User reviews

This film has been referred to numerous times as "the worst of Abbott and Costello". I haven't seen that many A & C pictures so far, but from those that I HAVE seen I'd say "Comin' Round the Mountain" and "Lost in Alaska" and maybe even "Meet the Keystone Kops" are worse than this one, therefore the above statement cannot be true. The best thing about "Go to Mars" are the special effects, which are creative and at times even ingenious; before you complain about them from a "modern" perspective, consider that they are about on the same level with those of, say, "Superman IV" - and that was made 34 years later! Unfortunately, much like "Meet the Keystone Kops", this film gives you the impression that more time was spent on the technical tricks and effects than on providing enough funny material and routines for Abbott and Costello. The funniest exchange in the movie comes early on: Dr. Orvilla: "Why did you tell them that you are Dr. Orvilla?" Lou: "I didn't tell them, THEY told ME!". And although the absence of songs is welcome, the two escaped convicts who eventually join A & C in their trip to Venus get too much screen time on their own. (**)

Abbott and Costello Go To Mars sees the popular duo tackle a sci-fi theme that was to be so prevalent in the 50s. It's directed by Charles Lamont and the co-star line up features Robert Paige, Horace McMahon, Mari Blanchard, Martha Hyer & Jack Kruschen. The plot sees Bud & Lou as Lester and Orville respectively, who accidentally find themselves on a rocket-ship bound for Mars. However, they actually land in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras and confusion reigns. Then an encounter with a couple of escaped convicts leads to another blast off, to Venus. A planet populated by a bevy of beauties.

They were three years away from making what would be their last film together, but history dictates that the best of the film outings for Bud & Lou were long since past. However, "Go To Mars" and "Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (also 1953) are worthy pieces showcasing the comic talent and irrepressible charm of two fine entertainers. Sure the plot is as thin as some of the sets are for "Go To Mars," but there's enough chaos and comedy schtick to keep the smile on ones face. We get Costello doing an Italian accent-badly, which in turn leads to a slapathon. Then there's stunts with magnetic moon-boots, a triple bed fall down, gravitational larks and Mardi Gras strangeness. There's even a cheeky aside in favour of the ladies (the Venusian female race being contestants of Miss Universe) as the new male arrivals on Venus are compared to beefcake Adonis types on Venusian TV.

Far from their best work but certainly enough good here to shoot down those "worst of the series" tags. 6/10

All A&C movies are classic, and I think in this one the classic routine is where Lou meets Dr. Orvilla and the slap fight ensues. This is a movie where A&C made the movie a better effort than the writers did.

Fans of rocket-age science fiction films will find interest in this wacky spoof. The early 1950's saw the start of the atomic age rocket ship film genre with ROCKET X-M and DESTINATION MOON in 1950 and WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE and FLIGHT TO MARS in 1951. These movies were all hits and the trend lasted through the sixties with MAROONED and JOURNEY TO THE FAR SIDE OF THE SUN in 1969 (one year after 2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY).

In 1953 Abbott and Costello quickly updated their old vaudeville routines to capture a younger, modern audience and try their hand at this phenomena. They had success spoofing the horror genre with A&C MEETS FRANKENSTEIN and A&C MEETS THE INVISIBLE MAN a couple years earlier and the young audiences who had watched Universal's monster films were now watching rocket films and would soon be watching alien monsters devour entire cities. Though flights to Mars were now a typical plot device, A&C GO TO MARS was ahead of the game by going to Venus six years before FIRST SPACESHIP ON VENUS (1959)!

Abbott and Costello start off toward Mars but end up back on Earth during New Orleans Mardi Gras. They are fooled by fanciful costumes with giant masks and believe they are on Mars. Eventually they flee to Venus populated by beautiful women and all's well that ends well.

The production values were very good, considering that studios were rushing out poorly produced imitations of ROCKET X-M and DESTINATION MOON after their success. After the quick patter routines of the duo that serviced them well in the forties had become so familiar to the audience it was refreshing to have them do something else. Though certainly not a classic and not on the list of best A & C films, for those tiring of the same routines this film is visually exciting filled with space-age fun, beautiful models and hilarious gags. Kids love the film and older adults love the 50's space-age theme. Grab the popcorn.

Nicely cast comedy infringing on Science Fiction. It would have been better had a bit more money were spent, upgrading the production. Still, the comedy is classic Abbott & Costello, and the beauty queens are lovely to look at, a preposition! I used to be a professional photographer, so beauty is good to behold. I gave this a good 6, wish it could be higher.

