During the filming of The Time Of Their Lives and on into Little Giant Bud and Lou had come a cropper in their relationship. It looked like the team might in fact break up at that time. But Universal had both these guys signed to contracts and they weren't going to pay them for doing nothing.
Given the situation both of these films were fashioned so that they were not exactly a comedy team and had only occasional scenes with each other. But in the case of The Time Of Their Lives, Universal came up with one of their best films with roles perfectly suited to their talents.
In Bud Abbott's case it's two roles suitable to his talents. He plays Cuthbert Greenway a butler serving at Danbury Acres in 1780 during the Revolutionary War where the master Jess Barker is in league with Benedict Arnold and his scheme of treason. Abbott has his own scheme afoot, it's to take Anne Gillis away from tinker Horatio Prim who is played by Lou Costello.
It's the usual Abbott and Costello shenanigans with a bit more bite to it as the boys were barely speaking to each other. Abbott tricks the trusting Costello into a trunk and locks it on him and takes Costello's prize possession, a letter of recommendation from George Washington himself as to Costello's honesty and patriotism.
But the revolutionaries foil Arnold's plans as we know and come upon Danbury Acres and shoot both Costello and Marjorie Reynolds who is Barker's fiancé. They are cursed by the major in charge of the troop, Robert Barrat, to be bound to the Danbury Acres until crack of doom unless some evidence is found to prove they ain't traitors. Good thing he at least put an escape clause in.
Fast forward six generations to 1946 and Abbott is now his own great great great grandson, a psychiatrist who's there with friends Binnie Barnes, John Shelton, and Lynn Baggett. Abbott and Shelton are now trying to restore the old mansion.
Of course the ectoplasmic Costello and Reynolds are happy just to have company after 166 years. And Costello seeing his old enemy takes some ages overdue payback on the descendant. For once Abbott becomes the butt of Costello's humor. Not to say the that Costello doesn't get his share of laughs as he comes face to face with a lot of the progress of the past century and two thirds.
The Time Of Their Lives is a charming fantasy where both Bud and Lou successfully manage to transcend their usual roles and still maintain their loyal fan base. Two more members of the cast who make invaluable contributions to the fun are Gale Sondergaard full time housekeeper and part time medium who is the key to solving the ghost's problems and Donald MacBride as the state police trooper who does his patented slow burn routine in the climax when the ghosts takeover his patrol car.
This is one of Abbott&Costello's best films and in fact it's done without any of their burlesque routines, just on characterization alone.
Given the situation both of these films were fashioned so that they were not exactly a comedy team and had only occasional scenes with each other. But in the case of The Time Of Their Lives, Universal came up with one of their best films with roles perfectly suited to their talents.
In Bud Abbott's case it's two roles suitable to his talents. He plays Cuthbert Greenway a butler serving at Danbury Acres in 1780 during the Revolutionary War where the master Jess Barker is in league with Benedict Arnold and his scheme of treason. Abbott has his own scheme afoot, it's to take Anne Gillis away from tinker Horatio Prim who is played by Lou Costello.
It's the usual Abbott and Costello shenanigans with a bit more bite to it as the boys were barely speaking to each other. Abbott tricks the trusting Costello into a trunk and locks it on him and takes Costello's prize possession, a letter of recommendation from George Washington himself as to Costello's honesty and patriotism.
But the revolutionaries foil Arnold's plans as we know and come upon Danbury Acres and shoot both Costello and Marjorie Reynolds who is Barker's fiancé. They are cursed by the major in charge of the troop, Robert Barrat, to be bound to the Danbury Acres until crack of doom unless some evidence is found to prove they ain't traitors. Good thing he at least put an escape clause in.
Fast forward six generations to 1946 and Abbott is now his own great great great grandson, a psychiatrist who's there with friends Binnie Barnes, John Shelton, and Lynn Baggett. Abbott and Shelton are now trying to restore the old mansion.
Of course the ectoplasmic Costello and Reynolds are happy just to have company after 166 years. And Costello seeing his old enemy takes some ages overdue payback on the descendant. For once Abbott becomes the butt of Costello's humor. Not to say the that Costello doesn't get his share of laughs as he comes face to face with a lot of the progress of the past century and two thirds.
The Time Of Their Lives is a charming fantasy where both Bud and Lou successfully manage to transcend their usual roles and still maintain their loyal fan base. Two more members of the cast who make invaluable contributions to the fun are Gale Sondergaard full time housekeeper and part time medium who is the key to solving the ghost's problems and Donald MacBride as the state police trooper who does his patented slow burn routine in the climax when the ghosts takeover his patrol car.
This is one of Abbott&Costello's best films and in fact it's done without any of their burlesque routines, just on characterization alone.