Reviews (3)

Ma & Pa get their own movie since "The Egg and I" (1947)
This is he first starring role for Ma & Pa Kettle, but not the first film they appeared in. The very first film Majorie Main and Percy Kilbride as "Ma & Pa Kettle", along with Richard Long was in the film "The Egg And I" (1947). They were only minor characters in the film, but made such an impact and was considered so down-home funny that it was decided they should be given a movie of their own. Thus "Ma & Pa Kettle" (1949) was made. In fact, they made eight more films to follow. The films are quite wholesome and Ma & Pa Kettle living on the farm, I'm sure you will enjoy the country-life humor. Ma & Pa Kettle didn't always stay on the farm. They did go to the fair and traveled to the city and even Hawaii. In this film, they finally get to move into a new model home. Wait until you see all the fancy stuff this house can do. I highly recommend you see "The Egg And I" (1947) first, to get the good flavor of the films and appreciate the humor. Enjoy! Followed by: Ma & Pa Kettle Go To Town (1950), Ma & Pa Kettle Back On The Farm (1951), Ma & Pa Kettle At The Fair (1952), Ma & Pa Kettle on Vacation (1953), Ma & Pa Kettle At Home (1954), Ma & Pa Kettle At Waikiki (1955), The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956), The Kettles on Old MacDonald's Farm (1957). Note: Be sure to catch Majorie Main in "Dead End" (1937).

NUTS TO BIRDIE HICKS!
Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main star in this spin-off of the EGG AND I, a 1947 flick in which they were scene-stealing supporting characters. The Ma & Pa Kettle series - corny and unsophisticated as they were - proved huge money-makers for Universal Pictures. The hoi polloi just loved watching the antics of these loveable country bumpkins who lived out in Hicksville! In this offering, Ma & Pa play the down-and-out parents of 15 kids who are faced with being evicted from their ramshackle home. Pa wins a slogan contest for a tobacco company, and wins his wife and brood an ultra modern (for 1949) brand-new, fully automated house. Local grouch Esther Dale (as the hilarious Birdie Hicks, a sour old beldame with the face of curds) is jealous of the Kettles' new fortune and accuses Pa of plagiarizing the slogan...Note the the eldest son - Tom - is played by 22 year-old Richard Long who would go on to play Jarrod Barkley on TV's THE BIG VALLEY.

reminds me of growing up in my big family
I grew up in a family of nine, with parents like man and pa. I just love these movies and am looking to collect all their titles..Does anyone know how many video's have been released and where I can get them. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

YOU KNOW YOU NEED THIS
This is the greatest film ever made.

It may not be as enlightening as MA AND PA KETTLE DISTINGUISH BETWEEN INDUCTION AND DEDUCTION, but it remains highly entertaining, a real blast, and with a morality-punchline that will guide you through life very quickly.

I've seen this film 22 or 23 times. Do you need ANY more encouragement? Come on...

A new twist on the city slicker/country cousin paradigm
Ma and Pa Kettle were first introduced in The Egg and I, as incidental characters to the story. A humorous interpretation of "country folk" at a time when our nation was surging ahead technologically, these films provide a poignant glimpse of this transition period. Pa Kettle displays penchant for winning sweepstakes (a true underdog and underacheiver, this is the only financial contribution he seems to provide for his family of 17). Having already won a modern home in The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle, Pa now wins a trip for two to New York City paid for by the Bubble-Ola Soda Company. The usual series of screwball mishaps color this movie with a refreshing (by modern standards) bolt of humor. First Pa finds a babysitter for the children back in Cape Flattery, Washington...who turns out to be a notorious gangster from New York passing himself off as a poet. When Pa goes to deliver a package to the gangsters for his new found friend he finds himself entangled with the police, the gangsters, and a corporate climber mistaking him for Kettle the underwear magnate. The simplicity of the Kettles working within the context of the modern urbanized environment allow us to laugh at both sides. This film in particular is among the Kettle best, and among the essentials within the 10 titles. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

After All
Name any other mummy in any other mummy show who is that nimble and has loose bandages half coming undone, who takes your hand when you put it out to him. Or Marie Windsor in a harem suit at Dr. Zoomer's house chasing Lou around. Or Bud wondering if a lost tie clasp was showing up on the x-ray of Lou's stomach. Name a more pitiful hole ever dug in the history of movies.[about 2 feet deep to bury TWO mummies.] Or Bud just happening to find a bag of bandages so he could be a mummy too. Just watching Marie wheel her horse around [she was a champion rider who was able to run and mount a horse from behind like the Lone Ranger, the only actress able to do that.] is a pleasure. This may be the best movie ever made....just trashes Citizen Kane. I have it tied with 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'The Apostle' as the three best movies ever made. Pure Poetry, every minute.

Yikes! The comedy is kept under wraps here...
The Abbott and Costello films fit into one of two categories; really good or really bad. Sadly, this film sits in the later camp. I'm not sure what the screenwriters and Bud & Lou were thinking when they concocted this strange mishmash of bad comedy and bad horror. The Universal Mummy films were always the weakest of their horror films (the exception is the eerie but really slowwwwww first film with Boris Karloff. It's only alive in the very beginning).