"Go to Mars" has been unfairly maligned as Abbott and Costello's worst film. A careful comparison to "Mexican Hayride" or "Dance With Me, Henry" would certainly prove this point. While it doesn't rate in their Top 10, "Go to Mars" has many funny and wonderful moments.

Among the great gags: Costello asking Abbott for a nickel to go through the Lincoln Tunnel; The Statue of Liberty ducking out of the way of the rocket. Costello's reactions to space flight are also funny.

What drags the film down for me in the rankings are the following two items. First, the "space map" the rocket scientist uses to point out Venus and Mars; How can he find the two small planets among numerous pictures of large galaxies? If the map were accurate, Venus and Mars would not be in the Solar System, they would be two stars between galaxies! If these nitwits were in charge of the space program we would have never gotten to the moon! Second, the last 20 or so minutes are rushed compared to the rest of the film. It seems that in no time at all, Costello has gone from a prisoner on Venus to king. And then, just as quickly, is dethroned. This portion of the film is over too quickly, especially considering the bevy of Venus beauties we get to see!

Take a quick look: that's Harry Shearer of "The Simpsons" and "Spinal Tap" fame in an uncredited role as a boy at the orphanage early in the film.

Not their best, but certainly not their worst. 6 out of 10.

Released in 1953 - This Sci-Fi/Comedy, with its weak storyline and inferior humor, was a clear indication that the end was just around the corner for Abbott & Costello's careers as one of Hollywood's most popular, slapstick comedy-duos.

Following "Go To Mars", Abbott & Costello would go on to star in 4 more films together. With all of them being big flops, "Dance With Me, Henry" would be the last, which was released in 1956.

Playing characters Lester & Orville (respectively), our 2 dim-witted protagonists are menial lab-workers who are assigned to load supplies onto a high-tech rocket-ship.

In a state of bewilderment Orville accidentally hits the ignition switch which immediately launches the rocket into the sky.

Believing that they have actually landed on Mars (but it's really New Orleans during Mardi Gras), Orville and Lester don spacesuits and venture out of the rocket to meet the Martians (who are really just regular people wearing wild costumes).

In the meantime, 2 escaped convicts, Harry the Horse and Mugsy, find the rocket and after putting on a couple of extra spacesuits, go out and rob a bank.

As circumstances turn out, Lester, Orville, Harry and Mugsy, all end up together back inside the rocket and they blast off to Venus where they discover the planet to be inhabited by only scantily-clad women in high-heels. (All men had been banished by Queen Allura long ago)

Even though Venus appears to be a heavenly paradise for these men, it doesn't take long for the boys to get themselves back to Earth, where justice is finally served to Harry and Mugsy.

This movie actually sounds a lot better than it really is. The whole production was very rushed and noticeably inferior in every aspect.

Filmed in b&w, this film had a running time of only 77 minutes.

This is, perhaps, one of the worst and most unfunny Abbott and Costello films. Not only does the team look old and bored, but overall there is hardly any energy about the film. And, unlike films such as Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, this movie would ONLY appeal to younger kids. Any sane adult would be annoyed by the amateurish quality of this film. It's pretty sad that the funniest(?) part of the film is everyone mistaking Costello ("Orville") with Dr. Orvilla--wow, that's funny.

Our haggard team actually never even makes it to Mars but lands on an Amazon-infested Venus. Apparently, these women must have been VERY horny and lonely to have found either of these two irresistible. I'm feeling really tired and bored just thinking about it.

I think this film has a respectable score on IMDb mostly because there are a lot of Abbott and Costello fans. While some of there films are pretty good, perhaps their love of the team may be coloring their ratings somewhat. A case in point is that this movie is not that different than CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON and yet its overall IMDb score is half this film. Abbott and Costello have definitely done better.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS (Universal-International, 1953), should have been titled ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN OUTER SPACE. Directed by Charles Lamont, it became the team's sole effort of the science fiction genre most relevant in the 1950s. After a series of titles where the team has met some movie monsters or other characters, this spaced-out comedy, using the term loosely, was a welcome change of pace for them, even if it's no cinema masterpiece. Aside from their leading roles, the film is also known for the casting of Miss Universe Beauties (as they were billed) playing handmaidens from Venus.

