photography in daylight; this cuts the contrast.] Songs entertain and pad out the story. Will the boys get a free trip back to Illinois? Will the magician fool the detective? "Back up!" "Go Ahead!" Will the boys join the boat crew? "How do they teach them that kind of work?" "Look at the big sardines!" Soon they are sailing into a storm and off course. They are becalmed and low on food and water. More jokes follow. Then land is sighted. Will they be saved? Will a whistle protect Algernon?

What happens when they ring a bell? Will there be a song and dance? They sit under the Tree of Truth. Wellington tells a story. Is there a plot to steal jewels? "You're a stinker." Who will drink from that cup? [Does some of that drama seem funny today?] There are fireworks from the volcano, the hero must offer a sacrifice. [A bail-out?] Is there a conspiracy theory here? There is plenty of comic action at the ending. [Lions on a South Pacific island?] The action is as comic as it is incredible. Will the people on the island be saved?

Did such films provide relief from the worries of those days?

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,

It doesn't get any more fun than this for fans of Abbott and Costello. If measured only by plot this would fall into the category of the team's usual fare, but judged as entertainment, it ranks right up there with "Who Done It" and "Hold That Ghost." With a cast that runs from lovely Virginia Bruce to William Demerest and Lionel Atwill, and pleasant musical distractions from The Ink Spots and a tropical island full of scantily clad Universal contract stars, this one is unbeatable.

Bud and Lou are bus drivers Alginan Shaw Hang and Wellington Phlug! This one takes off like a runaway rocket, or in this case a bus, as the boys have taken a slight detour from their Chicago bus route to transport Tommy Layton (Robert Paige) and his many female admirers to the Seaside Yacht Club. Tommy runs afoul of lovely Joan Marshall (Virginia Bruce). While everyone is enjoying some fun nightlife at the resort Bud and Lou are dodging the private detective the bus company has sent to take them to jail.

It isn't long before Tommy, Joan, and the boys have stranded their yacht on a tropical island filled with beautiful native girls all named Luana, including the tribal Chief's daughter (Nan Wynn). Wynn is sparkling and it's no wonder Lou can't resist when she takes a shine to him. She gets to sing "Lovely Luana" and Vingo Jingo" by Don Raye and Gene de Paul while a treasure hunter named Varnoff (Lionel Atwill) uses a volcano to lure Lou into a trap so he can steal a precious gem. What's a bus driver from Chicago to do?

If those bus drivers are Bud and Lou their time on the island is a fun time at the movies for the viewer. Some nice sets from Universal add some shine to this one, and some dances arranged by Katherine Dunham are a pleasant distraction. Virginia Bruce, always lovely, looks particularly great as dressed by Vera West in this one. Despite the danger Bud and Lou have a great time on the island and so will you. A "can't miss" for fans of Bud and Lou.

PARDON MY SARONG
Universal Pictures
Release Date: August 7, 1942
Runtime: 84 minutes

Director:
Erle C. Kenton

Producer:
Alex Gottlieb

Writing Credits:
True Boardman
Nat Perrin
John Grant

CAST:
Bud Abbott...........Algernon 'Algy' Shaw
Lou Costello.........Wellington Pflug, aka Moola
Virginia Bruce.......Joan Marshall
Robert Paig..........Tommy Layton
Leif Erickson........Whaba
Nan Wynn.............Luana
William Demarest.....Detective Kendall
Lionel Atwill........Varnoff
Samuel S. Hinds......Chief Kolua
Bill Kenny
Carlie Fuqua {The Four Ink Spots}....Themselves
Deek Watson
Hoppy Jones
Marie McDonald.......Ferna
Elaine Morey.........Amo
Ted Fraser
Samuel Green {Tip, Tap, Toe}....Themselves
Ray Winfield

Music by:
Stanley Cowan
Milton Drake
Robert North
Ben Oakland
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by:
Milton R. Krasner

Film Editing by:
Arthur Hilton

Art Direction:
Jack Otterson

Set Decoration:
Russell A. Gausman

Costume Design by:
Vera West

Assistant Director:
Howard Christie

Sound Department:
Bernard B. Brown
Robert Pritchard

Other Crew:
Ted Cain - music supervisor
Katherine Dunham - choreographer
Martin Obzina - associate art director
Charles Previn - musical director
Don Raye - lyricist
Edward R. Robinson - associate set decorator

Plot Outline:

Algy and Wellington (Abbott & Costello) are a couple of bus drivers who quickly get in trouble by tagging along with a playboy sailor (Robert Paige). The boys become shipmates to the playboy sailor and his love interest Susey. During a bad storm, they become lost and find themselves on a tropical island inhabited by natives. There they find gem smugglers who don't like strangers and try to protect their interests.

ROUTINES & HILARIOUS MOMENTS:

Go Ahead And Back Up
Farmhouse Story
You Are A Stinker
Basbeball Story Diversion
Slipping A Mickey

Trivia (from [...]): Universal had smash hits with Abbott and Costello's service comedies. With this film they tried to duplicate the box office success that Paramount was having with the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope "Road" pictures. The experiment worked and this film exceeded the box office grosses of their service comedies to become Abbott and Costello's biggest hit to date.

Pardon my Sarong was A&C's version of a Hope & Crosby Road picture in an exotic setting. This was a return to Universal for the boys after having been at MGM.

Bud & Lou are a couple of Bus Drivers who end up on a tropical island and having to face the evil Dr. Varnoff, played by the great Lionel Atwill in yet another evil/mad doctor role that he did so well. Virginia Bruce basically plays the Dorothy lamour role in the film.

Bud & Lou are hysterical in this movie and they seemed to have quite a good time making the film. As i said, Atwill is one of my favorite character actors and actually precedes some of the horror stars that would appear in later A&C films.\

Good silly fun.

I thought this was the best one of all the abbot and costello movies. but I loved them all.