The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello: Volume 1 [DVD]

Lots of funny movies in this pack, can't go wrong.

Great old movies. Have a good night in and enjoy a classic Abbott and Costello jem.

"HEY, ABBOTT !" If you grew-up in the 40's or 50's how many times have you heard that wailing yell of Lou Costello ? Most of the time it was customized to fit the character he was playing in one of their movies, but for all of you reading this that are of a certain age, you heard that first-version on their Radio Shows, TV Shows, and, TV appearances. Well, I can't begin to tell you how many times you'll hear a version of that "wailing yell" in the 8 Movies that are here in "The Best Of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello" Volume 1 ! I've had Volumes 2 & 3 since they first came out, but I really needed Volume 1 as it contains two of my favorite A&C movies: "Hold That Ghost" & "Who Done It ?". "Hold That Ghost" was pretty much an "instant classic" when it was first released; one of their funniest ! "Who Done It ?" is one of my all-time favorite A&C movies as all of the action takes place in a Radio Station...and I have been in Radio for almost 50 years and worked at many different Stations through those year's, so this setting is very dear to my heart. Also, watching all of these films re-mastered and in the DVD Format is simply a joy to behold ! Seeing them on a large LED flatscreen truly gives them a depth & resolution that is remarkable...especially the art deco settings, and, art-induced camera angles that you'll see in "Who Done It ?" which gives even that comedy a touch of "film noir" at those moments in time. In addition, Don Porter is excellent in his role in WDI, and the personal tie-in for me there is that, before my career in Radio began, I was an Actor and attended the Pasadena Playhouse in California. Don Porter was an Alumnus of the PPH and I had the pleasure of meeting him while I was there in 1963-1964. Other "winners" in Volume 1 are "One Night In The Tropics" (Their First Film), "In The Navy", "Keep 'em Flying", and, "Ride 'em Cowboy". If you're a fan of some great "B-Movies", you'll spot the cute, attractive, Anne Gwynne in "Ride 'em Cowboy". She's just perfect in REM...stealing the heart of Dick Foran. A few year's later, in the very well-done, "noir-ish", "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome" (which featured Boris Karloff as "Gruesome"), Anne plays Dick (Ralph Byrd) Tracy's long-time girlfriend "Tess Trueheart". As a quirk of "casting-fate" would have it, Anne had acted with Boris Karloff before, when she played his daughter in the Karloff-Lugosi 1940 thriller "Black Friday" ! (Beautiful Anne was also a Pin-Up Queen in the 40's...but that, as they say, is another story !) All of the films in Volume 1 are fun to watch, done well, and, a true "Time Travel Trip" to those wonderful days when things were simpler, people weren't as jaded about their entertainment as they are today, and, two iconic Comedians named Bud Abbott & Lou Costello were at the "top of their game"...and their game was F-U-N ! Oh, while you're at it, go ahead and pick-up Volumes 2 & 3 while you still can...Bud & Lou will keep you laughing for many, many more hours in those 16 Films !!!

It's almost impossible to understand how these films (the best collection in the series from this manufacturer) caused the uproar they did when they were first released ... but ... that was another time. During WWII Abbott and Costello kept the lines forming around the block at theatres across America. Much of the credit can be given to the able supporting players from the Universal lot, who did their best to keep some sort of sanity going around the antics of the stars. Except for 'One Night In The Tropics', with a lovely musical score by Jerome Kern, A & C's first appearance on the screen, in which we only get a taste of their particular brand of humor, including the beginning of the 'Who's on First' routine, they are the stars and it was their names on the marquees that brought in the customers. It's all fun designed to lift the spirits of a nation at war and in that vein these films did the job. In a couple of the films, the Andrews Sisters (as big in the musical world as A & C were in comedy) give out with a few of their hit songs ... good to hear again. The discs have a few issues but for the most part play fine with fairly good quality pictures. All in all a chuckle filled trip down memory lane.