The story introduces Orville (Lou Costello), a child-like 38 year old man, working for the Hideaway Home for Orphans where he's seen amusing himself with the children by twirling his jet plain that flies into and breaks the nearby post office window. As the children scatter about, Orville hides himself in the back of a Delivery Express Company van driven by Lester (Bud Abbott) heading for the Experimental Laboratory to deliver a box shipment to Doctor Wilson (Robert Paige) and his associate, Janie Howe (Martha Hyer). As Lester returns from his delivery, he finds Orville drawing pictures of a space ship. Believing him to be a spy, he reports him to Doctor Wilson. Because Orville has seen the rocket ship and not wanting the rocket exposed publicly, Wilson allows the little fellow to remain under observation by Lester. During a staff meeting regarding selection of crew to head for either Mars of Venus, Orville, inside the rocket with Lester, toys with the gadgets and unwittingly sends the rocket flying in the air. After going through New York City, the rocket lands itself at a Mardi Gras event in Louisiana where the duel believe they have landed on Mars. In the meantime, Mugsy (Horace MacMahon) and Harry (Jack Krushen), fugitives from prison, believe Lester and Orville to be men from outer space after seeing them leaving the rocket in spacesuits. Obtaining extra spacesuits from the rocket for themselves, the fugitives blend themselves nicely through the Mardi Gras crowd and rob the bank. Changing into regular street clothes, the fugitives hide themselves in the rocket with the stolen until the "spacemen" return. Accused of being the bank robbers, Lester and Orville return to the rocket only to be hijacked back into space landing on the plant Mars inhabited by females under rule by Allura (Mari Blanchard), queen of outer space who cast out the entire male population 400 years ago. Classified as poor specimens of men, how would the foursome be able to survive after learning they no longer have fuel to return to Earth? Others in the cast include Anita Ekberg and Dudley Dickinson

In Jim Mulholland's 1975 edition of "The Abbott and Costello Book," the author labels ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS yp be the team's worst film. What about their final collaboration of DANCE WITH ME, HENRY (United Artists, 1956), which makes this science fiction comedy look like a comedy masterpiece? Some comic highlights include confusion between Orville and Doctor Orvilla (Joe Kirk) leading to a face slapping fest; a drunk (William Newell) leaving Alcoholics Anonymous and heading for the bar next door after seeing the rocket ship traveling through the Lincoln Tunnel; among others. Even though Abbott and Costello start off the story as strangers, they literally go through the emotions later on as if they are life-long pals. In true essence, the film starts off well, but dulls during the Venus episode consisting of tired gags and unfunny one-liners. Special effects are good, but material is more entertainment for kiddie matinee than for adults.

Available on both home video and DVD, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS enjoyed some cable television broadcasts over the years, namely the Disney Channel (1995-96); American Movie Classics (2001-2003) and Turner Classic Movies (TCM debut: January 2, 2023). Regardless of its reputation and title misnomer, ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS is certainly out of this world, (**)

This was one of the first movies I ever saw, well before television came to Australia. As a child I simply loved it, and I've not changed my views on the movie in the intervening four or more decades. It seems usual for fans of A & C to deride the movie, but I rate it as the best they made after the end of the 1940s. Of course the SF aspects left me in awe at the time as I'd seen nothing like it. I even appreciated the Miss Universe entrants :) Even now the special effects seem pretty good for the period. The scenes aboard the space ship seem pretty silly, and did way back then, but that's the only glaring fault. One either loves or hates A&C. Put me in the former group.

I can't understand the generally low review of this movie. I though it was a riot. My kids were happy and laughed a lot. Many puns, sight gags, and beautiful women rounded out a mostly wonderful, no worries, romp amongst the planets. I'd like to see this one remade for the current decade (why haven't we come up with a name for the current decade, anyway?, but that's another story....)

One of the better later entries of the A&C series. The boys appear motivated which was not always the case as their careers wound down, (they separated in 1957). They've got two productive shticks here—the Mardi Gras and the planet Venus. Those costumed Mardi Gras characters are a real hoot and a good chance for Costello to react in his inimitable way. The clownish figures also show how close at times the comedic can be to the grotesque. And catch that parade of pulchritude inhabiting Venus. I'm getting my outer space reservations right away. Looks like Universal hired every tall, shapely starlet in Hollywood for this sequence, including notables Ekberg and Hyer. Then too, the special effects may be cheesy, as expected, but they are elaborate. But what's with the fat Jack Khruschen character, Harry. He comes across as a dopey counterpart to Costello, as though one dim-witted funnyman is not enough. I wonder what the story is there. As in most slapstick, plot doesn't mean much here, just a rack to hang the sketches on. All in all, it's an entertaining 80-minutes of A&C nonsense, with the boys in pretty good form.

