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Author
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Topic: Abbott and Costello in 8mm
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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler
Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted December 17, 2015 05:31 PM
Let's talk about what was released.
22 Castle shorts, in 200 foot and 50 foot headline editions:
NO INDIANS, PLEASE! (from RIDE'EM COWBOY)
NO BULLS, PLEASE! (from MEXICAN HAYRIDE)
RIDE'EM COWBOW
HIGH FLYERS (from KEEP'EM FLYING)
PARDON MY SARONG
TAKE BUS, PAY LATER (from PARDON MY SARONG)
KNIGHTS OF THE BATH (from IN SOCIETY)
CHAMPS OF THE CHASE (from IN SOCIETY)
KITCHEN MECHANICS (from HERE COME THE CO-EDS)
OYSTERS AND MUSCLES (from HERE COME THE CO-EDS)
FUN ON THE RUN (from HERE COME THE CO-EDS)
MIDGET CAR MANIACS (from BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME)
MEET FRANKENSTEIN
FOREIGN LEGION
ROCKET AND ROLL (from GO TO MARS)
MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE
HOLLYWOOD AND BUST (from MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS)
HAVE BADGE, WILL CHASE (from MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS)
DOUBLE CROSS AT CRISS CROSS (from WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP)
MEET THE MUMMY
GOBS IN A MESS (from IN THE NAVY)
RIOT ON ICE (from HIT THE ICE)
Universal 8 released all of the above with Castle on-screen titles except KITCHEN MECHANICS, OYSTERS AND MUSCLES, and FUN ON THE RUN, which were discontinued in the mid-60s. In fact, these three may not have been available in Super 8. All were released in sound and silent versions, with the headline editions being only released silent.
Universal 8 only, sound only:
WHO'S ON FIRST (from NAUGHTY NINETIES,short version and full-length)
400 foot:
IN SOCIETY
MEET JEKYLL AND HYDE
MEXICAN HAYRIDE
BUCK PRIVATES COME HOME
MEET THE MUMMY
MEET FRANKENSTEIN
MEET THE KEYSTONE KOPS
FOREIGN LEGION
IN THE NAVY
IN SOCIETY
WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP
GO TO MARS
BEST OF Part 1 (silent only)
BEST OF Part 2 (silent only)
4 Official films, 200 foot, probably sound only:
OH, MY ACHING TOOTH!
MONEY MUDDLERS
MUDDER AND FODDER
PINCH ME, PLEASE!
Walton also released the above 4,which were all from THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH.
Full-length, sound:
MEET CAPTAIN KIDD (color, Viacom)
JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (color, Viacom)
AFRICA SCREAMS (RED FOX, maybe others)
MEET FRANKENSTEIN (German, not sure who released it)
RED FOX, TV Show:
BINGO
GETTING A JOB
ACTOR'S HOME
Walton, curio:
BEAUTY AT THE BATH (not from a movie, the boy's judging a beauty contest)
[ December 18, 2015, 07:24 PM: Message edited by: Joseph Randall ]
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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler
Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted December 18, 2015 06:47 PM
BTW, for those who don't know, where I come from a cavalier is a guy who takes a girl out, wines and dines her, and takes her home without even kissing her.
I'm going to give a grade to Castle, since they had access to all 28 Universal films the boys made. I give them a C+. (I have copies of all the extracts.) Given that they released 22 extracts, you would think that as a whole you would get the best of Abbott and Costello. You don't, however. They focused on scenes that would also play well as a silent, thus you eliminate most of the boys' classic patter routines. A few survive, however, but not enough. Plus, they ignored some of their best films completely.
I have about half the U8 releases, so I'm not as qualified to give a grade, but from what I've seen and heard, they get a C. They had a golden opportunity to release some really great digests, but they didn't, for the most part.
Official Films gets an A-. They focused on the classic routines from THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH. Why the minus? Since you get roughly half the film, you should at least have the story line wrap up and make some sense, but it does not. I guess you can't have your cake and eat it, too. Also, they edited the "You're 40, she's 10" routine.
Red Fox gets a B. Don't know what they had access to, but they released 2 of the best TV episodes, as well as the worst (BINGO). I've seen the latter and it has very soft focus. They did a nice job with AFRICA SCREAMS, though, which is neither one of their best nor worst films.
I haven't seen the Viacom prints, but I assume those were the only 2 films they had access to. Disregarding print quality, they get an A for making these films available complete and in color.
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Osi Osgood
Film God
Posts: 10204
From: Mountian Home, ID.
Registered: Jul 2005
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posted December 19, 2015 01:34 PM
I may sound picky, but I think the best Abbott and Costello super 8 release (digest), was "Who's On First" (long version Universal 8 release), as it's the whole routine, and not parts of routines and chase scenes strung together like the other digests.
I don't know, I just think that the old tradition of having a chase scene at the end of the film, (so prevelant in old comedies) was so overdone and for me, were usually boring compared to the rest of the film.
--------------------
"All these moments will be lost in time, just like ... tears, in the rain. "
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Panayotis A. Carayannis
Jedi Master Film Handler
Posts: 969
From: Athens,Greece
Registered: Jul 2008
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posted December 19, 2015 01:51 PM
From my collection I can add the following:
Two "Colgate Comedy Hour" episodes.One "Christmas Show" from 1952,shortened to 2x400,and one complete in 3x400, from 1953,"Abbott and Costello in the White House".Also,another "A&C Show" episode,"Vacuum Cleaner Salesman".
Also,one reel of "Best of Abbott and Costello" bloopers (on the leader only,no actual titles). Also,a two reeler of "Abbott and Costello bloopers (on the leader only,no actual titles) from "Little Giant".
There is also a two reeler,"Christmas Greetings from the Stars",featuring one minute appeals, from the late 40es to the early 50es,of various stars urging spectators to buy Christmas Seals. One of these is "Abbott and Costello in It's Christmas Time",from 1952.
"Life with the Flying Cadets" is an ingenious curiosity! Using all the plane and flying footage,plus scenes from the plot, from "Keep 'em Flying",they created a serious ten minute morale booster for the wartime audiences. No scenes of Abbott and Costello were used!
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Joseph Randall
Master Film Handler
Posts: 437
From: Wyckoff, NJ, USA
Registered: Jun 2015
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posted December 19, 2015 03:54 PM
Thanks, Joe T.
Doug, I realize that at the time, the silents were big sellers and Castle took the economical and wise business approach. Action scenes worked best for the silents, and rather than do a separate sound edit, they took the route of just adding sound to the existing edit.
In retrospect, with 20-20 hindsight, it might have made them the most money, but left us with somewhat less than the best of A&C. That being said, I still enjoy them, and own all the Castle extracts.
My favorite Castles with A&C:
MEET FRANKY
TAKE BUS, PAY LATER
PARDON MY SARONG
OYSTERS AND MUSCLES
FUN ON THE RUN
NO BULLS, PLEASE
Honorable mention goes to MEET JEKYLL AND HYDE for the superb editing job that plays better than the full-length movie.
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