Abbott and Costello meet Dr Jeykll and My Hyde

Dir: Charles lamont | Bud: Slim | Lou: Tubby

Universal realised that Abbott and Costello were on the wane and by this point, the public were staring to get tired and now, the team of 'Martin and Lewis' were insanely popular as Bud an Lou were ten years previously. The studio hadn't much time for them either, the scripts were getting progessively weaker and the profits were diminishing. The advertising budgets on these later films were lower than any other film the studio made. The heads decided that the name 'Abbott and Costello' could sell the films by itself. It came as a big suprise that this film sky rocketed at the box office. I really like this film and consider it to be Abbott and Coatello's last classic film.

Set in London around 1910 (as did their next film Abbott and Costello meet the Keystone Kops, Lou even wears the same coat in both films). The boys play two Americans who come over to England to study police methods. They are cops. The music in this film is a cover of 'Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein' and it is superb. All the way through, it really adds to the atmosphere and Lou retains his own little theme from the previous film used also in 'Abbott and Costello meet the Killer, Boris Karloff'.

The films opens late one evening with a scene of a Doctor getting murdered by Mr Hyde. Although, we know him as Mr Hyde, the creature is always reffered to as 'The monster' throughout the picture. A reporter comes out of a chip shop after hearing a noise and finds the body, we see his name is Stephen Poole and is a doctor.

Next day, the reporter strolls into Hyde park. There is a suffragette movement. He says to a man he has got talking to (who he wakes up after thinking the monster has struck again as a matter of fact) that he doesn't believe in women getting the vote. I always think this is strange, a few of the leading men in the Abbott and Costello films comes across as seeing women as second class citizens. Especially Patrick Knowles' characters in Hit the Ice and Who done it?.

Vicky Edwards (An in joke of 'Edward' Hyde maybe?) sings a song, the first to be used in an Abbott and Costello horror comedy and it is OK really. She has been bought up by Jeykll. The reporter, Bruce, takes an immediate shine to her and after the song is over she approaches him to sign a petition which will give women the vote. Of course, he signs immediately and makes it clear that he wants to take her to dinner, he givers her his address and phone number. A brawl errupts - Men Vs. women and it is a comedy so naturally the women gain the upperhand.

By now, about ten minutes have gone by and look who enters...It's the boys!, Bud and Lou finally enter the picture as they run in trying to break up the fight (they are policemen remember). They battle the ladies and do comedic turns, it's very silly and totally implausable but entertaining non the less. Costello even arrests a lady who kicks him in the butt. After loads more police arrive, we see Bud and Lou in a cell (the ladies are in a separate cell, the men too - though we only see Bruce in there and he did nothing wrong). Bud and Lou should not of been arrested. They tried to arrest the people making trouble, were assaulted, and now they are held in a cell! They are both dismissed from the force. I find this to ring very false and is one of the two film's main weaknesses.

Bruce is interviewing and flirting with Vicky through the cells, they are sitting together separated by bars. It's evident they will get together.

The film cuts to a policeman letting the ladies go. Their bail has been paid by Jeykll and Vicky meets him, Bruce follows. Bruce shows another arrogant side as he insists to Jeykll that he will sit with Vicky in the cart with him. He interviews Jeykll in quite a lengthy sequence. We learn that Jeykll has been mocked by the man found murdered at the start of the film, but he feigns ignorance when Vicky reminds him who the man is, (he was a old colleague). We start to realise that Jeykll has more to him that meets the eye. When they arrive at Jeykll's house, Vicky goes on to the music hall where she is on stage as a singer. Again, Bruce insists on staying with her. Karloff's line readings are superb (as they are all throughout the film - he is a big asset to this film, playing the role totally straight and I can't imagine anyone else in the role).

Jeykll enters his house, and makes his way down to his secret lab, behind the bookcase. An ugly, mute assistant, 'Batley' is there. Jeykll tells of his hate for 'the newspaper man' and vows that Mr hyde will kill him. He tells Batley he had to kill the man from the previous night (at the start of the film). This is the other film's weakness. I always thought that Jeykll was a good man who after injecting the serum turns into Hyde. In this film, Jeykll is evil to begin with. He uses Hyde as a front to kill the people who get in his way. He injects the serum and turns to Hyde and heads for the music hall...

Bud and Lou start to really come in the picture from this point. They are walking near the music hall trying to figure a way of capturing the monster so they can get back on the force. A man approaches them and asks for a light, he is the same character actor who says 'I seen some ugly faces in my time, but yours takes the cake' from Abbott and Costello meet Captain Kidd. Anyway, after the man leaves, they see the monster climbing up the wall of the music hall. Thinking he's a burglar, they go after him...

From then on, the film centres around the boys. They have an adventure in the music hall, then a roof top chase (with Bruce) when they realise they are chasing the monster. Tubby finds himself in a waxworks museum and after more comic bits, manages to trap the monster in a cage, as he leaves to greet Abbott, the inspector, Bruce and a few bobbies at the door, the monster turns back to Jeykll.

