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This is basically a filmed play, notable only for it being James Whale's last work. The whole thing reeks of those kinds of teleplays that dominated television in the early days. Think Rod Serling but without the social commentary. With Serling, however, you could be guaranteed his characters would get some great dialogue. Here we just get Harry Morgan shouting a lot and Marjorie Steele acting like she has brain damage. Morgan's a better actor than this. No one could make the material work. Every line out of the main character's mouth makes him more and more unsympathetic. The play this was based on was written by William Saroyan, best known for The Human Comedy. Clarence Brown and Howard Estabrook thankfully saved that and made a fantastic film, otherwise I'm sure we would have wound up with another stinker like this. A four hour one, if what I've read is true.

Still, this is far from one of Abbott & Costello's best. For starters, Bud seems like he isn't even needed here. You could cut him out and Lou's character could still make it through the different plot points with help from the college girls. Highlights include the aforementioned wrestling match and the basketball game finale. Those scenes are fun. The stuff with the college and Martha O'Driscoll is inoffensive fluff. It's a perfectly watchable and at times funny film.

Abbott and Costello play plumbers who exasperate the rich in this middle-of-the-road comedy that has one standout routine, the famous Susquehanna Hat Company bit. That segment of the film is hilarious but it also sticks out like a sore thumb as it has nothing to do with plumbing or high society. It's just like they thought they needed a funny vaudeville sketch so they threw it in. A good chunk of the movie is devoted to the romantic pairing of Marion Hutton (sister of Betty) and Kirby Grant (later of Sky King fame). As is often the case in these comedies, the most skippable parts are these tacked-on romances. However, here Hutton does sing a couple of nice songs so there's that. Overall this is an "ok" Abbott & Costello film. They don't get much mileage out of the plumbing stuff nor the classist stuff. Also, some of the footage for the finale is lifted from the W. C. Fields film Never Give a Sucker an Even Break. Still, the supporting cast is decent and the boys seem to be having fun.