The Naughty Nineties

Last updated
The Naughty Nineties
Naughtynineties.jpg
Theatrical poster
Directed by Jean Yarbrough
Written by Edmund L. Hartmann
John Grant
Edmund Joseph
Hal Fimberg
Produced by John Grant
Edmund L. Hartmann
Starring Bud Abbott
Lou Costello
Alan Curtis
Rita Johnson
Cinematography George Robinson
Edited by Arthur Hilton
Music byLloyd Akridge
Paul Dessau
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date
  • June 20, 1945 (1945-06-20)
Running time
76 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

The Naughty Nineties is a 1945 American film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. The film is noteworthy for containing a filmed version of the duo's famous "Who's on First?" routine. This version is shown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. [1]

Contents

Plot

The time is the 1890s. Captain Sam, owner of the showboat River Queen, travels along the Mississippi River bringing honest entertainment to each town. At a stop in Ironville, he meets Crawford, Bonita, and Bailey, who are wanted by the local sheriff. Against the advice of his daughter Caroline, his lead actor Dexter Broadhurst, and his chief roustabout Sebastian Dinwiddle, the Captain joins them for a card game at a local gambling house.

The Captain is plied with alcohol until he is intoxicated and gets involved in a crooked card game where he loses controlling interest in the show boat to Bonita and Crawford. They turn the showboat into a floating gambling casino with every game rigged in their favor. Dexter and Sebastian help the captain regain ownership of his vessel and oust the unwanted criminals.

Cast

Routines

Who's on First?

The line, "Who's on First?", was ranked No. 91 on American Film Institute's 100 Movie Quotes. The "Who's on First?" scene was intended to appear much earlier in the film. Costello begins the routine by saying, "When we get to St. Louis...", but at this point in the film they are already in St. Louis. [2] Members of the film's crew can be heard laughing off camera during the routine. [2]

Other routines

The film also contains the "Lower/Higher" routine, where Costello auditions as a singer while Abbott shouts directions to the stage crew to change the height and placement of the backdrop curtain. Costello believes Abbott is directing him, not the stagehands, and follows Abbott's instructions by singing higher or lower, or even on one foot.

Bonita sneaks poison into Lou's wine, leading to the old swapping of glasses routine (previously done by Abbott & Costello in Pardon My Sarong ).

Costello accidentally bakes feathers into a cake, which is served to everyone in the saloon. The patrons wind up coughing up a blizzard of feathers. This gag was taken from the Three Stooges short Uncivil Warriors (1935).

Costello and Sawyer perform the "Mirror Scene," copying each other's actions. Variations of this old vaudeville routine were done by several movie comedians, most famously in the 1933 Marx Brothers film Duck Soup . Abbott and Costello had used it before, too, in Lost in a Harem .

To break up the crooked card game and rescue Captain Sam, Abbott concocts a plan to dress as a bear and scare everyone out of the casino. Costello ends up wrestling with a real bear, thinking that he's wrestling Abbott in a bear suit.

There is also a variation on the "Niagara Falls" routine. Dexter and Sebastian sneak into Bailey's room while he is asleep to search for incriminating evidence. Bailey has a sleepwalking nightmare where he imagines he is being attacked by Indians, resulting in Sebastian being repeatedly throttled.

Production

Filming occurred from January 15, 1945 through March 1, 1945. [2] On May 13, 1945, during filming of their next film, Abbott and Costello in Hollywood for MGM Pictures, Abbott and Costello returned to Universal for re-shoots on this film. [2] The riverboat used was originally constructed for the 1936 Universal musical Show Boat . [2]

Rerelease

It was re-released in 1950 along with One Night in the Tropics , which also contained a shorter version of the "Who's on First?" routine. [2]

Home media

This film has been released three times on DVD. 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. In November 2019, Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection was rereleased on DVD and Blu-ray as an 80th anniversary edition.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lou Costello</span> American comedian and actor (1906–1959)

Louis Francis Cristillo, better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine "Who's on First?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abbott and Costello</span> 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 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in the world during the Second World War. Their patter routine "Who's on First?" is considered one of the greatest comedy routines of all time, a version of which appears in their 1945 film The Naughty Nineties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Who's on First?</span> Comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello

"Who's on First?" is a comedy routine made famous by American comedy duo Abbott and Costello. The premise of the sketch is that Abbott is identifying the players on a baseball team for Costello. However, the players' names can simultaneously serve as the basis for questions and responses, leading to reciprocal misunderstanding and growing frustration between the performers. Although it is commonly known as "Who's on First?", Abbott and Costello frequently referred to it simply as "Baseball".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leif Erickson (actor)</span> American actor (1911-1986)

Leif Erickson was an American stage, film, and television actor.

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.

Charles Lamont was a prolific filmmaker, directing over 200 titles and producing and writing many others. He directed nine Abbott and Costello comedies and many Ma and Pa Kettle films.

<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>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>In Society</i> 1944 film by Jean Yarbrough

In Society is a 1944 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It was the first of five Abbott and Costello films to be directed by Jean Yarbrough. It was re-released in 1953.

<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>Abbott and Costello in Hollywood</i> 1945 film

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 American black-and-white comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Frances Rafferty. Made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, it was produced by Martin A. Gosch.

<i>The Time of Their Lives</i> 1946 fantasy-comedy film

The Time of Their Lives is a 1946 American fantasy comedy film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedic duo Abbott and Costello alongside Marjorie Reynolds, Gale Sondergaard and Binnie Barnes. It was produced and distributed by Universal Pictures.

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

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap is a 1947 American comedy western film directed by Charles Barton and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello alongside Marjorie Main and Audrey Young. It was released on October 8 and distributed by Universal-International.

<i>Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion</i> 1950 film by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion is a black and white 1950 American comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

<i>The World of Abbott and Costello</i> 1965 compilation film

The World of Abbott and Costello is a 1965 American compilation film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Paige</span> American actor, newscaster (1911–1987)

Robert Paige was an American actor and a TV newscaster and political correspondent and Universal Pictures leading man who made 65 films in his lifetime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Cording</span> English-American actor (1891–1954)

Hector William "Harry" Cording was an English-American actor. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in the films The Black Cat (1934) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Newlan</span> American actor (1903–1973)

Paul Emory "Tiny" Newlan was an American film and TV character actor from Plattsmouth, Nebraska. He was best known for his role as Captain Grey on the NBC police series M Squad and for his roles in films including The Americanization of Emily and The Slender Thread.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Fadden</span> American actor (1895–1980)

Tom Fadden was an American actor. He performed on the legitimate stage, vaudeville, in films and on television during his long career.

References

  1. ↑ Francis, Bill. "Who's On First Joined the Hall 60 Years Ago". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 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.