After the inspector frees Jeykll (believing his story over Lou's) Jeykll asks the boys to accompany him home, once he gets them home, he invites them to stay the night. He knows that Tubby knows his secret. Up in the bedroom, he and Slim have a discussion about it. Slim refuses to believe that Jeykll can be more than one man. Soon after, Slim is fast asleep but Tubby is not. He is still fully dressed. He makes a decision to get out of the house. He quietly walks down the stairs, but Batley is following, it's a very similar set up to Joan Davis and the staircase in Hold that Ghost.

Realising someone is following, Tubby turns and sees Batley. He falls down the stairs and runs, he can't escape through the front door as a bulldog is there. Or rather there is a shot of a dog that is clearly on a chair licking his lips while the growling is dubbed over, it's quite a poor shot really. Tubby manages to find the secret passage behind the bookcase and finds Jeykll's secret lab. After Batley attacks, Tubby throws a potion bottle on the floor which explodes and wakes up Slim and he starts to get dressed. Even in bed, he is wearing his hat. Tubby frees himself of Batley's grip and rushes up the stairs, back out the bookcase and as he is leaving the library, in walks Jeykll who denies knowledge of Batley, as Tubby runs out the room, away from Jeykll, in walks Slim.

Jeykll offers to show the boys his lab, he opens the secret door and enters, they follow. In the lab, Jeykll excuses himself and walks into another room down there. Tubby drinks something that looks like water, soon he is not feeling well and decides it's time to leave. As Slim is talking about what a good man Jeykll is, Tubby finds a back door and runs away, Slim follows as Jeykll enters the lab. Angry they got away, he sends Batley to bring them back.

Slim catches up with Tubby in the street and after a discussion Slim enters a pub, Tubby, feeling faint, leans against a wall and turns into a mouse! He is still Tubby, just the body of a giant mouse - though the makeup is very poor. His body language however is more different, I think more effeminate and it's easy to guess that Lou was not under the make up (Stunt man Vic Parks was). In the pub there is a little routine with the unsuspecting Slim, 2 drunks and a bartender - and a shot of Batley looking through the window. Slim finally turns round to look at his pal and falls off his seat, Tubby looks in his beer and sees his reflection and faints. When they both awake, Tubby is back to normal. Slim now believes what Tubby said is right and they both go and tell the inspector. In the next shot, they are in the inspectors office which begs the question - what happened to Batley?? There was supposed to be a shot of him back at Jeykll's explaining that they went to the police (though Batley is mute, maybe that's why they left it out) but why didn't he grab them as they left the pub?

Of course, the inspector disbelieves them. Why shouldn't he? They say Tubby turned into a mouse in a pub with only Slim as a witness (though why not go and ask the bartender?). Why should he go and arrest a prominent doctor on evidence of that kind? He barks at them to get out.

Next day, Slim, Tubby, Bruce and Vicky all go and visit Jeykll. After going down to his lab, we see that it has been converted to a wine cellar. Slim and Tubby stay in there for some reason while the others go back upstairs to the library. After Bruce leaves, Jeykll, jealous of the fact that Vicky and Bruce are to be wed, tells her his plans. He confesses his love for her but she can't believe what she is hearing. He picks up a syringe and tells her he'll get Mr Hyde to kill him. Now She thinks that Jeykll knows the monster, she grabs the syringe and it's thrown and lands between the cushions on his settee, needle facing up! Without the serum (as in the novel) his mood and anger takes over (a reference maybe to his early speech about the darkside in us being under control - for most of us) and he starts his transformation! He looks in the mirror as she is talking about going to the police. He finally turns round as Mr Hyde and she screams and faints. Bruce, Slim and Tubby rush to the room to see what is happening. Tubby goes up to Jeykll and is shocked to see it's Hyde, Hyde grabs him and thrusts his behind repeatedly in the needle! Painful to even look at. Batley comes in with a gun, Slim kicks it from his hand, Bruce catches it and Batley goes after it and in the confusion, Batley is shot. Actor John Dierkes (Batley) is holding his stomach about 6 inches away from his wound and the blood on lab coat looks fake.

Jeykll jumps out the back window and escapes, Bruce, Slim and Tubby follow. Tubby turns into a monster, but of course, he has Tubby's characteristics. He doesn't want to hurt anyone just to run away. There is a great action chase sequence with Bruce going after Hyde and Slim after Tubby. It's very memorable and goes on for quite a while, the sets and music are superb. A definate worthwhile climax to the film.

Finally, Hyde goes back to his house to get Vicky but realises the house is surrounded (though how did he get in?). He tries to climb out of a window, slips and falls to his death and changes back to Jeykll. Meanwhile, Tubby runs into a clothes line and gets knocked out. Slim takes him to the inspector (Slim thinks he has been chasing the 'real' monster. Tubby turns back to normal to the suprise of everyone though the inspector still doesn't believe him!! He acuses Slim as masqurading Tubby as the monster!!! The final scene is VERY memorable and scary - more so than the famous ending of Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein (Vincent Price's voice over) but for those who have not yet seen the film, I won't give it away.

As I said before, this is their last classic film. It's by no means a funny film but there is a good story line and enough chills to keep interest. The chase sequences are certainly fun (including the roof top chase). Boris Karloff is outstanding in his role and his line readings are superb - much better performance than in his ealier film he made with the boys. I wondered what he thought about the changes in them between the 2 films? In conclusion, I find this film to be terribly underrated, It's not a big time classic movie but definately enjoyable.

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