Bobby Barber

In the Navy

by Tom Raymond
March 24, 2012August 8, 2023

In the Navy (1941) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell, the Andrews Sisters, Claire Dodd

In the Navy - Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, police officer

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello‘s follow up after the amazing success of Buck Privates was In the Navy. Which actually did better than Buck Privates. Like their previous film, Shemp Howard and the Andrews Sisters provide a comic foil and musical interludes, respectively. In a nutshell, Abbott and Costello join the Navy. Then, they get involved in a romantic subplot with Dick Powell. Along the way, they do do some of their most famous routines. These include a version of the con artist shell game using lemons, and Lou demonstrating his clownish math skills by trying to prove that 28 divided by 7 equals 13 — this bit alone is worth the price of admission.

Abbott and Costello's Jack in the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

by Tom Raymond
March 11, 2012May 31, 2023

Abbott and Costello in Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the only two films that Abbott and Costello made in color. It is a children’s movie that adults can enjoy as well. The beginning and ending of the movie are filmed in black and white, with Bud and Lou playing their typical characters. Bud Abbott bosses around and takes advantage of Lou Costello. Although that changes slightly at the end of the movie. Bud having Lou work as a babysitter for an obnoxious child, who hits Lou on the head and launches the main part of the movie. Lou dreams in color of the story of Jack and the Beanstalk.