Buck Privates Come Home

Last updated
Buck Privates Come Home
Buckprivatescomehome.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Charles Barton
Written by John Grant
Frederic I. Rinaldo
Robert Lees
Produced by Robert Arthur
Starring Bud Abbott
Lou Costello
Tom Brown
Nat Pendleton
Beverly Simmons
Cinematography Charles Van Enger
Edited by Edward Curtiss
Music by Walter Schumann
Distributed by Universal-International Pictures
Release date
April 4, 1947
Running time
77 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1,167,500 [1]
Box office$2,365,000 [2] or $2 million (US rentals) [3]

Buck Privates Come Home is a 1947 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring the team of Abbott and Costello. It was released by Universal-International and is a sequel to their earlier film Buck Privates (1941).

Contents

This film marks the final role of veteran actor Nat Pendleton and the film debut of Russ Conway (in the role of an unnamed medic).

Plot

After serving in Europe during World War II, Herbie Brown and Slicker Smith return to the United States aboard a troop ship. Also on board is their old nemesis, Sgt. Collins. As the ship nears New York, Collins and his superiors search the men's belongings for contraband. Herbie accidentally activates a time bomb, made to look like a camera, that he picked up as a souvenir and has to throw it out the porthole.

A six-year-old French orphan, Evey, whom Herbie and Slicker befriended, is found in Herbie's duffle bag. She is handed over to Lt. Sylvia Hunter, who delivers her to immigration officials in New York. However, during a shift change at the office, Evey is mistaken for a neighborhood kid and set free. Meanwhile, Herbie and Slicker are back to their pre-war occupation of peddling ties in Times Square. Collins is also back at his old job—a police officer assigned to the same beat. He is about to arrest the boys when Evey shows up and helps them escape.

Herbie and Slicker attempt to adopt Evey, but are told that one of them must be married and have a steady income. Evey suggests that Herbie marry Sylvia. They show up at her apartment, but learn that Sylvia already has a boyfriend, Bill Gregory.

At one point, Herbie and Slicker purchase what seems to be an ideal home for $750, but the seller doesn't want to let them see the interior prior to purchase. Before Herbie can get the front door open, the seller gives a signal and a truck hauls off the façade, revealing that the boys had just purchased a broken-down old bus. The two have to fix it up to use as a home.

Bill is a midget car racer. He is sure he will win the $20,000 prize at the Gold Cup Stakes, but his car is being held at a local garage until past-due bills are paid. Herbie and Slicker use their separation pay and loans from their old service pals to get the car out of hock. Collins, however, has other plans. He had been demoted repeatedly to ever less desirable beats thanks to the boys' escaping from him. He stakes out the garage in hopes of catching them and returning Evey to the immigration authorities to get himself back in good favor with his boss. He eventually chases them to the track, where Herbie gets in Bill's race car and leads everyone on a wild chase through the streets of New York.

Herbie is eventually caught, but not before the head of an automobile company is impressed enough to order 20 of Bill's cars and 200 engines. With his financial future secure, Bill can now marry Sylvia and adopt Evey. Slicker and Herbie will be allowed to visit Evey if they get jobs. Collins' captain suggests that they join the police force, which they do—with Collins as their instructor!

Cast

Production

It was filmed from November 18, 1946, through January 23, 1947. It was originally budgeted at $1,167,500 but came in $34,500 over budget, making it the most expensive Abbott and Costello vehicle produced at Universal. The leads were paid $196,133. [4]

Arthur T. Horman, the writer for the original movie, Buck Privates , wrote the first treatment for this sequel, titled The Return of the Buck Privates, but it was not used. [5]

There is a joke used in the film that is often attributed to Benjamin Franklin. [5] Herbie says, "I'd rather marry a homely girl than a pretty girl anyway," to which Slicker replies, "Why?" Herbie responds, "Well, if you marry a pretty girl, she is liable to run away." Evey chimes in with, "But Uncle Herbie, isn't a homely girl liable to run away, too?" Herbie's response is simple, "Yeah, but who cares?" This gag is also used in their film Pardon My Sarong .

When Costello drives the midget car through the rear of a movie theater, there is a poster that shows a fictional film, Abbott and Costello in 'Romeo Junior' on the wall. Scenes of Abbott and Costello in 'Romeo and Juliet' outfits, with Betty Alexander as Juliet, were filmed and were intended to be playing on the screen of the theater, but the scene was deleted. [5]

Routines

Home media

This film has been released three times on DVD. Originally released as a single DVD on April 8, 1998, it was released twice as part of two different Abbott and Costello collections. The first time, on The Best of Abbott and Costello Volume Two, on May 4, 2004, and again on October 28, 2008 as part of Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection.

