Bud Abbott : Your favorite Abbott and Costello Films?

What are yours?

1. Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein

2. Buck Privates

3. Hold That Ghost

1. Who Done It?

2. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

3. Naughty Nineties

1. Meet Frankenstein
2. Pardon My Sarong
3. Hold That Ghost
4. Time of Their Lives
5. Who Done It?

1. Buck Privates (minus the romantic subplot...eck!)
2. Time of Their Lives
3. Who Done It

Calvero
Comedy Classics Forums & Podcast
http://www.ComedyClassics.org/

Favorite:

1. Meet Frankenstein
2. Who Done It?
3. Time Of Their Lives
4. In Society
5. In The Foreign Legion

Least Favorite:

1. Meet The Mummy
2. Meet The Keystone Kops
3. Buck Privates Come Home

Most favorite

1. Hold That Ghost
2. Who Done It
3. The Naughty Nineties
4. Meet Frankenstein

Least favorite
1. Lost in Alaska
2. Meet Jack & the Beanstalk
3. Africa Screams

I love that everyone agrees that "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" is the best. I can watch that movie over & over again. I also love the "Who's on First" routine.

it's a tie between hold that ghost and frankenstein. of course, i love all their movies and t.v. shows.

Meet Frankenstein
Meet the Invisible Man
Buck Privates
Hold the Ghost
Meet Dr, Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde

1. The Time of Their Lives
2. Hold That Ghost
3. Meet Frankenstein
4. Buck Privates
5. In The Navy

"Life's like a novel with the end ripped out"

"It's all for one and one for all, ya'll"

I love some of the zest of the early ones, where you can see that it's all new and fresh and fun for the boys. My favorites are:

1.) Hold That Ghost
2.) Pardon My Sarong
3.) Hit The Ice
4.) Who Done It

I'm pretty convinced that "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" is not only their best movie, but one of the most finely crafted pieces of entertainment that Hollywood has ever or will ever turn out. It's just perfection in my book, and I can't think of too many other movies I feel that way about.

I have a really soft spot in my heart for the other Abbott and Costello Meets. I know that the general consensus is that they're not as good, but I remember vividly seeing them for the first time as a kid, and they had me spellbound, these comedians tangling with the monsters. Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer had me on the edge of my seat as young boy, especially the cavern scene, I will never forget seeing that for the first time. And the little boy in me loves Meet the Invisible Man, Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Meet the Mummy just as much.

My favorite Abbott And Costello films are:
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein(1948)
The Time Of Their lives(1946)
Merry Xmas.

To Better Days,
BRAD

Wow, you guys loved Frankenstein huh? Don't get me wrong, growing up it was one of my faves, but as I delved more into A&C films, I found the writing for it really doesn't compare to some of their other work.

That said, faves are:

Hold that ghost
Who Done It?
Buck Privates
Meet the Killer
And, I will say this, and many will disagree, but "The Noose Hangs High." The final dinner scene in that movie is the absolute best performance by these guys, I think. Their timing is dead on here.

"That sure is a beautiful wall. You know what that wall reminds me of? This one over here."

Classic.


"Dear little *beep*
RIP Richard Jeni

Hold That Ghost
A&C Meet Frankenstein
Buck Privates
Lost In A Harem
Who Done It?
A&C In Hollywood
A&C Meet The Killer
In The Navy

"He said I looked like Boris Karloff..." Arsenic and Old Lace

Wow, I remember when I was a kid, every Sunday afternoon it seemed that there was an A&C movie on. I loved all of them, but if I had to pick...
Hold That Ghost
Naughty Nineties
The Time of Their Lives.
I wish they still ran them. I know you can get them on DVD and such, but it was something that I looked forward to every weekend.

"It IS Fate, but call it Italy if you will, Vicar..."

It's a funny thing about that film. I have the original script for that, which shows behind the scenes work on it, and it is very different from what we see on screen. I guess there was a lot of ad-libbing by Bud and Lou. An interesting change is that in the film Costello's character is Wilbur Grey but in the script he is Wilbur Brown. Wonder why they changed colors? Cute joke there in the Costello vein, don't you think?

I just bought 30+ Abbott & Costello movies on DVD. They bring a lot of good memories. Being in a dark spooky theater watching the monster creeping up on Abbott and/or Costello. Look out! He' 2000 s behind you! lol.
My favorite movies are:
1)"The Time of Their Lives"
2)"Africa Sreams"
3)"Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"
4)"Hold That Ghost"
5)"Buck Privates"
I used to to the "Who's on First" routine on the live stage. It was an absolute riot to perform, but of course couldn't
even come close to them even in my dreams. I could go on and on, but they are all in their own way, classics. Thanks much, Papa Larry of LEH Originals.

1. Hold that Ghost
2. A & C Meet Frankenstein
3. Who Done It
4. Buck Privates
5. In Society
--------------------

Well, I like Buck Privates. Lou was so funny in that film. Just his voice made me laugh. I did like Foreign Legion, with the gag about the fish with the false teeth. That seemed more real to me than the CGI stuff they do today. And where they Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff was good too. Interesting in that there is a scene where the killer (not Boris) tries to drown Costello's character. I wonder if Lou liked doing that considering what happened to his infant son a few years before.

