Abbott and Costello
Meet Captain Kidd
Director: Charles
Lamont
Year: 1952
Rating: 5.0
Damn, how did Charles Laughton end up in an Abbott
and Costello film? He was arguably the greatest actor of his time. Overweight,
unattractive and gay and he still got some wonderful roles and was usually
brilliant in them. I love him in Ruggles of Red Gap. So, what happened here?
Well, he needed the money. He hadn't been in a top film since 1948 when he
appeared in The Big Clock and The Arch of Triumph. He still had a few good
films left in him though - Witness for the Prosecution, Hobson's Choice, Spartacus
and Advise and Consent where he put on a dreadful southern accent dripping
in mint juleps. Laughton as a blood-thirsty pirate might seem a stretch
but he had actually been Captain Kidd previously - in the 1945 film Captain
Kidd which has some similar plot points to this one. Not to mention his roles
as Nero, Captain Bligh, Henry the VIIII, Quasimodo and Inspector Javert.
I felt a little embarrassed for him here having to do fall down physical
comedy, get hit over the head multiple times, being hung upside down at the
end and getting drenched by water. I wonder what he is was thinking? Paycheck
probably. He goes through the entire film with an expression as if he is
having digestive problems or perhaps just showing his disdain for the film.
Or maybe he loved the change.
It is not one of Abbott and Costello's
best though I had some intermittent chuckles along the way. The filmmakers
may have gotten confused though and thought they were shooting the Pirates
of Penzance because there are six songs performed - some from the pirate
crew and a few from two of the characters. None from Laughton unfortunately.
And none from the boys. A couple of the ballads will have you going out to
the kitchen for a snack, but the one performed in the inn with a crew of
barmaids was actually not bad. Both boys seem to be tired - especially Abbott
who disappears into the background for much of the film. Costello is up to
his usual silliness and in a nice turn, he gets the girl. The pirate girl.
They were getting near the end of their successful film run but they still
had to Meet the Mummy, the Keystone Cops, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well
as go to Mars ahead of them. They were getting too old for this and they
must have known it. Every time Costello falls down I worry that he won't
get up.
They are waiters in Tortuga and Captain
Kidd and his pirate crew come in for a break from killing and robbing - a
drink and a lusty barmaid are on the menu. There is some mix-up with a treasure
map and a love letter and they end up on the ship going to Skull Island. Along
with them is the Pirate Queen (Hillary Brooke) who finds Puddin' (Costello)
to be a sexual magnet. Shenanigans occur. It only runs 70-minutes which was
probably 10 minutes too long and the songs take up a big chunk of that. These
guys have always been hit or miss for me - but I actually seem to have found
this film more palatable than many of the reviews I came across.
