Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)

Two employees of a secluded hotel investigate a murder on the premises in which the goofy bellboy is the prime suspect.

Director:

Charles Barton (as Charles T. Barton)

Writers:

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

Stars:

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Boris Karloff

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bud Abbott	...	Casey Edwards
Lou Costello	...	Freddie Phillips
Boris Karloff	...	Swami Talpur
Lenore Aubert	...	Angela Gordon
Joseph Garland Moore Jr.	...	Jeff Wilson (as Gar Moore)
Donna Martell	...	Betty Crandall
Alan Mowbray	...	Melton
James Flavin	...	Insp. Wellman
Roland Winters	...	T. Hanley Brooks
Nicholas Joy	...	Amos Strickland
Mikel Conrad	...	Sgt. Stone
Morgan Farley	...	Gregory Milford
Victoria Horne	...	Mrs. Hargreave
Percy Helton	...	Abernathy
Claire Du Brey	...	Mrs. Grimsby

Storyline

Lost Caverns Hotel bellhop Freddie Phillips is suspected of murder. Swami Talpur tries to hypnotize Freddie into confessing, but Freddie is too stupid for the plot to work. Inspector Wellman uses Freddie to get the killer (and it isn't the Swami).

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Plot Keywords:

actor's last name in title | more than one actor's last name on title | actor's first and last name in title | hotel | murder | 

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Taglines:

The maddest spree of Ghoulish Glee since they met . . . Frankenstein !

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 August 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer Boris Karloff

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$686,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

84 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Some of the musical cues are from Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein.

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Goofs

When Abernathy is looking over Freddie's shoulder during the so-called Bridge game, he starts on Freddie's right side. Then, after the camera cuts back from the close-up of Freddie's hand, Abernathy is on Freddie's left side.

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Quotes

Swami Talpur: [to Freddie] You're going to commit suicide if it's the last thing you do!

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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.

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Alternate Versions

In Australia and New Zealand, every scene with a corpse was removed prior to distribution.

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Connections

References Habeas Corpus (1928)

User Reviews

Murderous Mayhem

One of my favourite Abbott and Costello films, Abbott and Costello Meets the Killer tells about a series of murders that take place in a ski hotel near a large lost caverns. The impossible bellboy, played by Lou, is suspected of murder, and the house dick, played by Bud, is his friend and sometimes character reference. It seems that a lawyer was going to write his memoirs, and lots of people did not want that to happen. A menagerie of misfits and blatant suspects people the hotel. A woman who poisoned her lovers, deftly played by the sultry Lenore Aubert of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein fame, and a phony swami played by the ever affable but eerie Boris Karloff lead the cast of irregulars. Also along for the fun is serious character actor Alan Mowbray. There are a lot of hits and misses in this one, but definitely when the laughs hit, they hit hard! Lou dressed as a parlour maid and being hit on by that lovable character actor Percy Helton has to be one of the highlights as well as Lou in the lost caverns. Lots of good, old-fashioned fun!