MovieChat Forums > Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) Discussion > Misinterpreted title? POSS SPOILERS

Misinterpreted title? POSS SPOILERS

posted 15 years ago by j-taylor-goddard
14 replies | jump to latest

Does anyone else think here the title is a bit mis-read?

I actually think the real title is ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER, but because Boris Karloff's name appears after the title onscreen (as a credit) it's been mistook for the next bit of the film's name.

Why would it be called Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff anyway?

For a start, Karloff wasn't playing himself, secondly, he wasn't the killer, and thirdly, had a very small role anyway (he had a much bigger and better role in AACMDJAMH).

[–] aronaamora 15 years ago

I agree with you- When I saw the opening credits it looked to me that Boris Karloff was given top billing after Abbott and Castello and many people seem to believe it's part of the title.

[–] Nikon11 14 years ago

Maybe it's more like,

A&C Meet the Killer, (&) Boris Karloff.

But, yeah, I agree, it's strange this way.

[–] Paladin_nites 14 years ago

More of a misdirect I think.
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"Under your skin like a splinter"

[–] dustinthewind25 14 years ago

I thought the same thing, that his name as you see it in the movie is more billing than part of the title, but check out some of the posters on ebay. It's clearly put in quotes "Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff."

I think it's possible that the OP is right, but the advertising people went their own way and listed it as the title of the movie.

[–] dmnemaine 13 years ago

I think you're right about the misdirection. I think Boris Karloff was intentionally meant to be a red herring -- the title, the scene where he tries to get Lou to commit suicide, the voice on the recording sounded a lot like Karloff (he was known for his creepy voice), and the voice of the killer in the caverns also sounded like Karloff's. To top it off, the audience was pre-conditioned from other of Karloff's films to expect him to be the killer.

[–] stevenackerman69 14 years ago

They used his name because they felt it would attract more people. It is actually a take-off on the fact that Karloff played a lot of killers, although he didn't here.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] edgein15 13 years ago

If you want to be really nitpicky, there's no "and" in the title if you look at the title screen closely. It's simply BUD ABBOTT LOU COSTELLO MEET THE KILLER BORIS KARLOFF.

[–] Forgotten_Hero 12 years ago

Abbott and Costello have had a series of misleading titles.

Abbott & Costello Meet The Killer, Boris Karloff - Boris Karloff isn't the killer.

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein - They meet Frankenstein's Monster, not Frankenstein himself.

Abbott & Costello Go To Mars - They land on Venus.

I haven't seen Abbott & Costello Meet Captain Kidd yet, but I half-expect that they'll meet Long John Silver insted.

[–] Forgotten_Hero 12 years ago

Anyway, while it is an awkward and somewhat misleading title, I can see why they went with it. As contrived as it may be, it's really about the only way to make it immediately clear to the audience that Karloff will be in the picture and playing a horror movie roll. If they met Karloff, it would sound like he was playing a doctor or a detective and they were aiding him. If they met "The Killer," then they lose out on utilizing his name value - especially after he was absent from their meeting with "Frankenstein."

Abbott & Costello Meet The Swami, Boris Karloff might have been more accurate, but it's just as contrived and it doesn't have the same impact. It's an eyesore of a name, but it's about the only one they could have gone with.

[–] porfle 12 years ago

I've heard it said that this is the first time an actor's real name appeared in a movie title. But I just ran across a 1939 film called THE GRACIE ALLEN MURDER CASE. Are there any other, earlier examples?

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[–] 12 years ago

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[–] PopperTheKungFu-Dragon 9 years ago

Could be a mis-read or could be a misdirect. Either way, we'll never know.

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[–] millsey72 (9548) 4 months ago

They decided to do a little foreshadowing with the title. Boris Karloff became the killer a few years later in The Dr Jeckyll and Mr Hyde movie