I'd suggest sticking with the first and best of this bunch A&C Meet Frankenstein. All the later films (including Dr. Jekell & Mr. Hyde)are little more than pale imitations.

Any A&C film is only as good as their routines. This one, sadly, doesn't have very inspired ones. The best involving the tools is a pale imitation of the who's on first variety. They don't make them like this anymore (on second thought....what about all those Halloween and Friday The 13th sequels? They're not comedies? What?)

Best of the "meet the monsters" series
Fans of the original Mummy movie featuring Kharis the mummy, The Mummy's Hand (not to be confused with Boris Karloff's radically different and unrelated 1932 film titled "The Mummy") could have seen this movie coming. The original film that introduced Kharis is somewhat in the same vein as Abbott & Costello as far as story and characterization are concerned. In fact, the original duo cast in the Mummy's Hand are similar to and could have been better cast as Abbott & Costello.

In a sense, this movie brings Kharis full circle long after the demise of Ananka in his own movies, he finally meets his end here in a slightly more humorous picture than his first. However, the similarities between the two could almost make this the final instalment in the canon, other than out of continuity (like Abbott & Costello's other "meet the monster" movies).

My only complaint with this DVD is that it did not have a great commentary like Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein. But it's still a great DVD, and the sight of the two charicatures running madly accross the main menu is enough entertainment (yes, i can be simple-minded, but then again it is Abbott & Costello i'm talking about).

Abbott & Costello, sadly, did not go on to make any more pictures after this one, but this is still some of their greatest material. So in two ways, this movie has a sense of finality: the last Kharis movie, and the last Abbott & Costello movie. It should also be a must-have in the collection of any fan of either.

My favorite A&C movie.
Saw these and liked them as a kid in the 1950's. My kinds don't care for them. This is the one i liked the best.

Who Cares About Behind-The-Scenes Grumbling?
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY was one of the funniest of their screwball antics. The tale of the two cleverest yucksters chasing a medallion to an ancient Egyptian crypt where they encounter -- as the title promises -- the Mummy is one classic set of laughs after another. All of the trades touched on the bitterness the two men felt for one another during the filming process of this outing, but, with all the magic of their performances still on the silver screen, you sure wouldn't know it. A great transfer for a classic addition to any DVD library, this is one for the ages. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

TWO OF LOU and ABBOT's BEST!
What makes ABBOT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN dynamic is that Bella Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. play the monster roles as straight as their audence expects. They should have received bonuses for restraint! It's funny, scarry, and flies with an active story and creative cast. IN ABBOT & COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN, the boys are fresh out of detective school and looking for a place to start. A famous boxer, Tommy Nelson is wrongfully accused of murder. By a freak lab insident, Tommy is made invisible and needs LOU and ABBOT to find a rat in and out of the boxing ring. You have to see the fight scene with Costello. It roars! Excellent combination.

"I saw two men...carrying no man."
By the 1950's, Abbott and Costello's film career was beginning to slide. Fortunately, "A&C MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN" is a bright spot among these later films. Since it seemed unlikely that the scare comedy of "MEET FRANKENSTEIN" could be topped, someone wisely decided to make this more of a mystery-comedy with a sci-fi twist thrown in. And it works. Bud and Lou are joined by a great supporting cast including Arthur Franz (as the invisible one), Sheldon Leonard, and William Frawley (very funny as a befuddled detective!)

Meet the Invisible Man
Abbott and Costello meet the Invisible Man is their adventure as two private eyes hired by boxer (Arthur Franz) to prove his innocent of murdering his manager. Franz takes the invisibility serum and with the aid of Costello acting as a "champion" boxer, with Frantz doing the boxing, the duo find the real killer.

Franz takes the same invisibility serum as Claude Rains took in the original The Invisible Man. You will see his picture hanging in the scientist's lab.

Abbott and Costello later meet Dr. Jekyll and Hyde (1953) and The Mummy (1955); they had already met Frankenstein (1948) and The Killer Boris Karloff (1949).

THE BEST OF ABBOTT AND COSTELLO
The best of Abbott and Costello is definitely in this pack!I love Abbott and Costello(as actors)!Not even the 3 stooges can beat the abbott and costello when they meet the monsters!Everyone should have the right to watch the talented Bud Abbott and Lou Costello!There should be more copies!So whoever is reading this that hasn,t seen it I won't spoil it,only give a tiny summary on my favorite one.:
Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde
Slim and Tubby(Bud and Lou)are American cops in London to study police tactics and knowing them,they wind up in jail. They are bailed out by Dr. Jekyll who has been murdering fellow doctors who laugh at his experiments. The boys look to solve the recent murders to get back on the police force. The serum ends up into the system of Tubby and several police officers, causing many Hyde's running around London.