Related Research Articles

Abbott and Costello American comedy duo

Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and early 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Their patter routine "Who's on First?" is considered one of the greatest comedy routines of all time. Their popularity waned in the early 1950s due to overexposure and changing tastes in comedy, and their film and television contracts lapsed. The partnership ended soon afterwards.

<i>Africa Screams</i> 1950 film by Charles Barton

Africa Screams is a 1949 American adventure comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring Abbott and Costello that parodies the safari genre. The title is a play on the title of the 1930 documentary Africa Speaks! The supporting cast features Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck, Hillary Brooke, Max Baer, Buddy Baer, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser. The film entered the public domain in 1977.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy</i> 1955 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is a 1955 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the 28th and final Abbott and Costello film produced by Universal-International.

<i>Buck Privates</i> 1941 film by Arthur Lubin

Buck Privates is a 1941 musical military comedy film that turned Bud Abbott and Lou Costello into bona fide movie stars. It was the first service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team made two more service comedies before the United States entered the war. A sequel to this movie, Buck Privates Come Home, was released in 1947. Buck Privates is one of three Abbott and Costello films featuring The Andrews Sisters, who were also under contract to Universal Pictures at the time.

One Night in the Tropics is a 1940 comedy film which was the film debut of Abbott and Costello. They are listed as supporting actors but have major exposure with five of their classic routines, including an abbreviated version of "Who's On First?" Their work earned them a two-picture deal with Universal, and their next film, Buck Privates, made them bona fide stars. Songs in the film were by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Dorothy Fields. The film is based on a 1914 novel, Love Insurance by Earl Derr Biggers, the creator of Charlie Chan.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd</i> 1952 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd is a 1952 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film Captain Kidd. It was the second film in SuperCineColor, a three-color version of the two-color Cinecolor process, and which utilized an Eastmancolor negative as Cinecolor did not offer three-color origination, only two-color origination via bipack.

<i>In the Navy</i> (film) 1941 American film directed by Arthur Lubin

In the Navy is a 1941 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was the second service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team appeared in two other service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates released in January and Keep 'Em Flying released in November.

<i>Abbott and Costello Go to Mars</i> 1953 American science fiction comedy film directed by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. Despite the film's title, no character in the film actually travels to the planet Mars

<i>Hold That Ghost</i> 1941 film by Arthur Lubin

Hold That Ghost is a 1941 horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and featuring Joan Davis, Evelyn Ankers and Richard Carlson.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> 1953 American film directed by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1953 American horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, co-starring Boris Karloff, and directed by Charles Lamont.

<i>Keep Em Flying</i> 1941 comedy film directed by Arthur Lubin

Keep 'Em Flying is a 1941 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film was their third service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team had appeared in two previous service comedies in 1941, before the United States entered the war: Buck Privates, released in January, and In the Navy, released in May. Flying Cadets, along with Keep 'Em Flying were both produced by Universal Pictures in 1941.

<i>Ride Em Cowboy</i> (1942 film) 1942 film by Arthur Lubin

Ride 'Em Cowboy is a 1942 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, Dick Foran, Anne Gwynne, Johnny Mack Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Samuel S. Hinds, Douglas Dumbrille, Morris Ankrum, and directed by Arthur Lubin. The film focuses on Abbott and Costello as they play the role of two peanut vendors on the run from their boss. Despite their lack of knowledge in the trade, they get jobs as cowboys on a dude ranch. The film is set in the West.

<i>Pardon My Sarong</i> 1942 film by Erle C. Kenton

Pardon My Sarong is a 1942 comedy film starring Abbott and Costello.

<i>It Aint Hay</i> 1943 film by Erle C. Kenton

It Ain't Hay is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

<i>Here Come the Co-Eds</i> 1945 film by Jean Yarbrough

Here Come The Co-Eds is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello.

<i>The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap</i> 1947 film by Charles Barton

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap is a 1947 black-and-white comedy Western film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was released on October 8 and distributed by Universal-International.

<i>The Noose Hangs High</i> 1948 film by Charles Barton

The Noose Hangs High is a 1948 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is a remake of the Universal Pictures film For Love or Money (1939).

<i>Comin Round the Mountain</i> 1951 film by Charles Lamont

Comin' Round The Mountain is a 1951 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

<i>Lost in Alaska</i> 1952 film by Jean Yarbrough

Lost in Alaska is a 1952 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

John Grant was a comedy writer best known for his association with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Costello called him their "chief idea man". Grant contributed to Abbott and Costello's radio, film and live television scripts, as well as the films of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Ma and Pa Kettle.

References

  1. ↑ Furmanek p 147
  2. ↑ Furmanek p 148
  3. ↑ "Top Grossers of 1947", Variety, 7 January 1948 p 63
  4. ↑ Furmanek p 147-148
  5. 1 2 3 Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN   0-399-51605-0
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.