Warner Bros, 1952
Starring Lou Costello, Bud Abbott, Charles Laughton, and Hilary Brooke
Directed by Charles Lamont
Music by Bill Russell; Lyrics by Lester Lee
Lou and Bud didn't make too many flat-out musicals, and the few that they did make tended to be for other studios. Universal wouldn't make their films in color, so they insisted on making one independent film outside the studio a year that they financed and would be more lavished than the norm for their vehicles. Character actor Charles Laughton had starred as Captain Kidd in a popular 1945 film. He admired Lou and was eager to appear in a knockabout comedy. How well does Laughton's gravity work with the duo's usual slapstick shenanigans? Let's begin with the infamous Captain Kidd (Laughton) and his men pulling into port and find out...
The Story: Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson (Costello) and Rocky Stonebridge (Abbott) are working at the Death's Head Tavern when Kidd and his men arrive. Pretty Lady Jane (Fran Warren) wants Oliver to bring a love note to Bruce Martingale (Bill Shirley), the singer at the tavern. Oliver manages to get the love note mixed up with the map to an enormous treasure belonging to Kidd. Kidd's not the only one who wants that map back. Captain Ann Bonney (Brooke) doesn't appreciate Kidd raiding ships on her turf and wants her share of the treasure, too.
Rocky convinces Kidd to bring them on board and share the treasure. Not only does Kidd have no intention of sharing the treasure with anyone - including Anne - but he forces Bruce onto his ship and kidnaps Lady Jane after he raids the ship taking her to the New World. Not to mention, Captain Ann thinks Lady Jane's love note was intended for Oliver and wonders what she sees in him. She may be the only one who can save them all when Kidd goes back on his word and all of them end up in danger.
The Song and Dance: Laughton may be having more fun than you might think as the tyrannical Kidd, but Brooke does the best here as the lovely female pirate who is determined to get her share of the treasure...and of Oliver, too. The three-strip Cinecolor has a slightly softer look to it than Technicolor, giving this the feel of a painting in a book on pirate lore. Abbott and Costello have some decent gags as well, including the handcuff sequence taken from their 1942 mystery movie Who Done It?
The Numbers: We open with Kidd's first mate Morgan (Leif Erickson) bellowing "Away Ay Aye Ay" as he and he pirates tell us about their life on the sea. "Meet Captain Kidd" brings in the tyrannical sea dog and shows why he's respected and feared. Morgan and Bruce claim they lead "A Bachelor's Life" at the tavern. Oliver and Rocky join Morgan sing to the chorus that "Tonight We Sail." Bruce and Lady Jane are kept apart, but the still manage to duet on "Speak of Me the Tall Pine" and "North of Nowhere."
What I Don't Like: For one thing, too many of their gags are recycled from older material, and not just the handcuff sequence, either. Laughton and Brooke dominate the proceedings so much, it's hard for anyone else to come across - including Bud and Lou. Laughton acts rings around both of them, and frankly there's too much emphasis on him and on the uninteresting Jane and Bruce in the second half and not them.
The Big Finale: Harmless hour and a half's worth of viewing for fans of swashbucklers, Laughton, or Abbott and Costello, but nothing you need to go out of your way to see.
Home Media: Easily found on streaming and DVD. The latter comes from the Warner Archives; the former is currently free with commercials at Tubi.
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