Classic Family Fun at its best
Bud & Lou graduate detective school or at least Bud does, Lou graduates because the teacher is bribed. A suspected killer comes to them to help prove he is innocent and later becomes invisible to hide from the police who happens to be william frawley (fred mertz from i love lucy). frawley had lou sent to a shrink to explain disappearing men and ends up hypnotizing the shrink - very funny. The theme is a boxing frame up, when a figher doesnt take a dive and knocks out the mobs boxer- you get a murder. Next Bud and lou go undercover as boxer and manager to prove the set up and with the invisble man as lou's real boxing hands it is very funny and a very well put together hollywood gem that you can watch with the whole family, unlike the current [stuff] hollywood puts out today, this is good clean fun and a keeper. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

One of the boys best films of the 1950's
Abbott and Costello were one of the best duos of comedy history and too bad that they had to break up and it is my understanding that Abbott and Costello didn't get along with each other but oh well, during their recent years the Abbott and Costello movies weren't doing very well like they were in the 1940's with classic movies like Hold That Ghost (my favorite one), Hit the Ice, Naughty Ninties and Meet Frankenstein, the best part of the whole movie is when Costello gets his foot stuck on the railroad tracks and he gets off the track within inches of getting hit by a train, I'll never forget my reaction when I watched that part, and if you're looking for a great Abbott and Costello, watch this movie, and avoid Lost in Alaska and Meet the Mummy.

One of Their Best
Abbott & Costello star in this hilarious film set back in 1914 and while searching for a swindler named Gormon, end up in Hollywood. Would recommend for A&C Fans

Not Top Drawer, but Amusing
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were nearing the end of their reign as Universal's top comedians by the time MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS was made, and it did indeed seem as if the bottom of the barrel were being scraped to find ideas for the boys' films. While hardly a classic, KEYSTONE KOPS at least has an interesting concept that appears to be partly inspired by Lou's early career as a movie stuntman. There is more slapstick than usual for A&C, and a few hair raising stunts, which is appropriate for a comedy set in Hollywood circa 1912. Fred Clark gives the film a real boost as a swindler turned movie director; he is an excellent foil for Bud and Lou. Comedy legend Mack Sennett makes a welcome and all too brief appearance as himself. Keep an eye out for veteran Keystone comedians Herold Goodwin, Hank Mann, and Heinie Conklin. Lou's daughter Carole does a brief bit with her dad at the beginning of the film. Recommended for kids, die hard A&C fans, and anyone wanting to relax with some nostalgic nonsense.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Abbott & Costello go to Hollywood in search of a swindler and become movie stars. Ed Clark plays 'Gorman' a con-man who cheats the boys out of a small fortune, by selling them the original Thomas Edison movie theatre. The climatic chase scene is a must see as the boys enlist the aid of the famous Keystone Kops,and their attempt to ride a motorcyle with sidecar. A & C at their FINEST. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The Kettles go back to the farm for some quick fixin' up.
The Indians try to make a fire in the Kettles fireplace the old fashion way, the smoke signal way. Judges are a comin' to award a child with a scholarship. However, who ever has the nicest looking farm and raises their kids in a good enviroment has a chance of winning. So the Kettles move back to the old farm (where they lived in their first film appearance THE EGG AND I [1947]) to fix it up. Funniest bit: Ma trys on a corset. Another funny bit: The town Indians had to read a book on "Indian Costumes" on how to dress (or be undressed) like their forefathers and learn to put on war mark make-up. Mary Wickes has a role as "Miss Wetter". The Kettles also have Christmas on the farm. The next film in the series is MA AND PA KETTLE AT WAIKIKI (1955).

The Funniest One!
Even though these movies seem so ancient compared to todays version of comedy, this movie is so funny! I think its probably the funniest kettle movie! In this one the kettles try transform their not-so-dream farm into a dream farm useing things to rebuild their barns and buildings that well, just dont hold up! Very Funny!

One of the top Kettle comedies
The Kettles' college-student son has described his folks' ramshackle farm as the last word in modern technology. Now Ma and Pa have to prove it, in one of the best Kettle comedies. (One memorable scene has Percy Kilbride playing a charming Santa Claus for his kids.) Check your intellect at the door for some simple, folksy fun. Picture and sound are excellent. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Not so good................
I agree that this film has some fine gags in it, but it moves with the pace of a vaudville show. Bud and Lou will have a scene, then Dorothy Shay will sing a song, the Bud and Lou, the Dorothy........and so on and so on of about 75 minutes. It isn't an awful film, it just doesn't live up to the standards the boys set for themselves. For the most part they had grown out of this sort of pacing by around 1946, and this film seems to set them back quite a few steps. It took a few films before they'd find their stride again.

Laughs!
As with most A&C films, this one included humor which can only be found in their movies. Being one of my favorites, "Comin' Round the Mountain" will have you laughing until your side hurts. It has a good story as well, laced, however, with many DUMB songs. I suppose having five or six singing pieces in a comedy was supposed to be popular back then, but it starts to get on your nerves after a while. I guess that's what they made the fast forward button for.

It's a very good one, however, and remains my favorite to this day. The funniest part would have to be the Voodoo gag in which the dialogue is as follows:

Costello: "What's she doing?"

AbbotT: "She's making Voodoo"

Costello: "I do?"

Abbott: "Voodoo!"

Costello: "I do what?"

