Hold That Ghost (1941)

Director:

Arthur Lubin

Writers:

Robert Lees (screenplay) &
Frederic I. Rinaldo (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

8 August 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery

Plot:

Two bumbling service station attendants are left as the sole beneficiaries in a gangster's will. Their...

Plot Keywords:

Candle | Abbott And Costello | Shot By Police | Animated Title Sequence | Owl

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Chuck Murray
Lou Costello	...	Ferdinand 'Ferdie' Jones
Richard Carlson	...	Dr. Duncan 'Doc' Jackson
Joan Davis	...	Camille Brewster
Mischa Auer	...	Gregory (head waiter)
Evelyn Ankers	...	Norma Lind
Marc Lawrence	...	Charlie Smith
Shemp Howard	...	Soda jerk
Russell Hicks	...	Bannister (Moose's lawyer)
William B. Davidson	...	Sidney 'Moose' Matson (as William Davidson)
Ted Lewis	...	Himself, Ted Lewis (as Ted Lewis and His Orchestra)
Ted Lewis' Orchestra	...	Ted Lewis' Orchestra
Laverne Andrews	...	Herself, Laverne Andrews (as The Andrews Sisters)
Maxene Andrews	...	Herself, Maxene Andrews (as The Andrews Sisters)
Patty Andrews	...	Herself, Patty Andrews (as The Andrews Sisters)

Also Known As:

Oh, Charlie

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #7215) | Sweden:15

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

The Andrews Sisters were brought in after filming wrapped and the final nightclub footage was edited in after the film's completion.

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): When Harry Hoskins, the driver of the car that is to take everyone to the hotel, is introducing Camille Brewster to the pair, he indicates the wrong man as he says each of their names.

Quotes:

Ted Lewis: Is everybody happy?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Duck Dodgers: The Mark of Xero/I See Duck People (#2.7)" (2005)

Soundtrack:

The Blue Danube Waltz

Riotous farce, one of the duo's best

This combination of haunted house scares and A&C slapstick works terrifically, for several reasons--the supporting cast is first-rate, and Joan Davis proved to be the best comic foil Costello ever had, their scenes together sparkle and their chemistry is undeniable; the boys' timing, always a marvel, has seldom been better; and, as in their best film, "A&C Meet Frankenstein," the spooky elements are played exactly that way, and not for laughs, and it works as well as it did in that film. Also, it doesn't have the cheaper, rushed look that many of their later ones had, and director Arthur Lubin--responsible for some of the team's best pictures--keeps things running very smoothly. The boys showcase some of their classic routines, Joan Davis is a joy to watch, the Andrews Sisters' songs don't slow things down ("Aurora" is actually a bright, catchy little number); all combine to make this one of the best Abbott & Costello films. Don't miss it.