There are some genuinely amusing moments throughout THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES and the idea of setting an A&C comedy in the Restoration period is an unusual one, to put it mildly. But not all of it is as spontaneously funny as you might wish it to be, although fans of the duo will probably not complain.
A decided asset is a good cast, including MARJORIE REYNOLDS as Lou's ghost-mate intent on finding a missing letter from George Washington that will prove that she and LOU COSTELLO are not traitors. That's the whole premise of the story in a nutshell--and the cast does what it can with the one-liners to keep things moving. BINNIE BARNES has some sharp lines that she delivers with style and GALE SONDERGAARD excels as a spooky housekeeper. JESS BARKER is wasted in a minor role and ANN GILLIS tends to overact as Lou's temperamental sweetheart but within the framework of an over-the-top comedy, it doesn't matter much.
Fans of the team will enjoy the change of setting and there are enough sight gags based on Lou's invisibility gimmick that will keep his fans entertained. BUD ABBOT does some more serious emoting than usual and does surprisingly well without slapping Costello around, for a change.
Summing up: An unusual A&C comedy that their fans should enjoy--including some surprisingly good special effects.
A decided asset is a good cast, including MARJORIE REYNOLDS as Lou's ghost-mate intent on finding a missing letter from George Washington that will prove that she and LOU COSTELLO are not traitors. That's the whole premise of the story in a nutshell--and the cast does what it can with the one-liners to keep things moving. BINNIE BARNES has some sharp lines that she delivers with style and GALE SONDERGAARD excels as a spooky housekeeper. JESS BARKER is wasted in a minor role and ANN GILLIS tends to overact as Lou's temperamental sweetheart but within the framework of an over-the-top comedy, it doesn't matter much.
Fans of the team will enjoy the change of setting and there are enough sight gags based on Lou's invisibility gimmick that will keep his fans entertained. BUD ABBOT does some more serious emoting than usual and does surprisingly well without slapping Costello around, for a change.
Summing up: An unusual A&C comedy that their fans should enjoy--including some surprisingly good special effects.