It's full of laughs!

Some big laughs sabotaged by too many songs
This could've and should've been one of A&C's funnier movies but whenever things get moving Dorothy Shay starts singing and the movie grinds to a halt. At least Costello mugs his way through most of the songs. The voodoo doll scene is by far the funniest and the scene where the hillbillies crawl into bed with Lou is a hit. Definitely worth a look for fans, but the songs are hard to endure.

ONE OF ABBOTT & COSTELLO'S BEST FILMS
Bud and Lou play nightclub performers who get involved in a hillbilly feud. One of the film's BEST and FUNNIEST highlights features a cameo from Margaret Hamliton as mountain which. She and Lou get into a HILARIOUS duel of voodoo dolls with Bud scratching his head in bewilderment.

The Funniest A&C bit in the Movies
Forget "Who's on First". Do you want to REALLY laugh? Fast forward to the scene of Costello and country witch Margaret Hamilton (a real departure from her previous role in Wizard of Oz). They have a hilarious battle of Dueling Voodoo Dolls, with Abbott just scratching his head in bewilderment. Simply the Best!!! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Dr. Jekyll - We must Hyde
Tubby (Lou) and Slim (Bud) are two police officers in London studying the English police methods. After getting kick off the force, they determine that if they can catch the monster that has been killing prominent doctors they will be able to get their jobs back. Dr. Jekyll (Karloff) is experimenting with the idea of separating "good from evil" and in his lab is transforming character traits between various animals (e.g. Tubby has a bunny rabbit snap at him). Dr. Jekyll's ward Vicky falls for a newspaperman Bruce - Jekyll has loved Vicky for years and he decides to become Mr. Hyde to get rid of Bruce. While hunting for the monster in Dr. Jekyll's home, Tubby falls on a hypodermic needle, becomes a monster, and the chase begins.

This is an excellent movie for Karloff and Abbott & Costello fans.

Fun horror remake, though not screamingly funny
This movie has taken a bum rap over the years. The vast majority of people who've seen it -- particularly Abbott and Costello fans -- don't like it. Some even hate it. The reason: they say it just is not funny.

Actually, there are some VERY funny moments...but less than a half-dozen of them. Yet, this is a film Abbott & Costello fans will want to see (and own) -- and ANYONE who is a classic horror movie fan will want to OWN IT (remember that as we move into the 21st century this is unlikely to be available so now is the time!).
Firstly, I'm a bit biased about this film. This is the very first movie I remember seeing as a kid and the first I remember seeing in a movie theater. I have not seen it since I bought it on Amazon-- and was NOT disappointed!

Why? I like horror movies. And this is less of an Abbott & Costello movie than a low-budget remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Boris Karloff in the title role.

If you're a Karloff fan like I am, this is a TREASURE: he is at his evil, slimiest best...even glowering at times. Special effects were clearly Universal Studios style, essentially the same effect as used in the Wolfman series. The movie seldom lags but it is made according to the Universal horror formula at the times (less like an A&C film).

View this film NOT as a hilarious Abbott & Costello comedy but a remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with an appearance by Abbott and Costello and you'll love it. The comedy team really doesn't do all that much in this movie and most seems derivative from their other horror spoofs. This also has far less comedy overall than those other films but as a REMAKE of this HORROR movie with A&C it is WELL worth the money.

When Costello hilariously, if predictably, gets some of the transformation formula at the end it seems more like a typical A&C movie...and the final scene with the policemen sucking their Costello-monster-bitten fingers, with the final (guess?) finale result is a classic.

As a FILM -- a remake of this story with Boris Karloff at his sleaziest best -- it rates an enthusiastic four stars. If you're absolutely looking for a hilarious A&C movie it would then be three and a half or a bit less. But it is WORTH seeing and owning -- and this lesser known entry will be hard to find...so if you see it's available grab it NOW!

Not so Funny or entertaining.
One of Bud and Lou's weaker film outings has them meeting Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde in this lower budget, somewhat poor directed film with fewer laughs and the not so sinsester performance of Boris Karloff. Not a very good film at all.

Hyde & Seek
While it doesn't measure up to A & C MEET FRANKENSTEIN, this film has its amusing moments, particularly the climax.Bud & Lou's attempt to find Jekyll's formula and stumbling instead into his wine cellar was a nice bit too. Karloff's smoothly sinister Jekyll is a joy to watch; only Vincent Price could have spread the evil treacle so thickly! Overall, the pacing lags in places, but still great fun.