Wow. I never thought of that, but I'd imagine he would have been a bit conflicted about shooting the scene. Interesting thought.

"Dear little punk-fa ggot.."
RIP Richard Jeni

A&C Meet Frankenstein
A&C Meet the Invisible Man
Hold That Ghost
Who Done It?
Little Giant

Maybe he realized it wasn't meant to be a joke, since his character was supposed to get killed by that.

The strange thing about Abbott and Costello meets Frankenstein is that it's such a cut above all kinds of other horror comedies, and that it works both as a comedy/farce, and as a companion piece of the old Universal horror movies cycle.

1 Meets Frankenstein

2 Meets the Killer

3 Ride 'em Cowboy

so many movies - so little time

Meets Jekyll & Hyde

Meets Frankenstein

" Mummy

Who Done It ?

Go to Mars

Hold That Ghost

Killer Boris Karloff,etc


-mby

1. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
2. Keep 'Em Flying
3. Time of Their Lives


I only have their first DVD set.....can't wait to get the others. There
are so many I haven't seen......

Time Of Their Lives

The Time of Their Lives.
Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.
Little Giant.
The Naughty Nineties.
Here Come the Co-Eds.

If I had to leave it to five, it would be those. I do like all of their movies that I've seen, except for One Night in the Tropics & Mexican Hayride. They both had their hilarious moments, but I saw One Night in the Tropics after becoming an A&C fan & didn't enjoy it as much since it was their first movie & they had supporting roles. I felt that the actual plot to Mexican Hayride wasn't really good for an A&C film in my opinion.

I agree with the majority of posters here that Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (a.k.a., Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein) is their masterpiece. I know Lon Chaney Jr. regretted the film until his death, but the truth is, it was the best farewell the Universal Monsters could've hoped for (imagine ending that era with the schlocky 1945 monster fest House of Dracula - what a sad swan song that would've been). I've been an A&C fan since age eight. I used to watch them every Saturday on KHJ Channel 9 Los Angeles and then when I moved to Salt Lake City, they were on Saturday late afternoons (4:30-6:00). My weekend was not complete without Bud & Lou. With no further delay, here are my favorites:

1. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948): What can I add that hasn't been said here before? It's a gem.

2. Who Done It? (1942): The first A&C film without musical interludes, this one is packed with spot-on gags from start to finish, plenty of tension and a great Harold Lloyd-esque chase on a skyscraper. Wartime comedy at its best.

3. Pardon My Sarong (1942): The film works beautifully from start to finish. William Demarest is great as the bumbling detective who gets hoodwinked by Bud and Lou. The gags keep coming: The baseball routine (not Who's On First? - but the routine A&C use to get out of paying for gas); Bud guilt-tripping Lou over his last bean; the drink-switching sequence with the brutish native. All great stuff. And Lionel Atwill is a damn good bad guy - the Alan Rickman of his day.

4. The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947): The only movie to put Bud & Lou in the Old West (unless you count Lost in Alaska as the Old West), this terrific, underrated A&C comedy features the boys at their best and Marjorie Main is a scene-stealer as Widow Hawkins.

5. Buck Privates (1941) and Buck Privates Come Home (1947) - tie: Both films are A&C classics. Buck Privates is more of an Old-School A&C laugh fest, interrupted by plenty of toe-tapping musical interludes. Come Home is more of a comedy-drama - sort of an Abbott & Costello Meet the Best Years of Our Lives, but it works amazingly well thanks to good writing and spot-on performances.

Almost made the Top Five: Hold that Ghost (1941): A sentimental favorite.


Most Underrated A&C Movies:

1. A&C Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
2. Here Come the Coeds (1945)
3. Keep 'Em Flying (1941)

Worst A&C Movies:

1. Dance With Me Henry (1956): Dreary. The boys look old and tired. Their heart isn't in it. So sad that it's their last film together.
2. Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952): You'd think with Charles Laughton in it, it might be one of their best. Sadly, it falls flat.
3. A&C go to Mars (1953): OK, I admit, I loved it as a kid. But it is one of their worst. All the gags fall flat and - SPOILER ALERT - they never actually make it to Mars. Mari Blanchard is great eye candy, though.

I just received a box set of every Universal film Bud and Lou did during their 15 year contract with the studio... and I must say, that their movies are great!

I haven't been able to see all of their films yet (which consist of Little Giant, The Time of Their Lives, Mexican Hayride, Africa Screams, Keep em'Flying, and One Night in the Tropics), but my favorites so far are:

Buck Privates, This movie just kills me when Bud and Lou do their "dice game" skit. And even though some of the musical bits throughout A&C's movie history get old, I must say The Andrews Sisters are a favorite.

Who Done It?, In this movie I just love the atmosphere and the mix of Comedy and Mystery Bud and Lou get themselves in. The rooftop scenes are very memorable.

Hold That Ghost, the reactions of Lou when he comes across dead bodies are classic and the supporting cast is great.

Meet Frankenstein, a majority favborite which doesn't need any explanation.

