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Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff

  • 19491949
  • (Banned)(Banned)
  • 1h 24m
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
3.9K
YOUR RATING
Boris Karloff, Bud Abbott, Lenore Aubert, Lou Costello, and Donna Martell in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
ComedyCrimeHorror
Two employees of a secluded hotel investigate a murder on the premises in which the goofy bellboy is the prime suspect.Two employees of a secluded hotel investigate a murder on the premises in which the goofy bellboy is the prime suspect.Two employees of a secluded hotel investigate a murder on the premises in which the goofy bellboy is the prime suspect.
IMDb RATING
6.8/10
3.9K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Charles Barton
  • Writers
    • Hugh Wedlock Jr.(story)
    • Howard Snyder(story)
    • John Grant(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Bud Abbott
    • Lou Costello
    • Boris Karloff
  • Director
    • Charles Barton
  • Writers
    • Hugh Wedlock Jr.(story)
    • Howard Snyder(story)
    • John Grant(screen play)
  • Stars
    • Bud Abbott
    • Lou Costello
    • Boris Karloff
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 44User reviews
    • 27Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Photos76

    Boris Karloff, Bud Abbott, and Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello, James Flavin, and Victoria Horne in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Bud Abbott in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lenore Aubert and Roland Winters in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    James Flavin and Harry Hayden in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Bud Abbott, Mikel Conrad, Lou Costello, and James Flavin in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
    Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bud Abbott
    Bud Abbott
    • Casey Edwards
    Lou Costello
    Lou Costello
    • Freddie Phillips
    Boris Karloff
    Boris Karloff
    • Swami Talpur
    Lenore Aubert
    Lenore Aubert
    • Angela Gordon
    Gar Moore
    Gar Moore
    • Jeff Wilson
    Donna Martell
    Donna Martell
    • Betty Crandall
    Alan Mowbray
    Alan Mowbray
    • Melton
    James Flavin
    James Flavin
    • Insp. Wellman
    Roland Winters
    Roland Winters
    • T. Hanley Brooks
    Nicholas Joy
    Nicholas Joy
    • Amos Strickland
    Mikel Conrad
    Mikel Conrad
    • Sgt. Stone
    Morgan Farley
    Morgan Farley
    • Gregory Milford
    Victoria Horne
    Victoria Horne
    • Mrs. Hargreave
    Percy Helton
    Percy Helton
    • Abernathy
    Claire Du Brey
    Claire Du Brey
    • Mrs. Grimsby
    Harry Hayden
    • Lawrence Crandall
    Vincent Renno
    • Mike Relia
    Murray Alper
    Murray Alper
    • Joe, Reporter
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Charles Barton
    • Writers
      • Hugh Wedlock Jr.(story) (screen play)
      • Howard Snyder(story) (screen play)
      • John Grant(screen play)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film was originally banned in Denmark due to the scene where corpses play cards.
    • Goofs
      After Casey and Freddie leave the body of Relia in his closet, and he rolls into the laundry cart, he lands face down. But then, when Freddie gets the cart to put Milford's body in it, he and Casey find Relia face up.
    • Quotes

      [the Swami tries to get a hypnotized Freddie to kill himself]

      Swami Talpur: Perhaps you should choose the manner of your death. How would you like to die?

      Freddie Phillips: Old age.

    • Crazy credits
      The film begins animated versions of Abbott & Costello on a scaffold painting their names on a wall. (The bucket is labeled "BLOOD")Then there is the sound of a car screeching to a stop, and machine gun fire. "Meet the Killer" is written in bullet holes. "Costello" yells "HaHa! You didn't dot the "I"!" Then a dagger flies in and "Dots the 'I'", while the bucket of "Blood" is spilled. Then the frame drops, following the "Blood" as it spells out "Boris Karloff", and then the rest of the credits.
    • Alternate versions
      In Australia and New Zealand, every scene with a corpse was removed prior to distribution.
    • Connections
      Featured in Abbott and Costello in the Movies (1990)

    User reviews44

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Excellent whodunnit/comedy
    We have here the excellent slapstick performances of straight man Bud Abbott and comic genius Lou Costello,combined with the always menacing Boris Karloff,though here he is much more lighthearted of course.Freddy Phillips(Costello)is suspected of murder.Of course we all know he didn't do it,and the hilarious journey to the real killer begins from there. While this is not Abbott and Costello's greatest effort,it is certainly good enough,and it is a great combination of murder mystery and comedy. Today's comedy writers and performers could learn a lot from A and C, as well as many others from their era.If you want to know what real comedy is all about,the films of Abbott and Costello are the way to go. Great stuff.
    helpful•15
    3
    • SmileysWorld
    • Nov 30, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 22, 1949 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer
    • Filming locations
      • Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Universal International Pictures (UI)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $686,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 24 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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    Boris Karloff, Bud Abbott, Lenore Aubert, Lou Costello, and Donna Martell in Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
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    By what name was Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) officially released in Canada in English?
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