Comin' Round the Mountain

1951
6.3| 1h17m| en
Details

Al Stewart and Wilbert are magicians doing a stage act when they run into Wilbert's cousin, Dorothy McCoy. They find out that Wilbert's grandfather, Squeeze-box McCoy, had treasure hidden in the hills of Kentucky, which they go to find.

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Universal International Pictures

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Reviews

FeistyUpper If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Kayden This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama
utgard14 Right off the bat I knew this wouldn't be one of Abbott and Costello's better comedies because the movie starts off with Dorothy Shay singing a novelty song that goes on forever. It wouldn't be the last time either. Shay has four or five songs in this movie! Who's the star here? I watch an Abbott and Costello movie for comedy, not forgettable songs. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind a song here or there. But this was too much. It felt like they were more concerned with providing a showcase for Shay than worrying about making a good comedy.The plot centers on Lou discovering he's related to Dorothy. So Kentucky native Shay accompanies the boys to her home. From here, we get a lot of jokes about hillbillies, feuds, and marrying 14 year-old cousins. I don't mind laughing at these types of jokes when they're clever, but this is all pretty tired. Even the presence of Margaret Hamilton can't save it, although that's the best scene.Let me say that, while I didn't care much for her songs, Shay does have a likable quality about her and she's a perfectly fine singer. She's not bad to look at, either. Just wish there had been less of her singing her corny songs and more focus on comedy. I don't think I laughed more than once and that was during Hamilton's scene. The whole thing plays like one overlong cartoon. I don't know if it's the worst Abbott and Costello movie, but it's one of them.
MartinHafer I almost feel ashamed of myself to admit that I liked this ultra-lowbrow comedy starring Abbott and Costello. The humor sure isn't sophisticated and the film almost made me cringe at times, but I did enjoy it. Perhaps I am losing my mind.The film begins with Dorothy Shay singing some hillbilly-type songs. What made this weird is that this was in a fancy club in the big city and her accompaniment was a normal orchestra. As for the songs, she sang way too often in this film but I was also surprised that I actually did like most of the songs, as the lyrics were very funny. But, a little sure went a long way! Shay soon learns that Lou is her long lost cousin. Lou had no idea that he was from hillbilly stock and agrees to accompany her to Kentucky to meet all the kinfolk he didn't know he had. Unfortunately, he walks into the middle of a century-old feud as well! What comes next is pretty much every stereotype of hill people you can imagine--pigs in the bedroom, marryin' 12-14 year-olds, shootin', chawin', drinkin' and whatnot. While I did laugh at some of the antics, I also realized that there are some folks out there that cringe at this sort of thing--especially people in the Appalaccian region of the United States (like my in-laws!). Funny...but also very tacky and like the worst and most stereotypical episode of "The Beverly Hillbillies".Additionally, some of these stereotypes got very, very creepy. Lou's new kin think he should be married and some of them want him to marry his cousin who is practically an old maid--"she's pert near 14!!". The idea of this middle-aged man with a young teenager is just nasty. The only things that save this is that the girl sure doesn't look like she's 13--she could pass for twice that. The other thing in its favor is that this relationship is never consummated. Ewwwww!! However, despite these shortcomings, the whole movie is goofy fun and it tries really hard to entertain. Plus, for once, it's nice to see Bud and Lou completely out of their element and doing something different. Not a great film but certainly one worth seeing--especially for the funny surprise ending.
gridoon In "Comin' Round the Mountain" a 14-year-old girl (actually the actress who plays her looks about 25, but that's beside the point) has the hots for Lou Costello, and after they both drink a love potion Lou falls in love with her and she gets the hots for Bud Abbott! At another point Lou says "You can't marry a 10-year-old girl...unless you come from these hills". And I thought these films were supposed to be clean, wholesome entertainment!The comedy never gets beyond the mildly amusing, the portrayal of the "country hicks" is totally stereotypical, and although Dorothy Shay is quite beautiful, her singing takes up too much screen time. The ending (which I won't spoil here) is by far the cleverest part - it has the kind of absurdist inspiration that the film needed more of. (**)
mark.waltz The Hatfield/McCoy feud is legendary in history, and films have either spoofed it or filmed it seriously. There was the Wheeler and Woolsey comedy "Kentucky Kernels" in 1934, and then the Rod Steiger/Lee Marvin film of 1974. In between was this Abbott and Costello comedy which is not as well known as some of their other vehicles, but is definately worth a look.The opening of the film shows Lou as an untalented magician trying (rather unsuccessully) to do a Houdini routine. With his manager Bud,Lou meets a distant cousin (singer Dorothy Shay) who recognizes Lou's yell as a hereditary trait of the McCoy clan. Taking Bud and Lou into the backwoods (presumably Kentucky or nearby), the trio encounters their family (lead by character actress Ida Moore). The McCoys have been feuding for years with the local Winfield family. Granny Moore wants Lou to marry Shay, who already has a beau (Kirby Grant). Bud and Lou then go to visit a local mountain witch (Margaret Hamilton, the witch from "The Wizard of Oz") who gives them a love potion after a hysterical sequence where Costello and Hamilton make clay voodoo dolls of each other, and continuously poke them with pins. Hamilton, made up to look more like a hag than a witch, is hysterical in her five minutes on screen. She shrieks and laughs, giving no doubt that underneath that ugly makeup is the wicked witch of the west. This leads to a hysterical conclusion where the potion ends up in all the wrong glasses."Comin' Round the Mountain" came towards the end of the team's successful years; they were slowly being replaced by the younger Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, but were still giving it their all. There are few of the plot-diverting routines of their earlier films, making this faster moving and more entertaining than some of their other films. As usual (with the exception of Hamilton and Ida Moore), the supporting cast is upstaged by the boys. Dorothy Shay isn't all bad, but lacks the screen presence of some of the female comics they worked with in their earlier films.Available on video (but one I have not found easily for rent), "Comin' Round the Mountain" may be pure corn, but its a great time filler for a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.