Hold That Ghost (1941)

With Halloween coming up, I am going to look at and write about each of the spooky-themed Abbott and Costello feature film. First up is Hold That Ghost.

Hold That Ghost was Abbott and Costello's fourth appearance in a feature film and the third one in which they were the stars. It was supposed to be their third film overall and was the third completed. However after Buck Privates became such a smash hit, it was decided to make the next movie another service comedy. So the release of this film was delayed  as the boy's made In The Navy. This plan worked out well as In the Navy was the highest earning film of 1941. Hold That Ghost was originally going to be titled, Oh, Charlie! after a scene where Lou is looking to find a man (who has been killed) named Charlie. Lou as he looks around keeps saying "Oh Charlie." Hold That Ghost was again another giant hit for the boys and is my personal favorite Abbott and Costello film.

This movie was the first Abbott and Costello movie written by Robert Lees and Fredric I. Rinaldo. This writing team would prove to be perfect for the boys' scare comedies as they would also write Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. In my opinion these are the three best of the boys' scare comedies. This is one of the five Abbott and Costello pictures directed by Arthur Lubin. His other four being Buck Privates, In the Navy, Keep 'Em Flying and Ride 'Em Cowboy.

Like many of Abbott and Costello's early pictures, this movie features musical numbers as well as comedy. The film originally was not going to have any musical numbers. However when shown an early version of the movie, a preview audience asked where The Andrew Sisters were (they had been in the Bud and Lou's previous two films). Additional scenes were than added with The Andrews Sisters performing two song numbers, Sleepy Serenade and Aurora. As an Andrews Sisters fan, I am very happy for these additions, especially since both of them are such great songs. Aurora is especially one of my favorite Andrew Sisters songs. Sleepy Serenade was written by Lou Singer and Mort Greene and The Andrew Sisters released it on record shortly before its use in this film with the words on the record stating "From New Universal Picture 'Oh Charlie!" Aurora was written by Mario Lago and Roberto Roberti, with new English lyrics by Harold Adamson. The Andrews Sisters would later again record this song for there 1957 album, The Andrew Sisters in Hi-Fi for Capitol Records. Also performing a couple songs in this movie is Ted Lewis and his orchestra. One of these songs was When My Baby Smiles at Me. This song was written by Bill Murno, Andrew B. Sterling and Lewis himself. Lewis had originally recorded and released the song in 1920, and it became on of his biggest hits. He also performed in this movie Me and My Shadow, written by Al Jolson, Billy Rose and Dave Dreyer. This song had been an important part of Lewis' live performances since it was written in 1927. Both of these are again excellent songs, but unfortunately we only hear parts of them unlike The Andrews Sisters songs which get a full treatment here. Still what we hear of these two songs is completely delightful. Maybe it is because I am a fan of music from this era, but I actually find the song numbers in these early Abbott and Costello movies to add to my enjoyment instead of detract like it does for so many others today. Whatever the reason I love the musical numbers in these movies and this movie is no exception. 

Production was set back because of the scenes where Bud and Lou work at a gas station. The studio had a hard time finding an appropriate gas station. Eventually the studio up making a gas station set themselves. This set would be reused for the Abbott and Costello movie Pardon My Sarong.     

One joke in the script did not make it past the censors. When working at the gas station Bud would explain why Ethel costs more stating "You can go further with Ethel." Not surprisingly this was cut out of the film. However a shockingly risqué joke would actually be in the finished movie. Lou accidently breaks his bed, and Camille (Joan Davis) says they will have to share a bed. Lou then does his trademark whistle.

Some gag sequences would be reused in later Abbott and Costello films. One of them would be a comic ballet between Lou Costello and Joan Davis. Lou would later do a similar (though not as funny) bit with Dorothy Ford in Jack in the Beanstalk. A sequence of a moving candle would be reworked into Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. That moving candle routine was actually where the idea to make Hold That Ghost came from. They had performed this routine on burlesque and also for their original audition for Universal. One joke written for this movie, but that didn't make it into the film was actually used in the later Abbott and Costello film, Ride 'Em Cowboy. In this joke Bud mentions a herd of cows to which Lou responds "Of course I've heard of cows."

Because Lou's scared act went over so well with audiences, a scene with Lou scared would be put into the next Abbott and Costello movie, Keep 'Em Flying.

There is so much to recommend about this movie. It has some of the funniest scenes the team ever did. These include the amazing comic ballet, the changing rooms and Lou's failed attempt at being a waiter. Many individual jokes here are also very funny. I love when Lou states that he is scared to go into the dark with no one to talk to. Bud asks him why he doesn't just talk to himself. Lou responds "I get too many stupid answers." Also adding to the comedy here is an amazing comedic performance by Joan Davis. Her comedic chemistry with the boys is perfect and she adds so many great laughs to this movie. Watching her and Lou do the comic ballet is a wonder to behold. The musical numbers are again great here. Filled with energy and excitement these songs are just a joy. As many of you know at this time, Universal excelled at making horror films, and the same care and attention seems to be on this movie. The look of this movie, from the lighting to the cinematography is incredible. It gives an amazing sense of atmosphere that is absent from most slapstick comedies. Due to this the movie gives much of the same amazement that is seen in the best of those Universal horror films and the images as well as the jokes and the songs stay in one's mind after the movie is over. Beyond all this though the movie is just tremendously entertaining. There is not one dull spot and the whole film just puts a smile on my face each time I watch it. No wonder this is my favorite Abbott and Costello movie. 

-Michael J. Ruhland