Hommes du monde

"In Society" has a promising set-up - Abbott and Costello as bumbling plumbers who get invited by mistake to a high-society weekend party and try to act as if they belong there - but the film doesn't exploit this premise for all it's worth. At its best, the film approaches the surreal craziness of the Marx Brothers movies (the flooded room, the Susquehannah Hat Company sketch, etc.). But there are too many songs, 4 to be specific in a 70-minute movie (though at least one of them, "No bout adout it", has likably crazy lyrics - "I sove you lo much, I mean I love you so much"), the back projection during the big chase scenes couldn't be more obvious, and Abbott's character is thoroughly obnoxious. (**)

Another nice little film from Bud & Lou, even if rushed and bodged together with Never Give A Sucker An Even Break at the end it's still a pleasant 70 minutes.

Two inept plumbers keeping their heads above water by working for both the expensive Ajax and cheap Atlas plumbing companies get called to repair a leak in swanky society house with disastrous results but afterwards find themselves invited to a Society garden party (in error), again with disastrous results. Baddie Thomas Gomez and his evil-doings were a side issue here, the comedy routines and the lilting songs were the thing. Marion Hutton supplied the songs, especially lustrous being What A Change In The Weather, done as only Universal ever knew how - and also the rather wooden romance. How different she was to her sister Betty! Languid and still mining the Hellzapoppin vein with popular music mixed with comedy and people disporting themselves in swimsuits, it meanders on to its startling plot course change after an hour and almost turns into a different film. Favourite bits: The boys' exit from Thurston Hall's bathroom; Don't blow the horn!; And of course the all-time classic burlesque sketch of Beagle Street (changed from Floogle Street)/The Susquehannah Hat Co!, adapted for this film by John Grant at Lou's behest. Lou also directed the routine in 1 take using friends as extras and 3 cameras.

Unassuming and inconsequential with no message and absolutely nothing for the serious fan of modern "comedy" – in other words, imho a marvellous film I watch every few years with no diminution of enjoyment.

In Society (1944)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Abbott and Costello play plummers who are accidentally invited to a rich person's house for the weekend where they much try to become part of society. Apparently A&C were causing a lot of troubles for the production of this thing due to a contract issue and the final results really show. This certainly isn't their worst film but it's certainly middle of the ground stuff. Most of the jokes just don't flow right as they seemed rushed and forced. Still, there are several minor laughs that keep this thing going for fans.

Made towards the end of their first contracted stint with Universal Studios, "In Society" is possibly the last eminently watchable Abbott and Costello feature until they initiated their horror spoofs with "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein", the picture which has probably survived the sands of time better than any of their others. In "In Society", the emphasis is very much on the physical and visual side of the pair's vaudevillian humour and there is little in the way of the verbal routines or snappy one-liners which are dotted around many of their other movies. But the visual set-pieces are performed with a great vivacity and enthusiasm for which Costello's apprenticeship as a stuntman in some pictures of the late twenties had prepared him well, and it is refreshing to find an unexpected but heart-warming tribute to W.C. Fields, including shots taken directly from the master's 1941 "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break".

IN SOCIETY (1944)*** One of Abbott and Costello's finest and funniest comedies with the boys as bumbling plumbers hobnobbing with the hoi palloi with some amusing moments in one of the first snob/slob comedies. Best bit: "Bagel Street" bit with poor Lou being abused while trying to run an errand for a friend.