The Noose Hangs High (1948)

Abbott and Costello are two window washers who are mistaken by Nick Craig, a bookie, as the messengers he sent for to pick up $50,000. Now the person he sent them to sent two of his men to ... See full summary »

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Julian Blaustein (story), Bernard Feins (story),

Stars:

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Joseph Calleia

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bud Abbott	...	Ted Higgins
Lou Costello	...	Tommy Hinchcliffe
Joseph Calleia	...	Nick Craig
Leon Errol	...	Julius Caesar 'J.C.' McBride
Cathy Downs	...	Carol Blair
Mike Mazurki	...	Chuck
Fritz Feld	...	Psychiatrist

Storyline

Abbott and Costello are two window washers who are mistaken by Nick Craig, a bookie, as the messengers he sent for to pick up $50,000. Now the person he sent them to sent two of his men to get the money back but they found out about it. So they try to mail to Craig but a mix up has the money sent somewhere else and the woman who got it spent it. Now Craig needs the money to pay off one of his clients. Now unless they pay him back...

---

Plot Keywords:

bookie | messenger | window washer | billiards | secretary | 

---

Taglines:

BUD ABBOTT LOU COSTELLO in the CHOKE of the Century!

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 April 1948 (USA)

Also Known As:

2 Prontos de Sorte

Box Office

Budget:

$610,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Abbott & Costello Productions Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Walter Schumann's score for this film features a recurring, five-note "Dum-da-DUM-Dum, DAAAAAH" motif, often used to punctuate moments when Ted and Tommy are in danger, that starting in 1949 would be immortalized as the theme for the "Dragnet" radio show and, later, both television series (Dragnet, Dragnet 1967).

---

Connections

Referenced in Canon City (1948)

User Reviews

Some Really Dumb Crooks

The Noose Hangs High marks Abbott&Costello's only film for the short lived Eagle-Lion Productions. This was an effort by J. Arthur Rank over across the pond to break into the American film market with his own production and distribution company.

Bud&Lou are a pair of window washers who are mistaken for messengers that are employed by bookie Joseph Calleia. It seems as though he's been taken to the cleaners by one of his bettors and though it hurts he has to pay off. The messengers are to get the money from Ben Welden and deliver it to Calleia.

Of course Welden has ideas of having the boys held up and stealing the money for himself. Costello actually eludes the crooks, but sends the money to Cathy Downs by mistake. Now he and Bud have 48 hours to come up with the money or ELSE.

Leon Errol is along for the ride as his usual drunken playboy and he subs for Abbott as Lou's straight-man a couple of times. Though in those routines I can't tell who's the one really getting the laughs.

What always gets me about The Noose Hangs High is Calleia and how he could be that dumb to mistake these two for good help. What's that say about him. Proof of that is a routine where both Abbott and Costello make a monkey out of big dumb leg breaker Mike Mazurki.

The Noose Hangs High is a remake of the Universal film For Love Or Money. I haven't seen the original, but the material was definitely rewritten to suit Bud&Lou. It becomes nothing more than a vehicle for the boys to do several of their burlesque routines. Which for their fans is more than enough.