Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable

Mjeteconer Just perfect...

FuzzyTagz If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Taraparain Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

utgard14 Abbott & Costello meet Damon Runyon in this adaptation of his story, "Princess O'Hara." This is the second film version of that story, the first (and best) being the 1935 Chester Morris film. In what has to be one of the darkest beginnings to a comedy story ever, Lou accidentally kills a girl's horse. Feeling bad about it (you would hope so!), Lou and Bud try to find another horse to replace the dead one.This is definitely more Abbott & Costello than Runyon. Pretty much every scene involves the boys setting up (frankly obvious) routines, trying to score a "Who's on first?" but coming up with a "What was that?" Still, it's pleasant and sometimes pretty funny. Good cast backing up the boys includes Cecil Kellaway, Samuel Hinds, Patsy O'Connor, Shemp Howard, and Eddie Quillan. The obligatory banal lovebirds for the romantic subplot are Leighton Noble and Grace McDonald. The movie's scene stealer is Eugene Palette. The best parts of the movie are the jokes that break the fourth wall, like when Shemp Howard is asked why he's holding an umbrella and says "Who knows? I'm a Damon Runyon character." or Lou's joke about Universal.

JoeKarlosi Abbott and Costello are at their very best in this agreeable comedy. They play a couple of Manhattan taxi drivers with a fondness for a sweet young girl and her horse. Costello means well in trying to be nice to the animal, but his feeding it candy ultimately causes the horse to get sick - and die. So he and Abbott set out to make things right by getting a new horse for the girl, whose dad (Cecil Kellaway) runs a horse and carriage ride in the city. I know that synopsis sounds rather dramatic, but there is a lot of well-staged comedy between the serious moments. And Bud and Lou are as sharp in ever performing them. Some routines include: their classic "the horse eats his fodder", the boys getting swindled at a phony horse race outfit, Lou getting into trouble at a restaurant for not being able to pay his check, and other assorted gags. Third Stooge Shemp Howard also has a part, but the real fun comes courtesy of fat man Eugene Palette, who is the perfect foil for Costello's antics. As with almost all of A&C's movie of this period, there is some singing and dance numbers here; however, I find them to be rather entertaining and endurable this time out. *** out of ****

MartinHafer 'Schmaltzy' can best be described by excessively sentimental--to the point where it can be seen as sickeningly sweet. Despite the very positive reviews for IT AIN'T HAY, I am very surprised that none of them see the film as an example of pure 100% bonafide schmaltz.Here is the plot--you decide whether or not it's schmaltz. A young girl (about 14) drives a horse-drawn carriage (hmm...what about child labor laws?). She adores her horse and everyone loves her--calling her "Princess". But, when Lou Costello accidentally kills the horse, the entire community is heart-broken for the poor kid...and Lou knows he must do something to buy the girl and her old granddad a new horse--otherwise, the girl will be miserable and they won't be able to pay their bills! When Lou DOES get a horse, he accidentally steals a famous race horse and gives it to Princess. But, when he learns the truth, the horse must be returned...and what is to become of this precious and precocious teen?! There's quite a bit more to the plot than this, but the bottom line is that Abbott and Costello played the sentimental card too often and the edginess of their material was missing--like it was a film just for kids or people who hate comedy. While some comedians have used schmaltz, there is a big difference between schmaltz and sentimentality. Schmaltz is when the sentimentality takes center stage and is THE substance of a comedy--and real comedy cannot be funny if there's schmaltz as the saccharine style of the film interferes with the laughs. This film simply chose sentiment over laughs again and again. One of the only really funny parts occurred at the very beginning, when Shemp Howard (a perennial in early Abbott and Costello films) is introduced.Overall, the worst film that the team made up until this point. Too much singing, too much sentimentality and a "wacky" race towards the end that instead of helping the film to finish on a high note just came off as contrived. Sorry folks, this is one "lost" film that Abbott and Costello made that just as soon could have stayed lost--barely earning a 5--and that's being rather generous.By the way, the rubber band joke at the end was a reference to WWII and rubber rationing--when rubber was as rare as could be since almost all of it was diverted to wartime use.

Russell Dodd In this film, I think Costello wanted to add a bit more depth to his character. He is a taxi driver and Abbott is is pal. Costello inadvertently kills a horse and takes it upon himself to replace it. as Mr Warner, the bad tempered manager who keeps popping up in the film. The songs have been blasted but I rather like them.There is real character to this film and a good atmosphere. There are many funny gags here and Eugene pallette is hilariousI would of liked Erle C. Kenton to of directed more than just 3 Abbott and Costello movies. he directed some of 'Hit the Ice' too till he fell out with Lou and was replaced with Charles Lamont who said it would only be a one off!!! This is a very pleasing film for Abbott and Costello fans and the kids would love it too. They don't make em like this anymore!