Best movie of this year hands down!

People are voting emotionally.

An Exercise In Nonsense

Watch something else. There are very few redeeming qualities to this film.

Bud Abbott (Duke Eagan), Lou Costello (Chester Woolley), Marjorie Main (Widow Hawkins), Audrey Young (Juanita Hawkins), George Cleveland (Judge Benbow), Gordon Jones (Jake Frame), William Ching (Jim Simpson), Peter Thompson (Phil), Olin Howland (aka Howlin) (undertaker), Bill Clauson (Matt Hawkins), Billy O'Leary (Billy Hawkins), Pamela Wells (Sara Hawkins), Paul Dunn (Lincoln Hawkins), Diane Florentine (Sally Hawkins), Jimmie Bates (Jefferson Hawkins), Rex Lease (Hank), Glenn Strange (Lefty), Edmund Cobb (Lem), Dewey Robinson (miner), Emmett Lynn (old codger), Iris Adrian (dance hall hostess), Charles King (gunman), Ed Peil (townsman), Lee "Lasses" White (shot-gun rider), Gilda Feldrais (hostess), Billy Engle (undertaker's helper), Dave Sharpe (man thrown by widow), Frank Hagney (barfly), Harry Evans (card dealer), Frank Marlow, Ethan Laidlaw, Jerry Jerome, Zon Murray (cowboys), Wade Crosby (Squint), Murray Leonard (bartender), George Lewis (cow puncher), Jack Shutta (tough miner), Mickey Simpson (big miner), Forbes Murray.Director: CHARLES BARTON. Screenplay: Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant. Original screen story: D. D. Beauchamp, William Bowers. Film editor: Frank Gross. Music composed by Walter Schumann. Photography: Charles Van Enger. Art directors: Bernard Herzbrun, Gabriel Scognamillo. Set decorations: Russell A. Gausman, Charles Wyrick. Music orchestrations: David Tamkin. Assistant director: Joseph E. Kenny. Dialogue director: Norman Abbott. Costumes: Rosemary Odell. Hair styles: Carmen Dirigo. Make-up: Bud Westmore. Sound recording: Charles Felstead and Robert Pritchard. Associate producer: Sebastian Cristello. Producer: Robert Arthur.Copyright 31 October 1947 by Universal Pictures Co., Inc and C S Co. Released through Universal. New York opening at Loew's State: 20 November 1947. U.S. release: October 1947. U.K. release: 15 November 1948 (sic). Australian release: 15 January 1948. 7,041 feet. 78 minutes.U.K. release title: The WISTFUL WIDOW.COMMENT: Critics who decry the work of Abbott & Costello will not find much ammunition in this agreeably-paced western directed with style and gusto and produced on a lavish budget.In this film, Abbott & Costello's routines do not derive from radio or vaudeville, nor are they extraneous items clumsily tacked on to the main plot by an indifferent script-carpenter. Here, they form an integral part of a very amusing story based on an excellent comic idea.The humor is much less noisy and frantic than usual and the script allows Bud and Lou — particularly Bud — much more scope with their respective characterizations. The supporting cast, headed by Marjorie Main and George Cleveland, has been well-chosen and offers Dewey Robinson a meaty part as an unruly drunk.There is a fine action climax. Production values are first-class.OTHER VIEWS: My editor always wanted to include Laurel and Hardy's "Way Out West" as a superb example of western satire for my book of Hollywood Classics. I said if I'm going to laud "Way Out West", I must also do a piece on "The Wistful Widow". (This abbreviated title was actually used for the film's U.K. release, so I'll stick with it). "The Wistful Widow" I said, is not only much funnier and more openly satirical, but it's a much smoother film than the Laurel and Hardy effort which suffers from jerky continuity and a lack of technical polish in many behind-camera departments, such as direction, photography, film editing and sound recording. These technical defects, admittedly small enough to be overlooked by rabid fans, give "Way Out West" something of a museum air.But there's nothing musty, unpolished or less than thoroughly professional about "The Wistful Widow". In fact it's hilarious enough to rank as one of my favorite Abbott and Costello pictures. The boys play well with Marjorie Main and a great support cast, taking every advantage of a really funny script. For the record, my top Abbott and Costello is "The Time Of Their Lives". Then "Meet Frankenstein", then "Hold That Ghost", then "The Wistful Widow."Their worst film? That's easy — "Dance With Me Henry." JHR writing as George Addison.

Who has seen all 32+ Abbott and Costello Movies? Certainly not me, but this is one of my favorites. An almost bloodless "Western". Marjorie Main is the "wistful" widow no one wants to marry. Costello has to take care of her after he is mistakenly blamed as her outlaw husband's killer. Similar to her famous "Ma Kettle role", she is cantankerous and has seven kids. The first half of the film is all about Bud and Lou's farm life. The widow's German Shepard Dog keeps the boys in line! The old "Oyster in the soup" vaudeville gag is very well-done as "The Frog in the Soup". Lou does all the chores and mending and Bud sits around "on his brains" due to his fake heart condition. (How ironic, as Lou really had one.) The widow wants to marry Lou. So cliché, but it all works great as a comedy Western. Plenty of shootin' up the town and the saloon. Lou plays a "fearless" sheriff and is very good at it! One of the daughters is beautiful, so naturally she falls in love with "the good guy". She becomes a dance-hall girl. (Remember, this is a family film.) The widow saves the day with her own fancy shootin' and riding. (By the stuntman) In the end, the town's women take control and stop all the violence and bloodshed. Lou misses his chance of a lifetime when the railroad actually does make an offer to buy the widow's land and she marries the crooked judge! As they both leave for California in a buckboard, Lou throws away his rifle and that riles up the Indians. As Bud explains: "You never do anything right, do you?" Great fun.

Abbott & Costello play two salesman named Duke Egan & Chester Woolley in the old west who, while visiting the rowdy town of Wagon Gap in Montana become famous after Chester is believed to have shot a notorious outlaw. Unfortunately, this means that Chester inherits his wife widow Hawkins(played by Marjorie Main) and his many children of varying ages. Duke is assigned as his guardian, and at first poor Chester is worked to death, but later realizes that, since no man envies his position, makes him the perfect sheriff, since no one dares oppose him for fear of being the new husband! This will change when it is learned the widow will soon be rich... Clever comedy uses an old obscure law for good comedic effect. Result is a most amusing and appealing film from the team, with Miss Main being their near-equal.

This is one of my favorite Abbott and Costello movies and one of their best. There really isn't that much interplay between Abbott and Costello, despite the basics, as Marjorie Main consumes (or inhales) a lot of the attention. The classic and time consuming routines are also few and far between. The script is one of the tightest in the team's movies and there aren't really any dead spots. The supporting characters are very strong and Abbott and Costello don't have to scene steal to be effective. The plot is thus: Abbott and Costello come to Wagon Gap and shoot off a gun to make a statement. A man falls dead and, faster then you can say "railroad", Costello is made the sole supporter of the dead man's family. Marjorie Main plays the less then weeping widow. She's actually a very talented comedian, her gruff, manly demeanor aside. The townsfolk are seedy vigilantes and provide a hostile setting. The humor is great, with some great, subtle lines and a very funny routine where Costello gets smacked with paint while painting a fence. The best plot twist is Costello being named sheriff because no one will touch him (much less shoot him) as they would have to provide for the gruff and nagging Main. The typical hurricane ending is less chaotic and more pleasing then the regular. A lot of fun and one of my favorite Abbott and Costello movies.