Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)

User Rating:

5.8/10   

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Writers:

Nathaniel Curtis (screenplay)
Pat Costello (story)

Release Date:

12 April 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Fantasy | Musical | Family

Tagline:

It's a giant sized joy!

Plot:

Abbott & Costello's version of the famous fairy tale, about a young boy who trades the family cow for magic beans. |

Plot Keywords:

Giant | Fall From Height | Log | Problem Child | It Was All A Dream

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Mr. Dinkel / Mr. Dinkelpuss
Lou Costello	...	Jack / Jack Strong
Buddy Baer	...	Sgt. Riley / The Giant
Shaye Cogan	...	Eloise / Princess Eloise / Darlene
James Alexander	...	Arthur / Prince Arthur / Troubador
Dorothy Ford	...	Receptionist / Polly
Barbara Brown	...	Mrs. Strong
David Stollery	...	Donald
William Farnum	...	The King
Johnny Conrad	...	Dancer

Runtime:

70 min | Argentina:75 min | 78 min (TCM print) | USA:82 min (restored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (Sepiatone) | Color (Supercinecolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:L | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (alternate rating) | Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Company:

Exclusive Productions Inc.

Trivia:

William Farnum's last movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the scene where Jack mistakes the Giant's shadow for his own, the shadow is directly in front of him. When the camera angle shifts to a side view of Jack and the Giant, their shadows are off to their right sides and cast much smaller.

Quotes:

Villager: [the two women watch as Jack climbs the beanstalk, then the villager turns to the tearful mother] "Don't worry, Mrs Strong. He won't be back."

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Years of Comedy (1997) (V)

Soundtrack:

He Never Looked Better In His Life

Wonderful bean-planting

I turn to this movie when I'm feeling down. My 5-year old niece (with no prompting from me) prefers it to any Disney you care to name. It's one of those movies that's so bad it's brilliant. And why Jack's Mother's line, uttered in sheer frustration, "Plant the Beans, Jack!" has not become a revered movie catchphrase I'll never know. I always shout "Plant the Beans, Jack!" at the Kiefer Sutherland character in "24", especially when he's a little slow on the uptake. Abbott and Costello's "Jack and the Beanstalk" is a little gem and does not deserve the criticism levelled at it on IMDB. The humour may be basic, the characters may be of the cardboard variety, but the director has managed to create a special little world that children and adults can enjoyable enter .