Topic: November Movie Marathon: Classic Comedy Greats

[addicted2dvd]

The Three Stooges: Back to the Woods
The Stooges get sentenced to fifty.five years in a British jail but are instead sent to America to protect the colonists from the Indians.

My Thoughts:
There wasn't much to this one. I didn't care much for the setting for this one and I found their old English speaking to be more annoying then anything else. A couple decent gags but over all not impressed.

My Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Three Stooges: Goofs and Saddles
The stakes are higher then ever when the Stooges ante up to play poker with General Muster's nemesis, Longhorn Pete.

My Thoughts:
As soon as I read the plot for this short I felt it had potential and was expecting a good short. While it was definitely better then the last one... I was expecting better.

My Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948/United States) IMDb |Trailer | Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (United States) Director: Charles T. Barton Writing: Robert Lees (Screenwriter), Frederic I. Rinaldo (Screenwriter), John Grant (Screenwriter) Length: 83 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: DTS-HD Master Audio: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

Stars:
Bud Abbott as Chick
Lou Costello as Wilbur
Lon Chaney (1906) as Lawrence Talbot
Bela Lugosi as Dracula
Glenn Strange as Monster

Plot:
Comedy meets horror when Bud and Lou encounter Frankenstein's Monster, Dracula and the Wolf Man.

Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes

My Thoughts:

This is one of my all time favorites. I have watched this film countless times over the years. I just think this film is fantastic! Even the opening credits couldn't be done any better. Whether you are a fan of horror or comedy... this is a must see. You just can't go wrong with this classic comedy team. Not only do you get the genius of Abbott and Costello... you get the likes of Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi recurring their famous monster roles. And I just loved the surprise cameo done by Vincent Price! This film is just so much fun... more then worth the time put in to watch it. A must see! I can not recommend this film higher!

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Caught in the Draft (1941/United States) Universal Studios (United States) Director: David Butler Writing: Harry Tugend (Story By), Harry Tugend (Screenwriter) Length: 81 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles:

Stars:
Bob Hope as Don Bolton
Dorothy Lamour as Tony Fairbanks
Lynne Overman as Steve
Eddie Bracken as Bert
Clarence Kolb as Col. Peter Fairbanks

Plot:
Don Bolton (Bob Hope) is a movie star with a phobia about loud noises. Not wanting to give up his career and his easy life, he plans to dodge the military draft by getting married. Don meets the lovely Tony Fairbanks (Dorothy Lamour) when she visits his set with her father, Peter (Clarence Kolb), a colonel, and the two are soon engaged. In an effort to boost Tony's opinion of him, Don pretends to join the army. The ruse backfires, however, and he finds himself actually enlisted.

Extras:

• None

My Thoughts:

A fun film. Lots of funny situations in this one. Caught in the Draft has 2 of the 3 stars of the "Road to" films. Only Bing Crosby missing. Bob Hope's character here is a lot of fun to watch. The things you will get yourself into for a girl you like!

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Cat and the Canary (1939/United States) Universal Studios (United States) Director: Elliott Nugent Writing: Walter DeLeon (Screenwriter), Lynn Starling (Screenwriter), John Willard (Original Material By) Length: 74 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles:

Stars:
Bob Hope as Wally Campbell
Paulette Goddard as Joyce Norman
John Beal as Fred Blythe
Douglass Montgomery as Charlie Wilder
Gale Sondergaard as Miss Lu

Plot:
Ten years after the death of millionaire Cyrus Norman, his will is to be read out to his six relatives, including Joyce Norman (Paulette Goddard) and Wally Campbell (Bob Hope). Organized by Norman's lawyer, Crosby (George Zucco), the six meet at Norman's eerie New Orleans Gothic mansion. During the reading, the superstitious housekeeper declares that someone will be dead by midnight.

Extras:

• None

My Thoughts:

This is a bit different of a Bob Hope film then I have seen before. While there is a little comedy here... this is much more a suspense/thriller. And a really good one at that. Bob Hope was better then I was expecting acting in a more serious roll. I am also getting to like the actress Paulette Goddard. I am going to have to look into more of her films.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

The Ghost Breakers (1940/United States) Universal Studios (United States) Director: George Marshall Writing: Walter DeLeon (Screenwriter), Paul Dickey (Original Material By), Charles W. Goddard (Original Material By) Length: 85 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Mono Subtitles:

Stars:
Bob Hope as Larry Lawrence
Paulette Goddard as Mary Carter
Richard Carlson as Geoff Montgomery
Paul Lukas as Parada
Willie Best as Alex

Plot:
After intrepid working girl Mary Carter (Paulette Goddard) becomes the new owner of a reputedly haunted mansion located on Black Island near the Cuban coast, a stranger (Anthony Quinn) phones to warn her to stay away from the castle. Undaunted, Mary sets sail for Cuba with a stowaway in her trunk -- wise-cracking Larry Lawrence (Bob Hope), a radio announcer who helps Mary get to the bottom of the voodoo magic, zombies and ghosts that supposedly curse the spooky estate.

Extras:

• None

My Thoughts:

This one is also more of a suspense/thriller... though not quite are good as the previous one. The story just didn't grab my interest as much. I did still enjoy it. I just prefer "The Cat and the Canary" over this one.

Rating:

[addicted2dvd]

Africa Screams (1948/) (United States) Director: Charles Barton Writing: Earl Baldwin (Screenwriter) Length: 79 min. Video: Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround Subtitles:

Stars:
Bud Abbott as Buzz Johnson
Lou Costello as Stanley Livington
Clyde Beatty as Himself
Frank Buck as Himself
Max Baer as Grappler McCoy

Plot:
Foolish book clerks convince a woman adventurer that they know a lot about Africa and are soon kidnapped.

Extras:

• Scene Access

My Thoughts:

While this one is far from their best.... it is worth the time put in to watch it. It has a few funny moments. I also enjoyed the setting as well as seeing the jungle animals. My recommendation would be to see this one.... after all it is Abbott and Costello... but don't go in with high expectations.

Rating: