Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)

This is one of a small group of Hollywood films produced in the '40s and early '50s that were completely comical treatments of classical European pirates of bygone centuries. These usually featured one well established star of both physical and verbal comedy, or in the present case, a pair of such. Other examples include: "The Princess and the Pirate", featuring Bob Hope, and "Double Crossbones", featuring Don O'Connor. They are otherwise all quite different from each other in their details. These other two include only one song by a principal actor, and one of these was dubbed. In contrast, the present film includes half a dozen songs, sung by 3 featured singers, and often a chorus included. Thus, it's really a musical pirate farce, rather than a simple farce. All of the songs were composed special for this film by the team of Bob Russell and Lester Lee. I'm no A & C expert, but my impression is that their Universal films usually included a number of songs sung by others or themselves. Thus, this rare Warner production is simply following this successful formula. Leif Erickson was primarily an actor, as in this film, but before he became an actor, he was a singer and trombonist. Thus, he is one of the lead singers in several group sings....This is your one chance to see and hear sing the big band singer Fran Warren, in a Hollywood film. She and singer/actor Bill Shirley, are the featured romantic couple(other than the farcical 'romance' between short 'Puddin Head'(Lou) and taller Captain Bonney(Hillary Brooke). Their romance and their love songs may seem out of step with the rest of the film, but I'm sure they were included to provide an occasional respite from the general mayhem, and to add a bit of class to an otherwise classless knockabout experience. Universal frequently used this formula in the Don O'Connor/Peggy Ryan films during the war years, with a couple of songs by their highbrow singing specialists, mixed with the otherwise jive and comical songs and skits. They sing two love songs: the excellent "Speak to Me of the Tall Pine", while on the ship, and later "North of Nowhere" on Skull Island. In both cases, Fran began, and Bill finished. The second one wasn't as good, and was interrupted several times by the shenanigans of others.When Kidd's pirate crew lands at the infamous pirate hangout of Tortuga, while the others are drinking and making out with the local whores, Bill starts the rousing "A Bachelor's Life", quite appropriate for the situation, later accompanied by various others. When Kidd's crew are ready to sail to Skull Island to dig up a buried treasure chest, the group sings the appropriate rousing song "Tonight We Sail". At the ending is another brief group sing of "Away Ay Aye Ay", as the crew celebrate their finding of the treasure and victory over the scheming Kidd, and prepare to sail home. Lou is now strutting around as captain, while a cursing Laughton hangs upside.Casting Chalres Laughton as a blustery buffoon version of Kidd was a stroke of genius. Some years earlier he had played Kidd in "Captain Kidd", and he had played a sadistic version of Captain Bligh to the hilt, back in the '30s. Here, he provides the simple main plot of the story in going to the small uninhabited tropical Skull Island to dig up a treasure chest. This is a repeat of the burial and digging up of a treasure chest, accompanied by a skull, in "Captain Kidd". It's also perhaps a reference to the much better received Disney version of "Treasure Island", filmed just a couple of years earlier.Laughton provides an entertaining blend of bluster and buffoonery, mostly in combination with the meek counter-conniving A & C, and Hillary Brooke, as Anne Bonney, to make the film work.Speaking of Hillary, her Anne Bonney must have had elevator shoes, as she is listed as only 5'6", yet usually towers over the 5'5" Lou, and usually looks a bit taller than the listed 5'8 Bud and Laughton. The commonly shown drawing of Anne Bonney has her looking willowy. However, Hillary exhibited none of Anne's reported fiery personality, nor presumed Irish accent. Rather, she retained her trademark rather regal demeanor, with cultured British accent, serving as A & C's scheming aid and Lou's love interest. She cultivated her fake British accent early in her career to help distinguish her from competing actress hopefuls. It worked better than she imagined, resulting in her generally being cast as fairly regal. Even A & C, infamous for their off-screen practical jokes, reportedly exempted her from their foolery.As for A & C, as might be expected in a pirate farce, they emphasize physical slapstick comedy more than verbal comedy. This bothers some A & C aficionados, but it doesn't bother me. If you're weary of all those predictable straight pirate yarns, usually with mangled or no historical basis, check out some of the slapstick-dominated ones. This includes the recent animated "The Pirates: Band of Misfits". The Hope-dominated film is generally considered to be the best of the lot, with Virginia Mayo as his princess, to be saved. Although an older film, it's Technicolor, sets, and costumes are particularly gorgeous.

In the 17th century, "Death's Head Tavern" waiters Bud Abbott (as Rocky Stonebridge) and Lou Costello (as Oliver "Puddin' head" Feathergill) meet blustery Charles Laughton (as Captain Kidd) and his tall blonde rival Hillary Brooke (as Captain Bonney). Abbott and Lou Costello accidentally obtain a treasure map and use it to join Mr. Laughton and the pirates on a trip to "Skull Island" with young lovers Bill Shirley (as Bruce Martingale) and Fran Warren (as Lady Jane) also venturing forward. This noisy, cluttered musical comedy captures the box office stars and their big name guest at low tide.*** Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (12/27/52) Charles Lamont ~ Lou Costello, Charles Laughton, Bud Abbott, Hillary Brooke

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Two waiters (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello) come across a treasure map, which belongs to the mean Captain Kidd (Charles Laughton). The waiters force the evil pirate to take them with him as he sails towards Skull Island. At one time I voted this one of my least favorite Abbott and Costello films, which is the reason I only watched it once before this viewing here. I must say that the film struck me as being a lot better than I remembered but it's still not one of the duo's best movies. I think the real key to enjoying this film is your appreciation of Laughton. I'm not sure why he did this movie but he certainly steals the film with his stern but mocking performance. Laughton's 1945 film Captain Kidd was a major bust for many people so perhaps the actor wanted a second chance at the part. He certainly adds a lot of class and charm to the role including some very funny sequences at the start when Costello is waiting on him. Both Abbott and Costello are good in their roles but these aren't among their best performances. If you've seen all of their films like I have then you're going to notice that many of the jokes are repeated from earlier films and these do come off rather lame here. They still have plenty of nice moments including a great sequence where Lou starts messing with Kidd after he thinks he has the pirate chained up. Of course he isn't really chained up and this leads to some nice laughs. I doubt people not fans of the cast are going to enjoy anything about the movie but fans should get enough charm out of its 70-minute running time to make it worth viewing.

Considering that Abbott and Costello had done "Meet The Invisible Man" the previous year, this film was a big comedown for them. But then again, considering that around the same period they also did "Comin' Round The Mountain" and "Lost In Alaska", maybe "Meet Captain Kidd" was par for the course. The saddest part here (apart maybe from all the singing that at times makes you feel as if you're watching a second-rate musical) is to observe how few verbal elements have remained in A&C's comedy; instead, their humor has been reduced to the lowbrow, unsophisticated slapstick of mugging, dumb misunderstandings, and people falling down or getting hit with shovels. But sometimes A&C's talent still comes through and the film can make you laugh in spite of yourself. Charles Laughton is loud, bombastic and takes a lot of bumps, to generally unfunny effect; Hillary Brooke is downright sexy as a female captain, and is without a doubt the brightest spot of this movie. (**)