The Noose Hangs High

Charles Barton – 1948 – USA

Routine but enjoyable Abbott & Costello vehicle that features several classic bits by the prolific comedy team.  This time around, Bud and Lou are New York City window washers who accidentally get hold of $50,000 en route to a sinister bookie.  To avoid trouble, they do what anyone would do with that much dirty cash; seal it in an envelope and pop it in the mail back to the bookie.  It gets sent to a maid by accident, who immediately blows most of it in a spasmodic spending spree.  Needless to say, the bookie isn't amused and gives the boys 48 hours to return his money.  There are some dry scenes and all-in-all the film is a bit lackluster compared to some of Abbott & Costello’s best movies, but it’s pretty fun.  A highlight for me was the sequence involving Lou trying to pull out a bad tooth by tying one end of a string to the tooth and the other to a dog before setting it loose after a cat.  The duo was directed by Barton again the same year in one of their greatest movies, if not the greatest: Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.