When I was growing up, Sunday morning routine was going to church, then watching Abbott & Costello. I wanted my children to experience this pair, so they could see how funny simple comedy is without the vulgarities or sexual innuendo. They still crack me up, and I was happy to see my kids splitting their sides with laughter, just like I used to do when I was their ages. This is a great deal, to get 8 movies at this price, so I got all 3 volumes. DVD's work fine. They fit 2 movies on each side, and each movie has Production Notes in the menu, so you get a historical appreciation for each film. Because the movies are on both sides of the DVD, they can't print anything on either side, so they printed the disc and side information around the little hole in the center of the DVD (it'll have "Disc A, Side 1", for example). Its a little hard to read, so you need to have enough light and hold it close. The information in the box tells you what movies are on which disc and side. The DVD with "The Naughty Nineties" has the most complete version of "Who's On First", and its so funny, you can hear the studio crew laughing in the background.

It may be hard to believe nowadays, but Abbott and Costello were once one of the biggest box office draws at the movies. In the early 1940s, their movies were among the tops in terms of tickets. Nowadays, they seem to be mostly forgotten except by fans of old movies, which is too bad. Their movies may not be the best comedy ever written, but they are all pretty fun. Volume 1 of The Best of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello features their first eight films. One Night in the Tropics is their screen debut. They are actually just secondary characters who contribute little to the plot (involving some romantic mix-ups) but are brought in to lighten things up, with among other things, their "Who's on First" routine. Next up is their first starring feature and the first of their three military comedies, Buck Privates. In this one, they accidentally enlist in the army while trying to avoid a cop who later turns out to be their drill sergeant. The next of their "service comedies" was In The Navy, in which they assist a famous singer who is trying to become a regular Joe by becoming a sailor. The final service comedy is Keep `Em Flying, which puts them in the early Air Force. The pair inherit a supposed haunted house on Hold That Ghost. It actually used to belong to a mobster, and some of his loot is still in the place, attracting other hoodlums. In Ride `Em Cowboy, they wind up on a dude ranch. Pardon My Sarong is something of a takeoff on the Hope/Crosby Road pictures, with the two winding up on a tropical island. Finally, in Who Done It?, they are entangled in a murder mystery at a radio station. There is a very structured approach to these movies: Universal Pictures obviously wanted these churned out quickly (some were out within a couple months of the start of shooting!) and they used plenty of contract players: for example, three movies have Shemp Howard in small parts and Dick Foran in bigger parts. All the movies are pretty short (they range from 78 to 87 minutes). They all have a romantic subplot involving other characters and (with the exception of Who Done It?), they all have several musical numbers, some featuring big names like the Andrews Sisters and Ella Fitzgerald. At the core, however, are Abbott and Costello, more particularly Lou Costello who forms the comic heart of these stories. They are the same characters in every story: Bud is the fast-talking con man and Lou is the not-so-bright coward with an almost child-like approach to the world. There is plenty of physical comedy, but they are at their best when the two are just talking. It'd be a bit much to call these films classics, but they are entertaining and they would probably amuse kids as well as adults. I suppose it's also technically inappropriate to call this The Best of Abbott and Costello when it actually is just their first eight movies, but at the same time it is true: this collection does show them in top form.

I haven't seen these movies in a while Absolutely fantastic

Universal finally does A&C right by packaging their first eight movies in style for an unbelievable price. I received mine yesterday-knowing the prints would be at least as good as the videos and was surprised at how much better they looked on DVD. Sure, there are some very minor flaws, as these are not completely restored like the much costlier Sherlock Holmes series. But no one should complain because the prints and audio still look and sound great. Very clean and well balanced. Also, the menus are attractive and well designed, and each movie has a trailer and fairly detailed production notes. As far as content is concerned, you're looking at some of the funniest, liveliest American films ever. A&C honed their routines to ad-libbed perfection and it's said that they rarely performed the same routine the same way twice. Their comedy is spontaneous and hilarious-marred only by the addition of some bland boy/girl subplots and tedious musical numbers. But some of the music is excellent. Check out the Andrews sisters in three of the early films and the great Ella Fitzgerald in Ride 'em Cowboy. Don't hesitate to buy this DVD set.

I love old B&W movies.

8 films on 2 discs,at a bargain price,essential for all fans!

If you are a Bud Abbott and Lou Costello fan, you will not regret buying this collection. Unfortunately it is done double sided on the DVD's so one has to be careful not to scratch them. A well done reproduction, and a good quality collection for the B/W films of those days.

Wasn't able to watch dvd due to not being in the correct region to watch in the UK gutted

While I've thoroughly enjoyed the movies, the actual viewing of them was a chore. The only software that played them is VLC media player and even that ran into spots that it struggled to decode. It made the viewing frustrating and very uneven.