![]() Unfortunately, the very talented crew and the color film stock could not compensate for the lame script or the enervated antics of Abbott and Costello. But due to the film’s low budget, the production used the Super CineColor process, a less-than-satisfactory alternative to the pricier Technicolor. Behind the camera was an ambitious assistant director named Robert Aldrich (who would soon make a name for himself in the director’s chair) and ace cinematographer Stanley Cortez (who was best known for his landmark camerawork in “The Magnificent Ambersons” and would later film Laughton’s 1955 “Night of the Hunter”).Īnd speaking of cinematography, “Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd” was the duo’s only full-color feature. Joining Laughton on-screen was popular singer Fran Warren (in her only film appearance) and Hillary Brooke, the glamorous leading lady in Abbott and Costello’s classic sitcom. I want to be a buffoon!’ I said, ‘Okay, it’s your rear end’” ‘I want to do my own pratfalls! That’s why I’m making this picture. The first day he was on the set, Laughton saw Sailor Vincent dressed in a costume identical to his. “You know, he wouldn’t let a stuntman do his pratfalls for him. “(He) was absolutely marvelous,” Lamont recalled. In the classic book “Abbott and Costello in Hollywood,” Bob Furmanek and Ron Palumbo quoted director Charles Lamont about Laughton’s dedication to the project. Indeed, Laughton’s willingness to go all-out for the sake of a laugh surprised everyone attached to the film. ![]() To Gottlieb’s astonishment, Laughton was excited about doing the film – the actor never did a slapstick movie and he was excited at the prospect of being part of a “low comedy” romp. Gottlieb visited Laughton in Boston, where the star was appearing in a play. Laughton was also celebrated for playing Captain Bligh in the 1935 classic “Mutiny on the Bounty” – thus, audiences already had a strong connection between the actor and high seas action.Ībbott and Costello dispatched their co-producer Alex Gottlieb to approach Laughton. ![]() ![]() Laughton had memorably played the infamous pirate Captain Kidd in a 1945 film, so it made sense for him to reprise the character. Where things began to get weird was the idea of approaching A-list Charles Laughton to co-star with the B-level comedians. Costello was responsible for the production of the first film, “Jack and the Beanstalk,” while Abbott took charge of the other film, which was intended to be a spoof of pirate movies. Under this deal, the comics would independently produce a pair of feature films that the studio would distribute. The film was part of a two-production deal that Bud Abbott and Lou Costello signed with Warner Bros. The strangeness, however, comes from the highly unlikely conglomeration of talent that came together. This is not because of anything that appears on the screen – the production is fairly quotidian and more than a little disappointing. release like the first, Jack and the Beanstalk, it was well received by the public, even while critics tore their hair and gnashed their teeth.“Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd” is a strange film. Laughton takes to broad slapstick comedy like a fish to water indeed, at times he's a lot funnier than Bud and Lou! Filmed in Cinecolor, Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd was the second of the team's independent productions for Warner Bros. The upshot of all this finds Rocky, Pudd'nhead, Lady Jane and Bruce being shanghaied by Kidd, setting the stage for a climactic treasure hunt and chase on a faraway island. Entrusted with a love letter written by the beautiful Lady Jane (Fran Warren) to cabaret singer Bruce Martingale (Bill Shirley), Puddn'head manages to get this missive mixed up with a treasure map coveted by both Captain Kidd and his rival, lady pirate Captain Bonney (Hillary Brooke). Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are cast as Rocky and Puddn'head, waiters at a pirate hangout on the island of Tortuga. Captain Kidd is played by no less than Charles Laughton, who reportedly agreed to sign up for this film because he wanted to learn how to perform a comedy double-take. Though out of favor with many Abbott and Costello buffs, Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd is actually a lot of fun, so long as the viewer parks logic and dignity at the door.
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