Starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Patsy O'Connor, and Grace McDonald
Directed by Erie C. Kenton
Music by Harry Revel; Lyrics by Paul Francis Webster
We celebrate the Kentucky Derby and Cinco Del Mayo this week with two lesser-known Abbott and Costello comedies. They were at the height of their popularity during and after the war years when they made these films. It Ain't Hay is pretty typical of their wartime output, which usually featured comedians and singers from Universal's B roster getting up in wacky homefront shenanigans. This one also has a slightly darker story than usual as the duo try to buy a horse for a girl and her father, aided and abetted by the colorful characters straight from Damon Runyon. How well do they handle the racetrack? Let's head to the streets of New York City, where 12-year-old Peggy "Princess" O'Hara (O'Connor) is driving her father King's (Cecil Kellaway) carriage, and find out...
The Story: Cab driver Wilbur Hoolihan (Costello) is friends with Princess and is especially fond of her father's horse Finnigan. He wouldn't hurt Finnegan for the world, but first he gives him candy without considering the animal's age. When Princess runs to Wilbur in tears, he gives him a medicine that seems to make the horse better, but actually kills him. With half of New York City calling Wilbur a murderer, he and his friend George (Abbott) set out to buy Princess a new horse.
They do manage to raise the money, only for Wilbur to lose it to a con man (Richard Lane). Three racing touts claim an older horse can be found for free, so the duo set out to claim it...only to find they've somehow stolen champion race horse Tea Biscuit. The duo, their friends Kitty McGloin (McDonald) and Private Joe Collins (Leighton Noble) set out to Saratoga to stop King from driving there. They're followed by the touts who want the reward and Tea Biscuit's owner (Eugene Pallette) who had an earlier run-in with Wilbur, Wilbur ends up riding what he believes is Tea Biscuit in order to make the money, but the horse isn't what he - or anyone - thinks...
The Song and Dance: The colorful New York milieu gives this one an edge that many of Abbott and Costello's vehicles lack, especially given the two New Jersey natives were fairly familiar with it. It also gets into relatively dark territory for them. Even a horse dying is heavy stuff for their rough-and-tumble world, and it makes this a little more unique. We do get some really fun gags in the beginning when the guys are trying to get out of paying their restaurant bill and enlist Princess to help and in the wild horse race finale. Would love to find more movies with O'Connor - she has a lovely voice for a 12-year-old and can more than match Abbott and Costello in the laughs department.
Favorite Number: We open with Princess driving Kitty and Joe through the park, singing about that "Sunbeam Serenade." She sadly performs "Old Timer" for Finnegan when he's sick in the stable. "Glory Be" is the enormous chorus number for almost everyone in the cast as the entire city of New York celebrates Finnegan's miraculous recovery. Even a group of grocery packers (The Four Step-Brothers) get in on the action with some truly amazing acrobatic tap dancing on and around the boxes and a truck. The Vagabonds get "Saratoga Cafe" after they drive up there. The movie ends with the military show Joe had been trying to bring together for the entire film as the Step-Brothers bring down the house with their flying feet to "Hang Your Troubles On a Rainbow."
Trivia: For years, this was the hardest-to-find Abbott and Costello movie, due to a legal battle with the Damon Runyon estate. The legal matters were settled in time for this to be released as part of Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection.
What I Don't Like: I understand that Universal wanted to get this out for eager Abbott and Costello fans, but maybe they should have restored it first. The copy at Tubi looks terrible, scratchy and washed out, especially compared with their movies that have been restored. Those who aren't fans of Abbott and Costello probably won't find much here unless they're also into Shemp Howard, who plays one of the race track touts. It gets awfully maudlin in spots, with the kid and her father needing a horse and all, and the middle that focuses on that does sag a bit. And frankly, not only is Noble a snore, but his big show is barely of consequence until the big finale. Even McDonald has (slightly) more to do than him.
The Big Finale: Not Abbott and Costello's best movie, but it has enough funny moments to be worth a look if you love them, Howard, or 40's comedy or musicals.
Home Media: Ironically, It Ain't Hay is now one of Abbott and Costello's easier movies to find. In addition to the Complete Collection, it was also released as part of the Universal Vault collection and can currently be found for free on Tubi.
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