Abbott y Costello van a Marte

Along with the Bowery Boys, the Three Stooges and perhaps Elvis, no one was as good at churning out motion pictures quickly and on a tight budget than Abbot and Costello. Even present day comedians such as Carol Burnett and Jerry Seinfeld have heaped praise on the boys' slapstick brand of comedy. I've always felt they were greatly underappreciated in their day. And as the years pass by, their presence on the tube has, sadly, decreased. Most kids today probably have never been exposed to the thin straight man and his rotund buddy.

I own only one A&C comedy. And this is it. Why? Maybe its because of "Allura", the queen, played by the beautiful B-movie siren Mari Blanchard. Discarding the "spell" theory one must assume the special effects are superb. And the fantasy elements are enjoyable and surprisingly well thought out and executed. The rocket ship nearly decapitates the Statue of Liberty, fails to pay the toll at the Lincoln Tunnel and scoots underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. But the movie is simply a ride through a different era: a time of comedy, scientists and space babes. Well, everyone should be afforded one guilty pleasure.