Special effects and shopworn slapstick poorly mixed.
Abbott and Costello may have been one of the all time great comedy teams, but this effort does not do them justice. The whole thing seems lifeless, as they were doing it simply to meet a contractual obligation with Universal Pictures. Director Charles Lamont cannot hide the movie's low budget (shots are recycled so many times that it becomes painful to see), obviously all the money went to the transformation and monster effects. Your time would be better spent with A&C meet Frankenstein. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Campy Western Classic!!!
The beautiful Yvonne DeCarlo rules as the notorious"Lola Montez" who was the mistress of the King of Prussia and caused a revolution when he gave her the crown jewels.She then escaped to the American West to the Arizona town of "Salome" where she danced.This is a nice campy western classic!!! ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Dr. Jekyll - We must Hyde
Tubby (Lou) and Slim (Bud) are two police officers in London studying the English police methods. After getting kick off the force, they determine that if they can catch the monster that has been killing prominent doctors they will be able to get their jobs back. Dr. Jekyll (Karloff) is experimenting with the idea of separating "good from evil" and in his lab is transforming character traits between various animals (e.g. Tubby has a bunny rabbit snap at him). Dr. Jekyll's ward Vicky falls for a newspaperman Bruce - Jekyll has loved Vicky for years and he decides to become Mr. Hyde to get rid of Bruce. While hunting for the monster in Dr. Jekyll's home, Tubby falls on a hypodermic needle, becomes a monster, and the chase begins.

This is an excellent movie for Karloff and Abbott & Costello fans.

Fun horror remake, though not screamingly funny
This movie has taken a bum rap over the years. The vast majority of people who've seen it -- particularly Abbott and Costello fans -- don't like it. Some even hate it. The reason: they say it just is not funny.

Actually, there are some VERY funny moments...but less than a half-dozen of them. Yet, this is a film Abbott & Costello fans will want to see (and own) -- and ANYONE who is a classic horror movie fan will want to OWN IT (remember that as we move into the 21st century this is unlikely to be available so now is the time!).
Firstly, I'm a bit biased about this film. This is the very first movie I remember seeing as a kid and the first I remember seeing in a movie theater. I have not seen it since I bought it on Amazon-- and was NOT disappointed!

Why? I like horror movies. And this is less of an Abbott & Costello movie than a low-budget remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with Boris Karloff in the title role.

If you're a Karloff fan like I am, this is a TREASURE: he is at his evil, slimiest best...even glowering at times. Special effects were clearly Universal Studios style, essentially the same effect as used in the Wolfman series. The movie seldom lags but it is made according to the Universal horror formula at the times (less like an A&C film).

View this film NOT as a hilarious Abbott & Costello comedy but a remake of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde with an appearance by Abbott and Costello and you'll love it. The comedy team really doesn't do all that much in this movie and most seems derivative from their other horror spoofs. This also has far less comedy overall than those other films but as a REMAKE of this HORROR movie with A&C it is WELL worth the money.

When Costello hilariously, if predictably, gets some of the transformation formula at the end it seems more like a typical A&C movie...and the final scene with the policemen sucking their Costello-monster-bitten fingers, with the final (guess?) finale result is a classic.

As a FILM -- a remake of this story with Boris Karloff at his sleaziest best -- it rates an enthusiastic four stars. If you're absolutely looking for a hilarious A&C movie it would then be three and a half or a bit less. But it is WORTH seeing and owning -- and this lesser known entry will be hard to find...so if you see it's available grab it NOW!

Not so Funny or entertaining.
One of Bud and Lou's weaker film outings has them meeting Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde in this lower budget, somewhat poor directed film with fewer laughs and the not so sinsester performance of Boris Karloff. Not a very good film at all.

Hyde & Seek
While it doesn't measure up to A & C MEET FRANKENSTEIN, this film has its amusing moments, particularly the climax.Bud & Lou's attempt to find Jekyll's formula and stumbling instead into his wine cellar was a nice bit too. Karloff's smoothly sinister Jekyll is a joy to watch; only Vincent Price could have spread the evil treacle so thickly! Overall, the pacing lags in places, but still great fun.

Special effects and shopworn slapstick poorly mixed.
Abbott and Costello may have been one of the all time great comedy teams, but this effort does not do them justice. The whole thing seems lifeless, as they were doing it simply to meet a contractual obligation with Universal Pictures. Director Charles Lamont cannot hide the movie's low budget (shots are recycled so many times that it becomes painful to see), obviously all the money went to the transformation and monster effects. Your time would be better spent with A&C meet Frankenstein. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

My grandma's cousin is in this movie!
Arthur Hunnicutt is my grandma's cousin. I don't have to say much cause it's funny, but doesn't have Pa in the movie. The part where the animals get drunk goes to long and we get the funny stuff in a minute. The part on the train is the best. Ma and Pa Kettle are funny because they are people in the wrong place. Country people are on farms and it's funny that they are in (such as) Wakiki insted of the country. There funny on the farm too. Don't buy it unless you are a Ma and Pa Kettle fan.