It Ain't Hay, again great atmosphere and songs that I enjoyed. Pasty O'Connor added a nice dramatic touch to Lou's cause for getting another horse (she sings well too).

I enjoy A&C's skits in "The Naughty Nineties", "Here Come the Co-eds", and "Hit the Ice".

In "Pardon My Sarong"... I must say that the beauty playing Luana is on 16d0 e of the most gorgeous girls I have ever seen. And "The Tree of Truth" skit is also classic.

I also agree that one of their most underrated movies was "A&C Meet the Invisible Man". This movie was always one of my favorites because to me it's different then their other films. To me a see more dramatic parts woven into the plot and a VERY unique situation in which Bud and Lou get themselves mixed in.

My least favorite was "In Society", however the whole plumbing bit in the beginning was very funny.

"THE GREATEST TRICK THE DEVIL EVER PULLED WAS CONVINCING THE WORLD THAT HE NEVER EXISTED."

1. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (#2 doesn't come close!)

2. Keep 'Em Flying

3. The Time of Their Lives

4. Hold That Ghost

5. Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

1. The Time of Thier Lives

2. Who Done It

3.Meet Frankenstien

4. Hold That Ghost

5. One Night in the Tropics(Yeah they aren't the stars but when they are it is some of thier best stuff in my mind)

6. Buck Privates

7. Pardon My Sarong

8. It Ain't Hay

9. Meet The Invisible Man

10. In The Navy

1 - A & C Meet Frankenstein
2 - The Time of their Lives
3 - Hold that Ghost
4 - Hit the Ice

One of my fondest memories when I was very young ( late 1970's/early 1980's ) was watching A&C movies on WPIX channel 11 in New York. They would air them every Sunday at 11:30am. They would also air great old horr b68 or movies ( all of the Universal classics ) during Chiller Theatre every Saturday. And of course the original Yule Log . Back in the 1970's and 1980's WPIX was an awesome station. Great memories. I am so glad in recent years they have brought back some of these wonderful memories ( airing the Yule log again and showing Chiller Theatre movies on the weekend before Halloween ).

WPIX also ran the television series in the late 50's and 60's every day. I watched every episode at least five times. Whenever I watch them, I'm no longer in my late 50's but I'm seven or eight years old again. It is just amazing how they have brought so much joy to me throughout my life.

Favorites List:

Time of Their Lives - Amazing production values, nice special effects and a brilliant script full of tension and surprises. Bud Abbott's best performance. 2000
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - Lugosi is better here then he was in Dracula. There are lots of inspired scenes that work. The monsters are the straight men here. Great music too.
Hold That Ghost - Joan Davis and the rest of the cast were terrific.
Buck Privates - Fantastic War Propaganda.
Here Comes the Co-eds - Peggy Ryan is great and the ending basketball sequence with Lou dressed as a co-ed is crazy, zany and hilarious.

Abbott and Costello's top ten best films. I especially love the early ones from 1941-1943. I also think that ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN was the greatest of the monster themed films they made.

BUCK PRIVATES
IN THE NAVY
KEEP EM' FLYING
RIDE EM' COWBOY
PARDON MY SARONG
WHO DONE IT
HOLD THAT GHOST
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN HOLLYWOOD
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN

I'll have to do a top 10 because I like so many of them for different reasons.

In no order

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein
Abbott and Costello meet The Killer
Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man
Abbott and Costello in The Foreign Legion
Hold That Ghost
Here Come The Co-eds
Buck Privates Come Home
Hit The Ice
Who Done It?
Time Of Their Lives


Unfortunetly I've never seen Lost In A Harem,The Noose Hangs High,Rio Rita,Mexican Hayride or Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap.

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WPIX also ran the television series in the late 50's and 60's every day.

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WPIX had that show well into the '80s. In fact, the first time I saw them was on that program (circa '70).

No blah, blah, blah!

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, no doubt.

Lost in the Harem,
Simply because as kids our Elder Sister/Mum would scare the daylights out of Me and my little Sister wit the "Pokomoko routine

I don't fool around with these lists... 😃

1) Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - I have seen it more than any other film (not just A & C - any film!) and know all of the lines by heart. Wonderful blending of comedy and horror.

2) The Time of Their Lives - the most perfect A & C film in terms of originality and construction, it may deserve to be at the top.

3) Who Done It?

4) Hold That Ghost

5) Pardon My Sarong

6) It Ain’t Hay

7) The Naughty Nineties

8) In Society

9) Buck Privates Come Home

10) Buck Privates

11) Little Giant

12) The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap

13) Hit the Ice

14) Lost in Alaska

15) In The Navy

16) Ride ‘Em Cowboy

17) Here Come the Co-Eds

18) Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff

19) The Noose Hangs High

20) Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man

21) Keep ‘Em Flying

22) Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Cops

23) Lost in a Harem

24) Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

25) Comin’ Round the Mountain

26) Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion

27) Mexican Hayride

28) One Night in the Tropics

29) Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

30) Rio Rita

31) Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

32) Africa Screams

33) Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd

34) Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

35) Dance With Me Henry

36) Jack in the Beanstalk


No blah, blah, blah!