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DVD Buck Privates
Universal Studios hit box-office gold when they drafted vaudeville comedians and radio stars Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and turned them into one of the most successful screen teams of the 1940s and 1950s. After a tryout as supporting characters in the musical One Night in the Tropics, they starred in Buck Privates as con artists who accidentally enlist while hiding out from New York street cop Nat Pendleton. Naturally he winds up their drill sergeant and comic foil as they wreak havoc on the armed forces. It's vaudeville in fatigues, with the bare bones of a story provided by spoiled millionaire playboy Lee Bowman, his strapping All-American former chauffeur Alan Curtis, and the girl-next-door they both pursue, Jane Frazee. The lackluster subplot is directed with little verve by Arthur Lubin, and the film's energy comes completely from the snappy by-play of the comedians and Costello's flustered double takes and jumpy physical comedy (including a hilarious rifle drill in which the out-of-step soldier marches to the direction of a different compass). The Andrews Sisters sing "You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy," among others, and future Stooge Shemp Howard shows where the "mess" in mess hall comes from as a cook on the receiving end of Costello's KP tomfoolery. This modest comedy became a smash hit and made Abbott and Costello Universal's most valuable commodity, prompting a quick follow-up with another peacetime armed forces comedy, In the Navy. --Sean Axmaker
When my adopted son went off to boot camp and later Korea, these movies were a must to beef-up moral: ABBOTT and COSTELLO in BUCK PRIVATES, BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME; and BILL MURRAY in STRIPES. All display a humorous perspective on army life and an after-army attitude that can survive drill sargeants. Laughs R Lou and Bub Personally, I also love the song and dance routines of THE ANDREW SISTERS, too. Many try but none can compare to their jazzy- swing combination of harmonized tunes.
Your In The Army Now!
Made for peanuts, BUCK PRIVATES was a tremendous hit for Universal studios and firmly established Abbott and Costello as movie stars. Bud and Lou's routines are among their best; indeed, the film is really not much more than a string of burlesque routines held together by a simple plotline. "The Dice Game," "The Drill Routine," "You're 40, She's 10," and several others burlesque bits are here to keep you laughing. The romantic triangle plot is rather forgettable, although one can certainly understand why both Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis are pursuing lovely Jane Frazee. The Andrews Sisters contribute some great songs, including the immortal "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy." Dated but still very entertaining, BUCK PRIVATES delivered just what the movie going public needed in 1941. And it still delivers today.
Running and Pushing??
It is my own reflections that you cannot judge the A and C Films in a singular way. If you watch just one of their best it looses its impact,rather, I suggest that you catch three at a time in this way you can fall into their brand of absurd comedy.
I was hooked as a kid and guess what , their films have more legs than most of the comedy giants of the past..for sure..
Jane Frazee is here ,along with the likes of Lee Bowman and even Shemp Howard..> The Andrews Sisters provie a bit of pace without slowing it all down too much..and these DVD transfers are fine..all proving once again that there has never been a better "straight " man than the peerless Bud Abbott.. CP
Universal Pictures made a great deal of money from its monster movies in the 1930s. In the early '40s, the burlesque team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello kept the studio's coffers full. When the two franchises were combined in 1948, the result was another windfall--despite the apparent oil-and-water mix of subject matter. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was the first of these summit meetings, although the title is a misnomer. Actually, Bud and Lou bump into most of the Universal heavy-hitters, including Count Dracula (played by Béla Lugosi himself), the Wolfman (Lon Chaney Jr.), and the Frankenstein monster (veteran monster Glenn Strange). There's even a token appearance by the Invisible Man, whose disembodied voice is recognizable as that of Vincent Price. Sure enough,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Bud Abbott - Lou Costello Director(s): Charles Barton DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 This item is currently not available.
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In this sequel to 1941's Buck Privates, Bud and Lou are on their way home from the war in Europe (having joined the Army by mistake in the first film). Lou is smuggling home Evey, an adorable French orphan. When Evey is discovered and scheduled for deportation, the only way Bud and Lou can keep her is to get real jobs, a real home, and a real wife. They seek out Evey's "Aunt" Sylvia for help, but first her fiancée needs some quick cash to get his midget-car racer ready for the big race. Of course, the whole thing ends with Lou in the car, leading the cops on a hilarious chase. And don't worry--Evey finds a real home with Sylvia. Buck Privates Come Home is one of those rare sequels that may be better than the original. It's got plenty of routines, sight gags,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Bud Abbott - Lou Costello Director(s): Charles Barton DVD Release Date: Released the 17 October 2000 THIS TITLE IS CURRENTLY NOT AVAILABLE. If you would like to purchase this title, we recommend that you occasionally check this page to see if it has become available.
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After 15 years of hit movies for Universal Studios, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello left the studio in the twilight of their partnership with the last of their monster comedies. Decked out in desert safari gear, the boys go looking for a job with an Egyptologist and wind up in the middle of a conspiracy concerning the murdered professor, an ancient mummy, and a magical medallion that, true to form, bumbling Costello manages to eat for dinner. Marie Windsor, the boss lady of a gang of treasure hunting crooks, dresses in a harem outfit to vamp for our chubby little hero, and the eternally stiff Richard Deacon hilariously plays the leader of an Egyptian mummy cult like a high school principal decked out for Halloween. Directed by longtime collaborator Charles Lamont, it's a typical... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Bud Abbott - Lou Costello - Marie Windsor - Michael Ansara - Dan Seymour Director(s): Charles Lamont DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 This item is currently not available.
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