Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood

Returning to the MGM lot in the Spring of 1945, Abbott and Costello make what would be their last, and funniest, film at the Tiffany of studios. Declining revenues during the war took its toll at MGM, and the loan-out deal with Universal was not renewed. Bud and Lou probably didn't mind, as there was a downturn in script quality at MGM -- not to mention a downturn in their salaries!!!

"In Hollywood" isn't as poor as their first two MGM films, however. "Rio Rita" and "Lost In A Harem" suffered from poor pacing; here, the pacing is fine. And it's fun to see Lou get into trouble on the MGM lot(in the film, the studio is Mammoth.) Incidentally, MGM lifted the idea of Lou's cavorting on the set from Buster Keaton's 1930 MGM film "Free and Easy." Another fun scene is on the midway set; it's ludicrous to believe that Costello is staying balanced on one wheel on the roller coaster, but, hey, that's what makes the scene funny and enjoyable to watch. The best scene in the film is the "insomnia" sketch, where Costello finds it impossible to sleep through the record that's supposed to put him to sleep (people raised only on CDs can't relate to this!)

All in all, "In Hollywood" is a few notches above A&C's other MGM films. Video collectors take note: although "The Noose Hangs High" and "Dance With Me, Henry" were released on video by MGM/UA, they were actually independent productions. "In Hollywood" was their last MGM film, and a decent one at that. 7 out of 10.

Buzz Kurtis (Bud Abbott) and Abercrombie (Lou Costello) are working at a Hollywood salon for the stars. Abercrombie pays Buzz to teach him how to be a barber and it's not going well. They do a house call at Hollywood agent Norman Royce's office. They witness his work and decide to become agents themselves.

I love the shaving scenes. Lou is turning into full Curly. I like him with the kids. There are some very funny individual scenes. The overall story is not that important and it's not that compelling. This end with a couple of dangerous split second stunts and a fun roller coaster ride.

Abbott and Costello play bumbling barbers who become talent agents. Their first (and only) client is singer and actor Bob Haymes. They go to great lengths to make him a success. Fun but lesser outing from Bud and Lou; their last of three for MGM. The Hollywood backdrop provides for some funny gags like Lou pretending to be a stunt dummy. They don't get to meet any really big stars. Sure, there's Lucille Ball, but this is before TV. She was a B-level star at this time. In addition to her there's Preston Foster, Butch Jenkins, and Rags Ragland -- hardly the cream of MGM's crop. Rags' scene is pretty funny, though. Mike Mazurki, Warner Anderson, and Donald MacBride are all good in supporting parts. Frances Rafferty and Jean Porter provide the pretty. Haymes gets some singing numbers but nothing particularly noteworthy. Like I said, it's a fun Abbott & Costello movie but not one of their best. Certainly not something you'll regret watching. A nice way to pass the time.

Being yet still in the womb and pondering my next move when this was released in the UK, it was to be several years before I actually caught up with it - during an Abbott & Costello festival at my hometown theater.

One's opinion these days depends whether you "recall it" as life WAS in the mid fifties or as an entity in its own right in 2003. Fact is, it was one funny movie and as well as being the last they actually made for MGM and remembering, that the war was not officially over during early filming, it actually had a sizeable budget allocated to it.

Way better than LOST IN A HAREM, Lou was a hoot here as a Hollywood agent (with Bud) trying to get their client the lead role in a musical. Arguably the best routine on offer was that wherein Lou remains awake listening to a record designed to make him sleep.

One of their more enduring films.

Can you imagine A Night at the Opera with only two Marx Brothers? That's essentially what you get in Abbott and Costello in Hollywood.

As good as they were, the Marx Brothers never got their names into the title of any picture they did. That's because they weren't half the box office draw that Bud and Lou were.

Like Chico and Harpo, Bud and Lou are barbers who get the idea to be agents. They decide to handle the career of Robert Stanton the same way Chico and Harpo sign up Allan Jones. And crooner Stanton does get into the picture in just about the same way Jones broke into Il Trovatore.

Too bad though that Stanton never got to sing some songs as good as Cosi-Cosa or Alone. Might have a career for him.

A&C got some good bits in. They had a good scene with MGM comedian Rags Ragland after Ragland comes in for a shave. And Costello being chased through the finale in a midway sequence is pretty funny.

This was the last of three films that Universal loaned out the boys to MGM for the glossier productions than what they were used to at Universal. My favorite of the three MGM films has always been Lost in a Harem. That has more the zany quality of the Universal films than either Abbott and Costello in Hollywood or Rio Rita has.

This one did only so-so box office as compared to the Universal product and Carl Laemmle, Jr. lent them out no more.