Abbott And Costello In Hollywood (1945)

Two barbers (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello) figure they'll make more money as Hollywood agents instead of barbers. To this end, they take a struggling singer (Bob Haymes) under their wing and try to sell him to a major Hollywood director (Donald MacBride). Directed by S. Sylvan Simon (THE FULLER BRUSH MAN), Abbott and Costello were loaned out to MGM by Universal who had them under contract. Being MGM, the film has a distinctly bigger budget look to it and a musical finale that seems right at place in the home of Hollywood's greatest musicals. It's an enjoyable romp with two hilarious comic pieces that stand out. The first when Costello is mistaken for a stunt dummy while shooting a western and the second, when he uses a recording to help cure his insomnia. For fans of the comic duo, this is a real treat but even if you're not a fan, I suspect you won't be able to suppress a grin at least. With Lucille Ball, Preston Foster, Mike Mazurki, Rags Ragland, Karin Booth, Jean Porter, Marion Martin, Warner Anderson and the appealing Frances Rafferty who should have had a bigger career.