In Society (1944)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Writers:

Hugh Wedlock Jr. (story) &
Howard Snyder (story) ...

Release Date:

18 August 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Two bumbling plumbers are hired by a socialite to fix a leak. A case of mistaken identity gets the pair...

Plot Keywords:

Mistaken Identity | High Society | Plumber | Taxicab | Swimming Pool

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Eddie Harrington
Lou Costello	...	Albert Mansfield
Marion Hutton	...	Elsie Hammerdingle
Kirby Grant	...	Peter Evans
Margaret Irving	...	Mrs. Roger Winthrop
Ann Gillis	...	Gloria Winthrop
Arthur Treacher	...	Pipps, Butler
Thomas Gomez	...	Drexel
George Dolenz	...	Baron Sergel
Steven Geray	...	Count Alexis
Murray Leonard	...	Otto Marlow (knife thrower)
Thurston Hall	...	Mr. Van Cleve
Nella Walker	...	Mrs. Van Cleve
William B. Davidson	...	Parker (the Van Cleves' butler)
Margie Fontane	...	Herself (The Three Sisters)

Also Known As:

Abbott and Costello in Society

Runtime:

75 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Glendale-Hyperion Viaduct, Glendale, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

This was the first Abbott and Costello film to be directed by Jean Yarbrough.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the climatic chase, the ladder of the fire truck hooks a car and lifts it into the air. A shadow on the front of a building reveals the rigging and crane that actually did the lifting.

Quotes:

Albert Mansfield: Lady, he ain't dead, he's hiding!

Movie Connections:

Edited into Knights of the Bath (1951)

Soundtrack:

Rehearsin

Beagle Street??????????

Another nice little film from Bud & Lou, even if rushed and bodged together with Never Give A Sucker An Even Break at the end it's still a pleasant 70 minutes.

Two inept plumbers keeping their heads above water by working for both the expensive Ajax and cheap Atlas plumbing companies get called to repair a leak in swanky society house with disastrous results but afterwards find themselves invited to a Society garden party (in error), again with disastrous results. Baddie Thomas Gomez and his evil-doings were a side issue here, the comedy routines and the lilting songs were the thing. Marion Hutton supplied the songs, especially lustrous being What A Change In The Weather, done as only Universal ever knew how - and also the rather wooden romance. How different she was to her sister Betty! Languid and still mining the Hellzapoppin vein with popular music mixed with comedy and people disporting themselves in swimsuits, it meanders on to its startling plot course change after an hour and almost turns into a different film. Favourite bits: The boys' exit from Thurston Hall's bathroom; Don't blow the horn!; And of course the all-time classic burlesque sketch of Beagle Street (changed from Floogle Street)/The Susquehannah Hat Co!, adapted for this film by John Grant at Lou's behest. Lou also directed the routine in 1 take using friends as extras and 3 cameras.

Unassuming and inconsequential with no message and absolutely nothing for the serious fan of modern "comedy" – in other words, imho a marvellous film I watch every few years with no diminution of enjoyment.