I agree, at times it was hilarious -- my favorite scene is that when the director wants to rest in his house and is disturbed by bulgars and cops all the time. I laughed out loud! The pursuit-scene was a bit too long, in my opinion, yet it too was funny.
shareI caught this film on TV this morning, and having seen a lot of their earlier films recently, I thought I'd watch this one, as I'm not sure if I'll ever get that Volume 4 box set.
The jokes were too much slapstick and this film lacked the witty dialogue, and not unlike many of today's films they relied more on special effects (carriage jump) than on just a good screenplay.
I much prefer their earlier films in which the pair were a side story going along with a romantic interest. But what the hay, they made a lot of great films so it must be hard to keep coming up with something original year after year.
The film was intentionally meant to be slapstick. It was a deliberate take on a silent comedy, and it was done brilliantly. And contrary to your closing remark, what A&C did here was one of the most original ideas they had -- essentially a silent movie with sound. It's funny that you talk about originality, but seem to prefer their formulaic films. The chase scene at the end is one of the best in all of their films, but then with the Keystone Kops, what can you expect?
shareI re-watched this one recently, after watching several of Abbott and Costello's later (i.e., post-Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein) films. I actually think this is the best of their films from the 1950s. Or it is perhaps tied with A&C Meets the Invisible Man (which still holds up really well). Many of their films from the 1950s are decidedly inferior to their films from the 1940s, but this one and Meet the Invisible Man are so well executed that they're a joy to see, and they rival many of A&C'S Forties films.
"You can dish it out, but you got so you can't take it no more." - Caesar Enrico Bandello