Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)

Wow! What a bizarre film! Unfortunately the few funny moments there were were quite overshadowed by it's completely weird and random vibe throughout.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Abbott and Costello had made a lot of money for Universal Studios. They first peaked in the early 40s, then there was a refractory period, then they began to meet Universal's monsters one by one and the money rolled in again until their final decline in the 50s. The studio was apparently reluctant to fund their meeting with Captain Kidd, Kidd not being one of their copyrighted monsters or anything, and besides there was the expense of hiring Charles Laughton as the Bad Captain, and shooting the thing in color.The gags are mostly obvious and rather lame. Perhaps the best is when Costello believes he has Laughton handcuffed and begins to insult him to his face. Laughton briefly wipes his nose and returns his hand to its cuffed position but Costello has noticed the movement out of the corner of his eye, and his laughter gradually turns to tears.A more typical gag: Laughton throws Costello out the door, Costello bumps into a waiter carrying a tray of silverware, and Costello, waiter, and silverware go crashing to the deck, all tangled up. The musical interludes are instantly forgettable. The ex vaudeville team seem as tired as the gags, although Laughton seems to be enjoying himself immensely.I used to get a charge out of all the Abbott and Costello movies when I was a child and, from time to time, find myself in a mood receptive to "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein," which has some suspenseful moments and is coherently structured. That's relatively speaking.For the most part, their movies are best left to the kids under the age of ten, if they can be prodded into watching an old black-and-white comedy.

I don't mind that the movie has no plot or that it's so noisy my 90-year old grandmother complained or that Charles Laughton thinks he's the one who should supply the laughs and not the menace. What I do mind is that A&C have so little to do. They manage a few bits, but these are crowded out by the chaotic knock-about. It's like someone said we don't have a script or any routines, so let's just run around, make noise, and maybe no one will notice. Maybe the best thing is the really great special effects. The masted ships and sea battle look like they come from an A-production, which they may have. But even the explosions on the sea-shore sets are well done. Too bad the rest of the movie doesn't rise to that level. And pity the poor regally composed Hillary Brooke who looks like she's missing all the mayhem, at the same time Laughton manages more mugs per minute than a race car generates RPM's. In my little book, this is one of the least of the 5 or 6 entries in the A&C Meets... series.

This is a curious film. Abbott and Costello were only a bit beyond their prime, ready to do the first year of their still beloved television series. Someone, apparently at Warner Brothers, suggested this movie, a low-budget musical comedy filmed in a wretched color process that all but killed the project in itself. Hiring Charles Laughton to do slapstick and Hillary Brooke, quite a talent in herself, must have taken more of the budget than anticipated. The toy ships, the cheap sets, the dreadful choreography, and the forgettable music do little to enhance the low comedy. What an interesting choice for the singing lead: big band singer Fran Warren. She couldn't act worth a lick, but oh those pipes! The song "Speak to me of the Tall Pines" is actually not bad. Her romantic relationship in the film with the totally forgettable tenor is awkward at best. Still, three cheers for Laughton. He steals every scene he's in. But in this crummy film, that isn't saying much.

While Abbott & Costello don't make much swash buckling in this story, the color in this color feature is horrible, & the musical numbers even worse, they did one thing right.Charles Laughton as Captain Kidd is easily the films greatest asset. The way he plays off Costello is great. Too bad there is not enough of it to save the film. There is way too little of the boys, & way too much horrible music in a short 70 minute film.Sad thing is the idea could have been so much more. This is one film where the tickets were sold on the title, but the viewers were disappointed. While it is not their worst because of Laughton, it is no where near the teams best film.At least it is the boys in color. Besides Jack & The Beanstalk which also has terrible music & color, this is the only other color film they did. Color me blue that a great idea gets wasted.