Rio Rita (1942)

Corny but likable Abbott and Costello comedy about the duo working at a dude ranch and discovering a Nazi plot (this was filmed during WWII after all). Most of the the comedy is their usual Who's-On-First-like word play and like a lot of Marx Brothers and other comedy pictures of the time, this one features several musical numbers. You also have Tom Conway and Kathryn Grayson, so there's a solid supporting cast, for this otherwise forgettable but entertaining enough of Abbott and Costello picture.

When MGM lost a contract deal to sign Abbott and Costello in 1941, Universal Studios in a conciliatory gesture loaned them out to their movie rival. Universal was willing to put the comedy team in as leads rather than support roles and the boys apparently had a talented agent to wrest them away from the larger studio. MGM was so aggrieved that they almost filed a lawsuit but apparently cooler heads prevailed, with "Rio Rita" the first of three pictures MGM put the boys in.For fans of Abbott and Costello who have seen plenty of their films, one of the first things you notice here are the absence of their many recycled film bits like 'Slowly I Turned' and 'Who's on First?'. The MGM writing staff did a decent job of coming up with their own funny dialog for the pair like the 'Pike's Peak' gag. Production values run a notch above Universal as well, obviously MGM had a lot more money to spend on extras as evidenced by the rather lavishly costumed Volusia dance number. It would have looked a lot better in color though.The setting is the Hotel Vista del Rio in Del Rio, Texas, which wouldn't mean much to most viewers, but that was also the home town of Imus in the Morning's fictional radio character, the Reverend Billy Sol Hargus. Imus hasn't used that bit for many years now, but once you've heard it you remember it.As for the story, things get muddled rather quickly after the main plot element is revealed. Radio station KPKO is a front for a Nazi fifth column enterprise attempting to smuggle bombs into the country. There's some business about a secret code book and planting information in the radio's broadcast commercials, but not a lot comes of it all. Even the presence of a 'talking' German Shepherd held some potential for Nazi intrigue, but instead the talented canine did an amusing roll-over gag with Costello.In fact, one could almost make a case for the picture being a musical, but with widely disparate genres in play. There's an early riders on horseback segment doing a Texas Rangers song, while John Carroll and Kathryn Grayson offer up a few tunes as well, with Grayson showing amazing voice control in an operatic number that in all other respects was virtually unlistenable. Things eventually come together to expose the Nazi bad guys in the end, but once it's over, one begins to wonder what the picture was all about.

Lesser A&C romp. The boys are in Mexico, where they get mixed up with Nazi agents.This was the boys first production at MGM and frankly it looks like the big-budget studio wasn't sure how to duplicate the team's surging success over at Universal. That whirling car- lift is a heck of an effect, but is more impressive than funny. Then too, operatic singer Kathryn Grayson seems an odd choice for musical interludes in a knock-about comedy. In fact, it's a more high-profile supporting cast than usual, with John Carroll (Ricardo) getting as much screen time as A&C.There are, of course, some amusing bits as could be expected from the duo (mainly the puns), but the Nazi part is left sketchy without the menace it should have provided Costello's brand of comedy. This also looks like a try-out for the Volusia dancers. Their costumes are eye-catchers, but this is their only movie credit. Of the three MGM productions (Lost in a Harem, {1944}), and (A&C in Hollywood, {1945}), this one in my view is the least. All in all, they really did belong at low-budget Universal where there was less concern with prestige.

For me, this film is a weaker attempt compared to the films Abbott and Costello were making at Universal. This fact is actually shocking, because MGM was one of the biggest and most important studios around at that time, and comedy wasn't new for them. The opening scenes in the pet shop are hilarious, and the film has its share of funny jokes, such as the car repair shop, and the washing machine scenes. However, I think the scene where the donkey(having swallowed a Nazi radio) sticks its head in the window, and speaks in Hitler's voice, is my favorite in the film. I always crack up laughing at that moment, and Lou's comment, "I've heard your voice, but this is the first time I've ever seen your face."