ScoobyWell Great visuals, story delivers no surprises

IncaWelCar In truth, any opportunity to see the film on the big screen is welcome.

Bergorks If you like to be scared, if you like to laugh, and if you like to learn a thing or two at the movies, this absolutely cannot be missed.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

mike48128 "Ah yes! Has Michael Finn been around lately?" (from W.C. Fields in "The Bank Dick") Lou was the master of the comedy "slip and fall". Lou often talked "aside" to the audience, just like "Groucho". Also, he fought back quite well, and was smarter rather than dumber. Very quick with a quip. (Could he talk fast.) Many great routines to recommend, including 'Who's on first". Catching a whale", "Shaving without a mirror"; but a surprisingly weak storyline. Even in the 1890's, most people knew that gambling was a pastime, not a moneymaker. Henry Travers (Clarence the Angel) plays the wryly-old riverboat captain with a big heart, but a weakness for pretty ladies and gambling. He loses the Riverboat Queen to the crooked gamblers and Abbott and Costello try to win it back with chewing gum on the roulette wheel and magnetic crooked dice. A few amusing songs, better than usual. The "slapstick" finish goes on far too long. It's tedious, not that funny. As always, a fast finish and everything turns out quite well. One of the "bad guys" falls for the Captains' daughter, and joins the riverboat. The other crooks go to jail in San Francisco.

Michael_Elliott Naughty Nineties, The (1945) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Abbott and Costello working on a riverboat when a group of gamblers try and take it over. There's very little story here but instead there are countless skits including Who's On First. I'm really not sure why this gets so many negative ratings in various movie books because I think this is one of the duo's best films. There are non-stop gags and for the most part all of them are wonderful. Costello fighting the bear is a highlight as is the terrific cat scene. Nothing else needs to be said about the Who's On First gag, which I think is their best performance of this classic. The crowd I viewed this with also really seemed to love it as the film was getting the biggest laughs and most applause.

classicsoncall Setting the stage for this 1945 comedy, Dexter Broadhurst (Bud) and Sebastian Dimwiddie (Lou) team up to save the "River Queen" from a trio of card sharks, who have gained a three quarter interest from Captain Sam Jackson (Henry Travers) in a rigged card game. The Captain's daughter Carolyn (Lois Collier) never gives up hope, and plays on the sympathies of villain Crawford (Alan Curtis) as the boys whiz through a host of their comedic sketches. They include "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean", feathers in the cake, the catfish dinner, the fishing routine, and Lou's shaving routine opposite baddie Joe Sawyer. But they all take a back seat to the famous "Who's on First?" routine, which remains one of my all time favorite bits. The comedic timing is flawless, though in this case, the audience reaction is non existent at the request of the film's director - probably a bad decision as one's reaction is that these guys should play off the audience as much as each other.The movie's finale revs up to a high energy frenzy after the gamblers are dealt a losing hand with a cold deck by a remorseful Crawford in a one hand, winner take all bluff.Henry Travers is probably best remembered for his role as the angel Clarence, earning his wings in the memorable "It's a Wonderful Life". Though taken advantage of, he maintains his integrity through thick and thin. But with Abbott and Costello on board, you know that the bad guys don't stand a chance. And with all the mayhem, it's easy to forget that the film also stands up as a musical, with an assortment of tunes to lend counterpoint to the sketches along the way.

ajdagreat This is definitely Abbott and Costello's best movie. Loads of hilarious antics and slapstick, plus "Who's on First?" is one of the funniest scenes on film. I thought this movie was better than "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (generally seen as their best film).