Abbott and Costello got to skewer a lot of different film genres like Westerns, horror, high society and the military branches, so I guess it was time to turn their attention to pirates on the high seas. Quite honestly, I don't know how Charles Laughton got maneuvered into appearing here, although if you keep an eye on his facials, he seems to be having a good time in a bunch of spots. Even so far as to descending into slapstick and breaking the fourth wall once to address the viewer directly. Maybe he needed a break in between serious roles.
Laughton also portrayed the infamous sea pirate in 1945's "Captain Kidd", but this time he wasn't going up against Randolph Scott. With the comedy duo you're bound to get caught up in all manner of dubious circumstances, and it was no different here. The story is loosely built around the misplacement of a treasure map, with a supporting cast of characters jostling their way through one pratfall after another on the way to Skull Island. Speaking of which, I had to wonder if maybe King Kong might have been right around the corner. Say, that might have been another film for the boys, "Abbott and Costello meet King Kong".
If the idea wasn't so far fetched, one might consider this picture to be a musical, there were certainly enough songs in it. I counted six myself, but when all is said and done, none of them were noteworthy or even all that memorable. A couple of them were performed by supporting players Fran Warren (as Lady Jane), and Bill Shirley as her paramour Bruce Martingale, but if you think about it, the pair didn't really seem to be involved in any romance to speak of.
Rounding out the cast was a mainstay from the Abbott and Costello TV series, Hillary Brooke, looking fetching as ever as a rival pirate captain. Given her name in the story, I'm surprised the film makers missed a huge opportunity by not referring to her character Bonney as one who lies over the ocean.
Laughton also portrayed the infamous sea pirate in 1945's "Captain Kidd", but this time he wasn't going up against Randolph Scott. With the comedy duo you're bound to get caught up in all manner of dubious circumstances, and it was no different here. The story is loosely built around the misplacement of a treasure map, with a supporting cast of characters jostling their way through one pratfall after another on the way to Skull Island. Speaking of which, I had to wonder if maybe King Kong might have been right around the corner. Say, that might have been another film for the boys, "Abbott and Costello meet King Kong".
If the idea wasn't so far fetched, one might consider this picture to be a musical, there were certainly enough songs in it. I counted six myself, but when all is said and done, none of them were noteworthy or even all that memorable. A couple of them were performed by supporting players Fran Warren (as Lady Jane), and Bill Shirley as her paramour Bruce Martingale, but if you think about it, the pair didn't really seem to be involved in any romance to speak of.
Rounding out the cast was a mainstay from the Abbott and Costello TV series, Hillary Brooke, looking fetching as ever as a rival pirate captain. Given her name in the story, I'm surprised the film makers missed a huge opportunity by not referring to her character Bonney as one who lies over the ocean.