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Date Posted: 16:06:32 12/11/07 Tue
Author: Rick
Subject: Hold That Ghost ( 1941 )

The runaway success of "Buck Privates" ( 1941 ) caused a big stir within Universal's upper brass and the follow-up film, "Hold That Ghost" was made the same year. 1941 marked the first year in which the studio profited solidly, since the new owners acquired the firm in 1936. Using Abbott and Costello paid off. Incidentally, the late Joan Markowitz was a good friend of mine since 1999. She worked at NBC Burbank from 1954 to 1964. Her father was Bud and Lou's agent!


Rick :)

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Replies:

[> Re: Hold That Ghost ( 1941 ) -- Alan, 20:35:44 12/12/07 Wed [1]

"Hold That Ghost" is probably the best of that very popular sub-genre, the haunted house comedy, that seemed to be all over the place in the late 30's and early 40's. To me it's a better overall film than "The Gorilla", "Ghost Breakers", or "One Body Too Many", mainly due to Abbott and Costello, who at this point, (their fourth film) were still fresh and vital, not yet affected by ill health, overexposure, and their later estrangement.

It has some funny moments, like the moving candle sequence and the memorable scene where Costello's bedroom keeps switching into a prohibition-era casino. Funny stuff, and Lou's outsized reactions are priceless.

But that said, I can't regard it as one of A&C's very best. I think Arthur Lubin's direction is uneven, and the script could have used a little tightening. To prove my point, compare "Hold That Ghost" with two of their later scare-comedies, "The Time of Their Lives" (in which Costello and Marjorie Reynolds play genuine ghosts), and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein", arguably the team's masterpiece. Both of those films benefited from better screenplays and more solid direction by Charles Barton.


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[> Re: Hold That Ghost ( 1941 ) -- Tim, 22:26:59 12/19/07 Wed [1]

Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (1948) ranks as the high point of the duo's career, in my opinion. And what a great cast of monsters...Lon Chaney Jr, John Carradine, Glenn Strange and (briefly) the voice of Vincent Price!

The duo's final foray into the monster spoof sub-genre was Abbott and Costello meet the Mummy in 1955. It's a mildly entertaining effort but certainly not up to par with the classic A&C meet Frankenstein.

I thought the team's most unusual film title was Abbott and Costello meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949), although it was sometimes shown as just Abbott and Costello meet the Killer.

There is an excellent biography of Joan Markowitz over at the Scenery of the Ponderosa site. I recall her posting a few times at the forum over there as well.

Tim


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[> [> Re: Hold That Ghost ( 1941 ) -- Alan, 22:12:44 12/20/07 Thu [1]

Hi Tim,

A slight correction; it was the great Bela Lugosi who played Dracula in "A&CmF"...and his work in that film stands as one of his career milestones. In a fair world, his performance should have jump-started his career, but it was not to be.


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[> [> [> Re: Hold That Ghost ( 1941 ) -- Tim, 00:34:57 12/22/07 Sat [1]

Absolutely. Lugosi was great in A&C meet Frankenstein! I must have been thinking of House of Frankenstein or House of Dracula when I erroneously posted John Carradine. Thanks for the correction.

Tim


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