Cathardincu Surprisingly incoherent and boring

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie

PodBill Just what I expected

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

weezeralfalfa This comedic horror film is among my least favorite A&C films, with "Lost in Alaska" still my least favorite. For one thing, Costello does too much mugging, whimpering, and being scared speechless for my liking. There are too many totally illogical setups and happenings. One expects some of such in an A&C film, but too many reduces one's respect for the film. I'm sure most children are more forgiving of this fault.The title clearly indicates that Boris Karloff is the murderer, which is not the case. If so, it wouldn't be a murder mystery! In fact, it's a multiple murder mystery, with A&C supplying most of the comedic content.It begins with a nocturnal thunderstorm to set the mood. The hotel staff await the arrival of Amos Strickland: a prominent criminal attorney, who has come to investigate blackmailing of the hotel owner: Mr. Crandall. Lou (Freddie), as the bell boy, angers Mr. Strickland with his clumsy handing of his baggage. As a result, Lou is fired, but he threatens Strickland in the process. Later, Lou goes to Strickland's room to apologize. After apologizing, it dawns on Lou that Strickland appears to be dead. He absentmindedly picks up a handkerchief with blood stains on it and pockets it. When he returns to his room, he finds a gun under his bedsheets. Then, he finds another body hanging in his closet, and runs to tell Abbott: the house detective. But, the body keeps disappearing and reappearing in another location. Lou finds another body in another closet. He and Abbott hide the bodies in a laundry cart, with Lou masquerading as a maid. Then, they play a card game with them, later dumping them on the elevator.For some reason(?), all the former clients of Mr. Strickland who have gathered at the hotel(why?)want Lou dead, even though none of them is the murderer. Perhaps they blame Lou for the murder of one of them, he also being the chief suspect in the murder of Mr. Strickland. Boris Karloff, as Swami, tries to hypnotize a sleeping Costello into killing himself, first by hanging, then by a gun, next by jumping out a window, and lastly by knife. But Lou either fails at these attempts or refuses to carry them out. "You're going to commit suicide if it's the last thing you do" growls Karloff. Later, Lou takes a steam bath, and someone turns the steam pressure way up and keeps him locked in the enclosure. He yells, and Abbott comes to the rescue.Lou has quite an adventure in the Lost Cavern, nearly being blown up by a stick of dynamite he mistakes for a candle, then nearly falling into a bubbling 'bottomless pit'. He's nearly saved by a mysterious masked man who requests the bloodstained handkerchief. When Lou tells him he doesn't have this, the masked man leaves him to drown, as he functions as the plug in a sink. Fortunately, others rescue him in time.I leave the resolution of the murders for you to see. It happens all too quickly for me.

TheLittleSongbird Abbott and Costello are one of the best comedy duos on film, and there are some great entries of theirs, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein being a contender for their best. Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is not one their high-points, there are a few draggy spots, a rather standard story and while he is eerie and commanding Boris Karloff is underused(so much for the misleading title). The gags are well-timed and funny though, especially the dressing up in drag, Costello being hypnotised by Karloff and playing cards with a corpse. There is a very nice mix of zany comedy and suspenseful mystery elements, the dialogue is snappily written, the film looks good and is directed in a way that allows the stars to have fun and the story to breathe while not leaving things out of control. Abbott and Costello are still as funny as ever and their chemistry still sparkles even with contrasting personalities. The acting is solid enough from all, Karloff is still fine in his role, you just want to see more of him considering how great an actor he was and is. Overall, not among the greats with Abbott and Costello but makes for good fun regardless. 7/10 Bethany Cox

SanteeFats Some of the Abbott and Costello are better than others. This is a good one in my opinion. The opening of scene of the movie showing the title and credits is not only well done but it is unique and definitely different, especially for the time when this movie was made. The bellboy (Costello) is so stupid it is laughable (the purpose of the role). Abbott plays his typical straight man role. I usually like Boris Karloff and this is no exception. The fact that he doesn't turn out to be the bad guy, just an intimidating presence is refreshing. The rest of the cast does a good job supporting the three main characters. This is a fun movie to watch. One that I not only have watched more than once but own as well.

theowinthrop There is a comment about the title of this addition to the Abbott & Costello films that is a little unfair - but only a little. Entitled ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, BORIS KARLOFF, some purists sniff that as Karloff is not the killer in the film, the title is as misleading as the later ABBOTT & COSTELLO GO TO MARS (wherein they actually go to Venus). But the difference is that Karloff is a killer. Not only does he attempt to hypnotize Lou into committing suicide (which would enable the police to drop an investigation at a hotel where Karloff is stuck in), but he is also a former homicide case defendant who was acquitted thanks to his lawyer Amos Strickland (Nicholas Joy). No, Karloff is not the murderer of Joy, but he is a suspected murderer (the police feel that Karloff's acquittal was due to his lawyer, not to his not being the murderer). So the title is actually not a cheat. Like WHO DONE IT? it is a murder mystery comedy, but here the suspicion against Lou (an incompetent bellhop) is more realistic than in the earlier film. Lou and Bud work at a resort hotel. Bud is the house detective. Lou is involved in an incident where he bungles badly while handling the luggage of lawyer Joy. The latter complains vociferously to the hotel manager (Alan Mowbray), who fires Costello. Lou, realizing what has caused his dismissal, actually makes a threatening statement to Joy. So when the latter is murdered, Lou is the leading suspect. But it seems that Joy was on the verge of writing his memoirs, in which he might set the record straight about those acquittals he won. This would not be what Karloff, Roland Winters, and a few others would like - they are beginning to live down their murder trials. All of them happen to be at the resort too, so they are also suspects.The film has some nice set pieces in it, mostly handled adroitly by Costello - such as a drag sequence where he attracts an admirer, and has to play cards with a corpse. He also, towards the conclusion, gives Abbott an unexpected scare suggesting Bud is the killer. But my two favorite pieces are when Karloff tries to hypnotize Lou, and almost gets knifed in the process, and when Lou discovers the benefits of being the chief suspect - being under house arrest in a luxury hotel has unexpected benefits through room service. After all, the state pays the bill!