This one is more a cousin to the Kettle films...
Absent from this film is Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle. However, Arthur Hunnicutt plays his brother Sedge rather well (though this raises some plot issues with the Waikiki film). And while Percy may be gone, Charles Lamont directs this one (he directed 3 of the best Kettle films: Further Adventures, Go to Town, and On Vacation), salvaging the film to some degree. This film doesn't have quite the same humor as the other Lamont films, though, and suffers from Pa's abscence. There is the screwball routine wih the bootleggers that carries some of the trademark feel, and Marjorie Main is still in top form...but overall the simple plot and limited cast make this a lesser Kettle title. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Kettles bring hillbilly humor to high class Paris
At odds in Ma and Pa Kettle Back on The Farm, now the Kettles and their daughter-in-law's parents are friends and vacationing together in Paris. The delicate balance of social wit and screwball comedy that permeated classics such as The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle is back. It is worth noting that 3 of the best Kettle films, The Further Adventures of Ma and Pa Kettle, Ma and Pa Kettle Go To Town, and Ma and Pa Kettle on Vacation, were the three directed by Charles Lamont. This is a classic Kettle film. While it isn't as smooth as the other two Lamont Films, this one is still a must see. Ma's reaction to the entertainment, and Pa's innocent involvement in a spy ring are among the highlights that this film has to offer. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

BUD ABBOTT & LOU COSTELLO GO TO MARS..............
ABBOTT & COSTELLO GO TO MARS is the Greatest ABBOTT & COSTELLO film of all time. It is so full of love,at times it is remanesant of Laurel & Hardy in BABES IN TOYLAND. GO TO MARS begins with the bungling premise that if Abbott & Costello could fly a blasting firey Rocketship into orbit,that they would certainly not land on Mars,but instead think that only they did. Landing in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras season,and mistaking the inhabitants of New Orleans to be MARTIANS with their giant head costumes is shere and utter genious. Remember poor Lou trying to remove his helmet to breathe the Martian air,only to find out that it smells like limburger cheese????? It is very very cute. Then they get to visit another planet,called Venus,full of beautiful young girls!!! WOW!!!!! ABBOTT & COSTELLO GO TO MARS also benefits richly from a beautiful music score,peppy and full of life,similar to the type music eventually used in ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS. It is a beautiful rich film,and like so many masterpieces with various faults,it constantly gets picked at by critics. Need I remind any of you,that it is one of the last good good Abbott & Costello movies before poor Lou began another boute with rumatic fever. Love the flesh colored costumes on girls from Venus as well. WOOO WOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ABBOTT & COSTELLO GO TO MARS is a gem. Right in line with the greatest Martian comedy of all....Ray Walston and John L. Greene's "MY FAVORITE MARTIAN". Well....this is MY FAVORITE Abbott and Costello. Let's ROCKET AND ROLL with Bud and Lou. It truly is a fun film,and highly highly recommened. Hey lady....DUCK....... David Vass. Babes In Toyland.

Abbot and Costello Go to Mars
Abbott and Costello don't really go to Mars; instead, they go to Venus, with a quick stop to New Orleans. While working at a missile base, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello inadvertently launch a rocket ship with themselves aboard. After a wild ride around New York City (the Statue of Liberty ducks when the rocket heads her way), Bud and Lou land in the outskirts of New Orleans. The boys are convinced that they've reached Mars, and their faith in this is affirmed when they come across several strangely costumed "creatures" (actually people dressed up in Mardi Gras costumes). Meanwhile, bank robbers stow away on Abbott and Costello's rocketship. When Bud and Lou return, the crooks force them to make a quick getaway into outer space. After several days of weightlessness, the four space travelers land on Venus, a planet populated by gorgeous woman. The Venusian's queen (Mari Blanchard) falls in love with Costello, only to order him and his companions to return to earth when Lou proves to be unfaithful.

Long considered the team's worst film, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars is rather likeable in its own way. The slapstick humor is a little dated at times, but it will still tickle your funny bone. A decent flick to watch on a Saturday afternoon.

Out Of This World
Abbott & Costello Go To Mars is a very amusing movie. Children will love this picture...I did when I was a child. It's very lighthearted...not so funny for the adult audience...but nevertheless should be referred to as a classic. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. The only reason I don't give it a better star rating is because it could've been funnier...not too many laugh out loud sequences but certainly plenty of amusement. A movie the whole family can sit and watch together.

Actually, Abbott & Costello go to Venus via New Orleans
In "Abbot and Costello Go To Mars" the boys make it to Mardi Gras and Venus, but not the Red Planet, but why quibble? Lou plays Orville, the oldest orphan at the Hideaway Orphans Home who accidentally ends up in a truck that goes to a top-secret laboratory. Bud plays Lester, who is responsible for loading supplies into the rocket ship. Unfortunately, Orville is assigned to help him, accidentally pushes the ignition button, and sends the two off into space. The boys land near New Orleans and when they stumble upon Mardi Gras they think they have landed on Mars. Just to make things more complicated, a couple of escapees from a nearby prison, Mugsy (Horace McMahon) and Harry the Horse (Jack Kruschen), stumble upon a rocket, don a pair of spacesuits, and use the disguises to rob a bank. Of course, Orville and Lester are blamed for the robbery, the four end up back on the rocket ship, which blasts off and ends up on the planet Venus. There they meet Queen Allura (Mari Blanchard), who makes Orville her consort on the all-female planet. This only sounds like a good thing.

