The Time of Their Lives

This enjoyable and rather creative Abbott and Costello feature gives Bud and Lou each a chance to do a lot more on their own, while telling an entertaining story at a good pace. It's different from most of their films, in that Bud and Lou have very few moments when their characters interact. It works quite well, though, and it is certainly among their better movies.

The story takes a little while to set up, but then it begins to move more quickly. Once the prologue is over and the main plot begins, Costello and Marjorie Reynolds are quite entertaining as the two ghosts. There is just enough explanation provided to make the plot work, without going overboard or taking the premise too seriously.

The lengthy sequence with Bud and his friends trying to communicate with Costello and Reynolds provides many of the movie's best moments, and there is plenty of good material in the rest of the film as well. This picture delivers just what you hope for in a light comedy.

Growing up in the New York area as a kid, channel 11 (WPIX) used to show the Abbott and Costello movies every Sunday at 11:30 AM. I got to see virtually all of them. Some were OK (Buck Privates) while others were barely watchable (the later ones that start with "Abbott & Costello Meet [INSERT HORROR CHARACTER NAME]).

BUT...I have always noticed that "The Time of Their Lives" is definately very, very different from all of their other films. First of all it has a cohesive, discernable plot that isn't just about hanging the gags on. All of the comedic moments arise from and because of the plot and they work very well. And the resolution of the ghost's predicament (they were wrongly executed) is very satisfying.

It would be interesting to find out how and why this film was made because it differs so radically from the other Abbott & Costello films. Was it a fluke? Did the team seek better material? Did it simply come their way?

See this film. It's very good indeed.

1780, during the revolutionary war, there is a ball on. The master of the estate, Tom Danbery, is a rebel who plots against Washington. Bud plays a tipsy servant who attempts to woo a maid who is in love with Costello, a poor tinker called Horatio Prim. Prim has a letter of recomendation from Washington himself and he and the maid, Nora, plan to elope but Abbott tricks him into getting trapped in a large trunk. Some of Danberry's men show up and discuss their plan, only to discover Nora overlistening. They do away with her. Danberry's fiance, Melody Allen, is wise to the plan and after helping Tinker escape from the trunk asks him to take her to the nearest soldiers standpoint. As they race off on their horses, Washington's men arrive on the scene looking for Danberry. Thinking they are rebels, Prim and Melody race off in the oposite direction. Mistaking them for traitors too, the man shoot them dead on the spot. The Leader curses their souls and bounds them to the grounds for all time till they can proove their innocence. The house is destroyed and the furniture taken away. Danberry has hidden the letter which prooves their innocence in the library clock.

Cut to 1946. The ghosts are still their but the mansion has been restored. A man recovering froma nervous breakdown, his girl and her outspoken Aunt move in with the original butler's descendant (again, played by an outstading Bud). They also have a physic housekeeper, the wonderful Gale Sondergaard.

After haunting them, they try and find the letter which prooves their innocence...

This is a more interesting A+C film than a funny one. Great performances by all though Lou tries a little to hard at times. I think it's an interesting perforamce by him as I can see shades of his characters from his early films and also his later films. He fumbles with his hat for the 1st time in this film. Bud is superb. I didn't rate his acting in their last couple of films for universal (especially ...meet the keystone Kops) but here, he shines. All of the supporting are great too.

Both Bud and Lou have memorable opening scenes with Bud, the tipsy waitor and Lou asleep on his horse. Good music, great effects and good fun. It has been labelled as an Abbott and Costello film for those who don't like Abbott and Costello. Fun for all the family!

Following the disappointing returns of "Little Giant," Universal decided to continue the experiment of using Abbott and Costello as separate characters in a film -- but with a few changes. The pathos of "Little Giant" was dropped, and the focus returned to comedy. A stronger plot was created, and the movie was set in part in the 18th century. The end result was "The Time of Their Lives," which must rank high among the best of A&C's films.

Perhaps one reason A&C's characters were not a team again in this film was a feud between Abbott and Costello, but no one is quite sure. The reason was probably due to wanting to try something different. With "Little Giant," this effort failed; with "TOTL," they succeeded because Abbott fits so naturally into both his characters and because the storyline is fresh and different.

The tried-and-true A&C routines are missing, but no one notices because much of the humor derives from situations, which are often funny. The reactions to Costello's hauntings are hilarious, and Bud gets some very genuine laughs. I agree with everyone that if A&C had broken up at this time, Abbott would have made a fine character actor in comedies, in a Eugene Pallette sort of way (though without Pallette's girth.)

Despite the reputation this film enjoys today, 1946 audiences seemed rather tepid towards another A&C situational comedy with the boys not appearing as a team. As a result, this type of film was never again tried by A&C. However, it is a film worthy of viewing and deserves the reputation it enjoys today as one of their finest. 8 out of 10.

This one had by miles the best plot of any A&C film, and has always been in my Top 5 favourites of theirs. Otoh it isn't the best A&C film as they were again working within a separate framework ('Little Giant' being the other), instead of Abbott & Costello the comedy team this was Abbott, and Costello the comedy actors. With less reliance on the violent slapstick TTOTL can hold its own against other films of this genre, on its own merits. And even though the print is in pristine condition, at the time of writing in 2005 had not been shown on UK TV since 1.10.1977!

The plot - Costello and Reynolds shot by their own side by mistake and also rather vehemently accursed as traitors by the Major in charge in 1780, after 165 years as ghosts they both get the chance to clear themselves of the slur and take their place in Heaven. Although the similar 'Ghost Goes West' is much better in nearly all departments, this also manages exceptionally well to capture the bittersweet and melancholic mixed emotions that this type of storyline could generate.

A marvellous experiment, and one I wish they'd tried a few more times in the following years - instead what followed a few years later was 'Captain Kidd' and 'Jack and the Beanstalk' - no comment!