Abbott and Costello-THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

 

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES starring Abbott and Costello

Going through a particularly tough time right now, this movie is just what I needed. I always felt saying this was the duo’s best movie would somehow denigrate their other movies, the team up movies but now, I don’t think it will. I love those movies but THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES IS their best movie.

 

The movie, aside from being ABBOTT AND COSTELLO’S best movie, stands out from what the then-time critics called, “Just another comedy fantasy movie,” of the 1940s. For one thing, THE MOVIE IS DARN NEAR PERFECT. In fact, to me, it’s perfect. The set-up, the characters, the location work, the special effects, the music used…

 

The special effects, for the time, and probably for about 50 years after, are top notch. Some even stand out today (the lantern moving onto Costello’s cheek is amazing; the running into each other and changing clothes when colliding and keep going is FANTASTIC). There are so many good parts to this movie, I don’t know where to start.

 

The set-up is in King’s Point, New York in 1780 during the Revolutionary War. Abbott plays a nasty, jealous rival to Costello’s innocent, poor but charitable tinker Horatio. You can read the plot in depth in THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO BOOK by Jim Mulholland (GREAT book). Misunderstandings happen and Melody Allen, the fiancée of a wealthy landowner enlists Horatio to help her warn of her fiancée Tom’s betrayal of the American forces to try to trap Washington for Benedict Arnold and Major Andre. The real traitors are found out, Horatio’s fiancée Nora is kidnapped (it sure looked like Tom ordered his men to kill her!), and American forces think the fleeing Melody and Horatio are the traitors and shoot and kill them in a shocking scene.

 

Moreover, ALL of Costello’s pratfalls, quips, one liners, and comedic overtures work. He doesn’t overdo any of them. The special effects are also not overdone but keep the ghosts …alive so to speak. Yes, ghosts. The Major who had their bodies thrown down a well puts a curse on them so that their spirits cannot leave the grounds unless some evidence proves him wrong. There is a sign erected that they were traitors. Melody and Horatio grow close during the 160 somewhat years they are bound. In fact, while there seems to be some romance there, Horatio is still waiting for the day he can be reunited with Nora.

 

Melody, when she finds out Tom is repentant and trying to help them against the curse and find evidence, still seems to love Tom.

 

MUCH of the movie’s charm is the rapport between Costello and the actress who plays Melody (the brilliant Marjorie Reynolds). She’s a wonderful straight woman to Lou’s antics. On top of that the ghost powers they have (well, she has and Lou tries to master) provide much of the thrills of the movie and the comedy. If that wasn’t enough, the rest of the cast are VERY strong. EVERYONE provides laughs and moments of joy and mystery.

 

John Shelton plays a recovering man who seems to have had a nervous breakdown or a sleep walking problem. His fiancée June is the most level headed character in the movie and far from the screaming victims of most movies of that time. Her aunt Millie is played by the quipping, sarcastic, comment-making Binnie Barnes, a down to earth but funny woman. Opposite to her is the housekeeper who is psychic and can sense the ghosts and even hear them at times. She is named Emily and played by the strong Gale Sondergaard.

 

Only one part makes no sense. After the séance (BRILLIANT scene!) where they find out the ghosts need the letter and Emily has been taken over by Tom’s ghost for a short moment so he can help find the letter that will prove they are not traitors, Emily rises from the table and leaves, telling them she cannot help. Later, the next day, she is instrumental at helping them by warning Dr. Greenway (a terrific Bud Abbott) that the police are in the house…to help the ghosts, Greenway has stolen the clock that contains the letter when a crusty, nasty Manhattan museum curator won’t let him examine the clock.

 

Abbott is terrific as the psychiatrist descendant of Cuthbert Greenway, Tom’s butler of the house in 1780. He makes one forget that the nasty butler and the good doctor are one and the same. Lou gets a lot back at Bud during this movie, all in fun, of course, when he cannot understand that Cuthbert is NOT the same man as Ralph Greenway. I’m not sure there is one Ah Ha moment where Horatio realizes that this is not Cuthbert.

 

Donald MacBride is wonderful as the policeman Lieutenant Mason who, at first, doesn’t believe the story of why Bud stole the clock. Of course, it takes a wild car chase to convince him. Unlike Mullholland, I like the car antics and the chase. It fits in with the movie.

 

I would swear that watching this movie releases endorphins of sheer bliss and joy. There are a few moments where Lou excels at pathos (and am I wrong in seeing slight tears on Lou and later, on Melody) and again, he does NOT overdo it.

 

The ideas of the afterlife, heaven, forgiveness, and genuine care are just some of the things presented here and all wrapped in many fun sequences, all of which come from the plot and characters rather than comedy routines.

 

With LITTLE GIANT, my expectations on the re-watch were low but I loved it. My fear with THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES would be the reverse might happen. I shouldn’t have feared. THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES has lost none of its mirth, joy, and thrills. A real connection to humanity can be found by a story about two ghosts. Go figure.

 

I don’t know if I have done the movie justice. There’s just so many parts I love from Melody trying to protect Horatio from Nora being kidnaped to the well scenes where Lou drinks and water comes out of his bullet holes to the “scratch my back tonight” to Melody trying on clothes to Lou having an electric stick stuck to his hand (and as he tries to get it off the wonderful soundtrack plays classical music as if he’s conducting an orchestra) to Lou first meeting Emily (“Zounds! What well did she come from?). When Millie first meets Emily, she asks, “Pardon me but didn’t I see you in Rebecca?”  Love the scene where Melody discovers the light switch can put on the lights.

 

Big laughs happen when Melody starts helping a searching Lou look for the letter. While he’s searching a desk, behind him, she’s tearing books off a book shelf…not realizing she’s hitting Lou from behind with all the books. I laugh as I write that. Lou’s looks are priceless during this.

 

The “incidental” music is in no small part a boost to the entire movie. Whimsical at times when appropriate, sort of 1780-ish waltzy when the dandies are dancing with their girls, and scary where appropriate. It all sounds great and it is too bad a soundtrack will probably never be released. This and ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN are the best scores to the team’s best two movies. I used to rate FRANKENSTEIN above THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES…they are TWO very different movies but now, I’d have to say THE TIME is probably their best movie and maybe the best movie of the 1940s. The score is also properly angelic in the end as Lou and Melody…ascend.

 

I’m sure I left out a million things I wanted to note but the truth is I just love this movie to pieces. Sheer joy. Bless you Lou and Bud! And the entire cast. Thanks!