This 1953 film, directed by Charles Lamont, took advantage of the success of "Destination Moon," which had sparked a sudden interest in space flight movies. The problem was that this is not just a very funny movie, especially given the wonderful opportunities of the comic premise. The funniest sequence is when the boys and the robbers are weightless in space, where the entire sequence is played in slow motion (I hate slow motion, but this is a funny scene). But other routines, such as the Venusian balloons (they pop if you think about a woman), fall a bit flat. The title is obviously meant to be a joke, although a lot of people certainly refuse to get it. The supporting cast is adequate, although Mari Blanchard was cast because she was the highest paid bathing suit model in the world (not that there's anything wrong with that). "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" is a below average film for the boys. Maybe the problem was that the genre they were lampooning was just getting started, so they did not have the rich tradition to take on as they did with the monsters of Universal Studio. That is probably the best explanation for why this wonderful comic opportunity barely gets off the ground.

Not the best but good
This was a nice movie.Abbott and Costello do not even go to mars.They go to Venus.There are some very funny scenes such as the electric chair. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

She was a goddess playing a princess!
Maureen O'Hara played her part in Bagdad to perfection. She became such a part of the movie that the viewer was drawn into the play and you could not be released even after the movie was over. You will compare all other films about that part of the world to this movie for the restr of your life! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Classic
Let's face it -- "The Time of Their Lives" is their best film.

But this is amongst their funniest and the pace is frantic and kept up well throughout.

Some of their best slapstick, and the scenes boarding the train are amongst their best.

"SHORTSTOP!!!!!!"

Ice Capades
Abbott & Costello in a chilling comedy. This is one of the better put together Abbott & Costello movies from beginning to end. Even the songs were amusing, especially the finale song. A good movie to watch before the Christmas season, kind of gets you in the feel. Overall not their funniest but a very enjoyable movie and very good plot. Check it out.

Very funny Abbott & Costello comedy
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are sidewalk photographers who get mixed up with bank robbers and wind up at a ski resort. This film has the famous A & C verbal humor, and plenty of visual comedy, too. Lou's mishaps on a skating rink are amusing, and a frantic chase finale has Lou turning into a giant snowball! The supporting cast features Sheldon Leonard as the criminal mastermind, and fans of '40s music will enjoy vocalist Ginny Simms. If you saw this on TV years ago, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the print quality of this edition. Replicating the original theatrical viewing experience, the tape includes two coming-attractions previews (the first trailer is the only segment boasting less-than-superior quality), and you'll also see a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and a documentary short about exotic birds. A fine show from Universal.

AND THEY DO , WITH HILARIOUS RESULTS
Another of the duo's BEST ventures. A & C play newspaper photographer who are accidentally mistaken for hitmen by mobster Sheldon Leonard and his gang. Filled with many clever sight gags and highlights including the apartment house fire and Lou's struggle to learn to ice skate this will make a good piece for anyone's video library collection.

not 1st rate//still a chuckle here and there
the story isn't as sharp there previous efforts, however there are some sequences which are funny//all right/ice skating/apt house fire/bank// a nice addition for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Classic
Let's face it -- "The Time of Their Lives" is their best film.

But this is amongst their funniest and the pace is frantic and kept up well throughout.

Some of their best slapstick, and the scenes boarding the train are amongst their best.

"SHORTSTOP!!!!!!"

Ice Capades
Abbott & Costello in a chilling comedy. This is one of the better put together Abbott & Costello movies from beginning to end. Even the songs were amusing, especially the finale song. A good movie to watch before the Christmas season, kind of gets you in the feel. Overall not their funniest but a very enjoyable movie and very good plot. Check it out.

Very funny Abbott & Costello comedy
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are sidewalk photographers who get mixed up with bank robbers and wind up at a ski resort. This film has the famous A & C verbal humor, and plenty of visual comedy, too. Lou's mishaps on a skating rink are amusing, and a frantic chase finale has Lou turning into a giant snowball! The supporting cast features Sheldon Leonard as the criminal mastermind, and fans of '40s music will enjoy vocalist Ginny Simms. If you saw this on TV years ago, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the print quality of this edition. Replicating the original theatrical viewing experience, the tape includes two coming-attractions previews (the first trailer is the only segment boasting less-than-superior quality), and you'll also see a Woody Woodpecker cartoon and a documentary short about exotic birds. A fine show from Universal.

AND THEY DO , WITH HILARIOUS RESULTS
Another of the duo's BEST ventures. A & C play newspaper photographer who are accidentally mistaken for hitmen by mobster Sheldon Leonard and his gang. Filled with many clever sight gags and highlights including the apartment house fire and Lou's struggle to learn to ice skate this will make a good piece for anyone's video library collection.

not 1st rate//still a chuckle here and there
the story isn't as sharp there previous efforts, however there are some sequences which are funny//all right/ice skating/apt house fire/bank// a nice addition for your collection. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

