THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH-1948-This was Abbott & Costello's first foray into independent film making (for Eagle-Lion). "The boys" play Ted (Bud) and Tommy (Lou) who work for the Speedy Window Washing Service. A bookie named Nick Craig, (Joseph Calleia) mistakes them for a delivery service and sends them to pick up $50,000 from a guy named Stewart (Ben Weldon). When Stewart sends two of his men to get the money back Tommy puts the money in an envelope and mails it to the Craig. Of course he gets the envelopes mixed up and the money winds up with a rich woman's secretary (Cathy Downs) who promptly spends most of it. They have ten hours to raise the money so that Craig can pay off the mysterious J C McBride (Leon Errol), a gambler who "never loses". Mike Mazurki plays one of Craig's henchman. One highlight of the story is a pool game between Costello and Errol (which features the routine "Mudder and Fodder"). Although Bud and Lou do many of their famous routines, Costello and Errol have a few funny bits together too.
THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH was probably an unusual name for this comedy. It was one of 8 Abbott and Costello movies Charles Barton directed. He made their classic ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN the same year. (Earlier Barton was assistant director on the Marx brothers' DUCK SOUP). Cathy Downs later was in many low budget horror-Sci-Fi movies of the fifties like THE AMAZING COLOSSAL MAN and MISSILE TO THE MOON. NOOSE also features bits by Fritz Feld, Herb Vigran, Isabel Randolph and A & C's old pals Murray Leonard and Joe Kirk.
Thanks for reading!
No comments:
Post a Comment