Thanks to having director Charles Lamont on this one this film actually is better than some of the other films A&C made including their much inferior A&C Meet Captain Kidd. While this one does not have Charles Laughton & a lot of terrible music to support the boys, it doesn't need either of them.

This film actually holds up better because there is less music & more A&C comedy. Both are welcome here. The slowest part of the film seems to be when they land on Venus. Even though there are a lot of attractive women on Venus, things slow down there.

A critic when this film came out said "Go To Mars- And About Time". That comment really isn't fair to A&C as the special effects in this are sleazy & the script is grade B, yet A&C pull it up to a B Plus without much to work with. I am sure Charles Lamont's Direction had a lot to do with that.

When I was a kid I just loved Abbott & Costello as well as Laurel & Hardy. In spite of Stan and Ollie being well in advance of Bud and Lou they are still head and shoulders above them in terms of comedy. Bud and Lou have aged very badly and what I once thought was hilarious is just embarrassing now. Their best routines were , I think, on their TV shows and stage shows. It often does not work on film. The writers of this exploitative schlock churned out film after film of stomach churning awfulness, doing the stars who appeared in them no favours. There has to be some kind of reality in comedy and many of Bud & Lou's movies had no basis in reality at all.This "Mars" outing has little to recommend it to their fans.

I'm going to say right off the bat that this is by no means a good movie. The worst part is probably how they utilize the going to Venus thing. Yeah, they don't go to Mars. It's true that they THINK they're going to Mars, but it's actually Venus. As you might have predicted, they use the joke about it being populated entirely by women. It's interesting how they first appear in New Orleans during Mardi Gras.

They think the people wearing the costumes are aliens. I thought there were a lot of good jokes in this. I even liked the romantic bit they got in at the end. Okay, it's not as good as them meeting Frankenstein, but it's still okay for what it is. I'm impressed at how prolific they were. It's just alright. **1/2

Orville (Lou Costello) is living in Hideaway orphan home despite being the olden person there. His antics lead to him running from police and accidentally landing at a secret laboratory. There he is put under supervision of Lester (Bud Abbott), who fails to get any work done from Orville as expected. Both get on an rocket and Orville does his usual to get the rocket to fly. This leads to them assume to be in Mars while landing New Orleans during Mardi Gras. Two runaway convicts get onboard the rocket and thus begins a mad journey.

This Abbott and Costello starrer ranks among the borderline unfunny outing from them ranging from meh to hmm. Their usual antics however is not sufficient to evoke the laughter expected of them and that mostly comes down to how bad the writing is. The screenplay not just tries to remain silly but the jokes too end up being repetitive. Despite the title, the duo don't really go to Mars, however they do spend sufficient amount of time at Mardi Gras, thinking to be in Mars. This entire bit fails to get any genuine laughs. The third act, a deliberate one simply adds onto the runtime.

1953's Abbot and Costello Goes To Mars has a misleading title. They got to Venus instead. Though the film had a relatively large budget, the film's plot is not saved and the special effects are average B-Movie effects. The film was definitely one of A+C's wort of all time.

The ending is at an all time worse, where the Venus women are attracted to Bud and Lou after they were defeated in a war against the females. What a plot, eh?

While this is one of the worst A+C films ever, A+C are not to be blamed. They were going through a fanatical problem with the government, which could have very well ruined their careers. The budget is not to be blamed since it was rather high, and the sets were rather lavish (especially for a B-movie!). What couldn't be saved, however, was the plot, which needed to be edited much further than it was. It was an interesting concept, but it was done without heart. A+C's talents were wasted.

MPAA Rating: NR

My Rating: 5 and up

My * Rating 5.2/10

Abbott and Costello accidentally take off in a rocketship. First they land in New Orleans during Mardi Gras and mistakenly believe it's Mars. Here they become mixed up with a couple of escaped convicts. Then they launch into space and wind up on Venus, which is entirely inhabited by women. Somehow, Lou becomes their king!

Don't get why this movie has such a bad rep. Maybe some folks should lighten up. The boys made a few clunkers I admit, but this isn't one of them. It's not their best but it is still entertaining. It's a silly bit of nonsense that's also quite a bit of fun. They never do make it to Mars, though.