I grew up with Abbott & Costello's movies and show (and even their cartoon) back on WPIX in the 1970s. In my eyes, they were the best comedy team ever, easily besting Laurel & Hardy, Martin & Lewis and Hope & Crosby. Having recently begun re-watching A&C movies, I was reminded of just how funny they were. That is, until I got to "A&C in Hollywood." I didn't remember having seen it before, likely because WPIX only played A&C's Universal classics.
The problem here is that more than most other A&C movies, this was a bunch of gags loosely strung together with a weak story. Many of the gags weren't very funny and several of them just went on far too long, among them Costello hiding out as a stunt dummy on the set of a western and Costello having insomnia. The latter was especially tiresome. It went on for what seemed like 10-15 minutes and didn't advance the plot at all. How many times do we need to see A&C stuffing cotton in their ears, plucking it out, then repeating the process?
Even more disturbing was their plan to eliminate their client's rival. Framing the man for a fake murder? That's definitely not A&C's style. They had always had harmless if sometimes negligent fun, but this crossed the line into outright crime.
For a better take on the basic premise of this movie (two nobodies try to break into show business, with Costello being chased by an angry villain in the climax), try "Who Done It?" That film about two soda jerks trying to become radio mystery writers, made three years before this one, was a much better effort for both of them.
The problem here is that more than most other A&C movies, this was a bunch of gags loosely strung together with a weak story. Many of the gags weren't very funny and several of them just went on far too long, among them Costello hiding out as a stunt dummy on the set of a western and Costello having insomnia. The latter was especially tiresome. It went on for what seemed like 10-15 minutes and didn't advance the plot at all. How many times do we need to see A&C stuffing cotton in their ears, plucking it out, then repeating the process?
Even more disturbing was their plan to eliminate their client's rival. Framing the man for a fake murder? That's definitely not A&C's style. They had always had harmless if sometimes negligent fun, but this crossed the line into outright crime.
For a better take on the basic premise of this movie (two nobodies try to break into show business, with Costello being chased by an angry villain in the climax), try "Who Done It?" That film about two soda jerks trying to become radio mystery writers, made three years before this one, was a much better effort for both of them.