CHANDLER gets my VOTE any day
Pretty mediocre stuff here. The best asset of this movie is the presence of Jeff Chandler. Chandler gets my vote any day, but not this film. If you like costumes deserts and horses you might otherwise enjoy this film. Gossamer filming at its best. Jeff Chandler was an American icon. Jeff Chandler was a rugged, virile leading man characterized by his steel gray wavy hair, high cheekbones and a muscular physique. He starred in action films from the late 1940s into the early 60s, often as American Indians, hoodlums and cavalrymen. Not an obliging star, Chandler often rebelled against Universal's mediocre action projects he was often relegated to and was suspended on several occasions. Chandler deserved better roles than he was given in the likes of "SIGN OF THE PAGAN" and "YANKEE PASHA." In his best roles Chandler was the introverted enigmatic and stoic leading man of high uncompromising character. This can be seen in his performances in "AWAY ALL BOATS," "FOXFIRE," "RAW WIND IN EDEN," "THE JAYHAWKERS," "RETURN TO PEYTON PLACE" and "MERRILL'S MARAUDERS." He left us much too early at age 42. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

After All
Name any other mummy in any other mummy show who is that nimble and has loose bandages half coming undone, who takes your hand when you put it out to him. Or Marie Windsor in a harem suit at Dr. Zoomer's house chasing Lou around. Or Bud wondering if a lost tie clasp was showing up on the x-ray of Lou's stomach. Name a more pitiful hole ever dug in the history of movies.[about 2 feet deep to bury TWO mummies.] Or Bud just happening to find a bag of bandages so he could be a mummy too. Just watching Marie wheel her horse around [she was a champion rider who was able to run and mount a horse from behind like the Lone Ranger, the only actress able to do that.] is a pleasure. This may be the best movie ever made....just trashes Citizen Kane. I have it tied with 'Dr. Strangelove' and 'The Apostle' as the three best movies ever made. Pure Poetry, every minute.

Yikes! The comedy is kept under wraps here...
The Abbott and Costello films fit into one of two categories; really good or really bad. Sadly, this film sits in the later camp. I'm not sure what the screenwriters and Bud & Lou were thinking when they concocted this strange mishmash of bad comedy and bad horror. The Universal Mummy films were always the weakest of their horror films (the exception is the eerie but really slowwwwww first film with Boris Karloff. It's only alive in the very beginning).

I'd suggest sticking with the first and best of this bunch A&C Meet Frankenstein. All the later films (including Dr. Jekell & Mr. Hyde)are little more than pale imitations.

Any A&C film is only as good as their routines. This one, sadly, doesn't have very inspired ones. The best involving the tools is a pale imitation of the who's on first variety. They don't make them like this anymore (on second thought....what about all those Halloween and Friday The 13th sequels? They're not comedies? What?)

Best of the "meet the monsters" series
Fans of the original Mummy movie featuring Kharis the mummy, The Mummy's Hand (not to be confused with Boris Karloff's radically different and unrelated 1932 film titled "The Mummy") could have seen this movie coming. The original film that introduced Kharis is somewhat in the same vein as Abbott & Costello as far as story and characterization are concerned. In fact, the original duo cast in the Mummy's Hand are similar to and could have been better cast as Abbott & Costello.

In a sense, this movie brings Kharis full circle long after the demise of Ananka in his own movies, he finally meets his end here in a slightly more humorous picture than his first. However, the similarities between the two could almost make this the final instalment in the canon, other than out of continuity (like Abbott & Costello's other "meet the monster" movies).

My only complaint with this DVD is that it did not have a great commentary like Abbott & Costello meet Frankenstein. But it's still a great DVD, and the sight of the two charicatures running madly accross the main menu is enough entertainment (yes, i can be simple-minded, but then again it is Abbott & Costello i'm talking about).

Abbott & Costello, sadly, did not go on to make any more pictures after this one, but this is still some of their greatest material. So in two ways, this movie has a sense of finality: the last Kharis movie, and the last Abbott & Costello movie. It should also be a must-have in the collection of any fan of either.

My favorite A&C movie.
Saw these and liked them as a kid in the 1950's. My kinds don't care for them. This is the one i liked the best.

Who Cares About Behind-The-Scenes Grumbling?
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE MUMMY was one of the funniest of their screwball antics. The tale of the two cleverest yucksters chasing a medallion to an ancient Egyptian crypt where they encounter -- as the title promises -- the Mummy is one classic set of laughs after another. All of the trades touched on the bitterness the two men felt for one another during the filming process of this outing, but, with all the magic of their performances still on the silver screen, you sure wouldn't know it. A great transfer for a classic addition to any DVD library, this is one for the ages. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Underrated!
When I met Mickey Rooney, even he said, "Terrible picture. Terrible picture." I can appreciate that this was at a low point in his professional career and yet his performance is wonderful, the plot breezy and the sets and lighting are moodily gothic. Add Richard Deacon in the supporting cast and you have a Francis entry that rivals even "Francis Joins the WACS". I think many had a hard time getting past Francis having a new sidekick- no Donald O'Connor. I wish this were on DVD!

For completists only. Try another Francis comedy first.
This final "Francis the Talking Mule" opus features a different leading comic (Mickey Rooney), a different director (Charles Lamont), and even a different voice for Francis (Paul Frees). All are usually capable of good comedy, but they can't do much with an unfunny script. There's a good chase climax at the end, but you have to sit through the first hour to see it. Not worth your time unless you have to have all the Francis movies. Try an older one first.

Not the same as other Francis movies
Micky Rooney is a good actor, but nobody can replace Donny ... Read more