The Time of Their Lives
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| The Time of Their Lives | |
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 The Time of Their Lives Theatrical Poster |
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| Directed by | Charles Barton |
| Produced by | Val Burton |
| Written by | Walter DeLeon Val Burton Bradford Ropes |
| Starring | Bud Abbott Lou Costello Marjorie Reynolds Binnie Barnes John Shelton |
| Music by | Milton Rosen |
| Cinematography | Charles Van Enger |
| Editing by | Philip Cahn |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
| Release date(s) | August 16, 1946 |
| Running time | 82 min. |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $830,000 |
| Preceded by | Little Giant (1946) |
| Followed by | Buck Privates Come Home (1947) |
| IMDb profile | |
The Time of Their Lives is a 1946 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.
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[edit] Plot
The time is 1780, and Horatio Prim (Lou Costello) is a master tinker. He travels to Tom Danbury's (Jess Barker) estate with a letter of commendation from General George Washington. He plans to present this letter to Danbury, which he hopes will persude Danbury into agreeing to allow Horatio to marry Nora O'Leary (Anne Gillis), Danbury's housemaid. Unfortunately Horatio has a rival for Nora's affection. Cuthbert Greenway (Bud Abbott), Danbury's butler, also has affection for Nora and plans to prevent Horatio from presenting his letter to Danbury, which Nora has taken for safekeeping.
Nora overhears Danbury discussing his part in Benedict Arnold's plot and Danbury captures her and the letter, which he hides in a secret compartment of the mantel clock. Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), Danbury's fiancée, overhears everything and gets on her horse and sets off to warn Washington's army. She enlists Horatio's help, but the two of them are mistakenly shot by American troops that have arrived on the estate. They are tossed down a well and are condemned to remain bound to the estate by the soldiers unless some evidence can prove their innocence. The soldiers then ransack the house and burn it to the ground.
For the next 166 years Horatio and Melody's ghosts are still roaming the grounds of the estate when it is restored by Sheldon Gage (John Shelton). When it has been completed, along with the original furniture that was taken from the estate before it burned, Shelden invites some friends along to spend the night. Accompanying him on the trip are his psychiatrist, Dr. Ralph Greenway (Bud Abbott), a descendant of Culthbert's, as well as Sheldon's finacée, June Prescott (Lynn Baggett) and her Aunt Millie (Binnie Barnes).
When they arrive they are greeted by Emily (Gale Sondergaard), the maid who believes that the estate is haunted. Horatio and Melody have some fun with this thought and try to scare the guests, especially Greenway who Horatio thinks is Culthbert. Eventually they hold a seance and they learn who Horatio and Melody are, as well as learning of the letter which can free them. They search for the letter but soon learn that all of the furniture is not original, as the clock which holds the letter sits in a New York museum. Greenway, as a way of making amends for his ancestor, travels to the museum to retrieve the letter. He arrives back at the estate, with state police right on his tail. The letter is found, and Melody and Horatio leave the estate to enter heaven. Unfortunately for Horatio, who is met at the gate by Nora, he must wait one more day, as Nora points to a sign that says heaven is "Closed for Washington's Birthday."
[edit] Trivia
- It was filmed from March 6 through May 15, 1946.
- It was re-released in 1951 along with Little Giant.
- The original script was titled The Ghost Steps Out.
- This film, and the previous Abbott and Costello film, Little Giant, both have the team playing separate roles as opposed to partners. This is due to the fact that there was tension between the two men that actually led them to splitting up the team for a while in 1945. In fact, during this film they only speak directly to each other during one scene at the beginning of the film.[1]
- At one point, a few weeks into filming, Costello wanted to switch roles with Abbott. He refused to work until this was done, however director Charles Barton waited it out and eventually Costello returned to work and said nothing else about it.[2]
- Abbott learned to drive a car for this film, which according to his son Bud Abbott, Jr., was the only time in his life that he ever drove.[3]
[edit] DVD Release
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[edit] Reference
- ^ Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-51605-0
- ^ Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-51605-0
- ^ Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). Abbott and Costello in Hollywood. New York: Perigee Books. ISBN 0-399-51605-0
[edit] External links
One Night in the Tropics • Buck Privates • In The Navy • Hold That Ghost • Keep 'Em Flying • Ride 'Em Cowboy • Rio Rita • Pardon My Sarong • Who Done It? • It Ain't Hay • Hit The Ice • In Society • Lost in a Harem • Here Come The Co-Eds • The Naughty Nineties • Abbott and Costello in Hollywood • Little Giant • The Time of Their Lives • Buck Privates Come Home • The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap • The Noose Hangs High • Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein • Mexican Hayride • Africa Screams • Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff • Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion • Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man • Comin' Round The Mountain • Jack and the Beanstalk • Lost in Alaska • Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd • Abbott and Costello Go to Mars • Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde • Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops • Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy • Dance With Me Henry • The World of Abbott and Costello
Lou Costello solo film: The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock
