Just like the Wizard of Oz, Abbott and Costello's Jack and the Beanstalk is a musical fantasy that starts off in monochrome but transitions into colour once the film enters fairy-tale territory. Unlike The Wizard of Oz, the film is charmless, puerile rubbish aimed at small kids that features lamentable comedy and completely forgettable songs.
In the black and white intro, Bud and Lou play Mr. Dinkel and Jack, who take a job as babysitters for a precocious problem child (background checks not being a thing in the '50s). Jack tries reading a fairytale to the young lad, but winds up having the story read to him by the boy instead. Dozing off, Jack dreams that he is the hero of Jack and the Beanstalk, who teams up with Mr. Dinklepuss to rescue a princess from the giant who has been terrorising his kingdom.
Abbott and Costells' buffoonery is particularly infantile on this occasion - predictable sub-pantomime level humour - and the tuneless warbling is grating, making this film a real chore to sit through. Furthermore, the giant is a total letdown, played by 6' 6¾ Buddy Baer in platform shoes, no special effects required. Shaye Cogan plays the princess, but she is easily outshone by statuesque brunette beauty Dorothy Ford, who, at 6' 2", is tough to ignore.
2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb. Watch Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers for a more successful attempt by a comedy duo at doing family-friendly fairytale fantasy (it's far from L&H's best work, but much better than A&C's effort).
In the black and white intro, Bud and Lou play Mr. Dinkel and Jack, who take a job as babysitters for a precocious problem child (background checks not being a thing in the '50s). Jack tries reading a fairytale to the young lad, but winds up having the story read to him by the boy instead. Dozing off, Jack dreams that he is the hero of Jack and the Beanstalk, who teams up with Mr. Dinklepuss to rescue a princess from the giant who has been terrorising his kingdom.
Abbott and Costells' buffoonery is particularly infantile on this occasion - predictable sub-pantomime level humour - and the tuneless warbling is grating, making this film a real chore to sit through. Furthermore, the giant is a total letdown, played by 6' 6¾ Buddy Baer in platform shoes, no special effects required. Shaye Cogan plays the princess, but she is easily outshone by statuesque brunette beauty Dorothy Ford, who, at 6' 2", is tough to ignore.
2.5/10, rounded up to 3 for IMDb. Watch Laurel and Hardy's March of the Wooden Soldiers for a more successful attempt by a comedy duo at doing family-friendly fairytale fantasy (it's far from L&H's best work, but much better than A&C's effort).