PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Although Hit the Ice failed to make the topmost ranks of 1943's domestic ticket champions, the movie must have filled plenty of seats, because both Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were voted equal third (to Betty Grable and Bob Hope) as the year's most popular stars by motion picture exhibitors in the U.S.A.
COMMENT: In this one, Sheldon Leonard has the bright idea of committing a bank robbery while hospitalized with a phony fever. He ropes the boys in to cover him while he does the job. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is not as imaginative as this original premise.
The boys are in good form and perform their usual routines (the best of which is a stint in which Costello pretends to play the piano while Bud plays a record behind) quite ably, but the jokes supplied to them by scriptwriters Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo and John Grant are pretty feeble: "Teller!" - "Tell who?" - "Teller in the bank!" - "Tell who in the bank?" - "Listen, stupid, I want a teller in the bank!" - "Well go ahead and tell her! Who's stopping you?"
Their acts are interspersed with some pleasant but forgettable songs, and there is the usual chase finale, this time on skis.
The kids will love the movie anyway. For connoisseurs, however, the film is somewhat of a lesser joy. Charles Lamont's direction is as dull as can be. It's a long way down the scale from the smoothly confident competence of an Arthur Lubin or an S. Sylvan Simon. Fortunately, quality photography, sets and sound help take up the slack.
OTHER VIEWS: Nicely photographed, fast-moving fun, complete with neat routines, crazy gags, plus polished musical numbers courtesy of Ginny Simms, Helen Young and The Four Teens, Johnny Long and his Orchestra. PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Although Hit the Ice failed to make the topmost ranks of 1943's domestic ticket champions, the movie must have filled plenty of seats, because both Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were voted equal third (to Betty Grable and Bob Hope) as the year's most popular stars by motion picture exhibitors in the U.S.A.
COMMENT: In this one, Sheldon Leonard has the bright idea of committing a bank robbery while hospitalized with a phony fever. He ropes the boys in to cover him while he does the job. Unfortunately, the rest of the film is not as imaginative as this original premise.
The boys are in good form and perform their usual routines (the best of which is a stint in which Costello pretends to play the piano while Bud plays a record behind) quite ably, but the jokes supplied to them by scriptwriters Robert Lees, Frederic Rinaldo and John Grant are pretty feeble: "Teller!" - "Tell who?" - "Teller in the bank!" - "Tell who in the bank?" - "Listen, stupid, I want a teller in the bank!" - "Well go ahead and tell her! Who's stopping you?"
Their acts are interspersed with some pleasant but forgettable songs, and there is the usual chase finale, this time on skis.
The kids will love the movie anyway. For connoisseurs, however, the film is somewhat of a lesser joy. Charles Lamont's direction is as dull as can be. It's a long way down the scale from the smoothly confident competence of an Arthur Lubin or an S. Sylvan Simon. Fortunately, quality photography, sets and sound help take up the slack.
OTHER VIEWS: Nicely photographed, fast-moving fun, complete with neat routines, crazy gags, plus polished musical numbers courtesy of Ginny Simms, Helen Young and The Four Teens, Johnny Long and his Orchestra. PRINCIPAL MIRACLE: Although Hit the Ice failed to make the topmost ranks of 1943's domestic ticket champions, the movie must have filled plenty of seats, because both Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were voted equal third (to Betty Grable and Bob Hope) as the year's most popular stars by motion picture exhibitors in the U.S.A.