The Time of Their Lives (1946)

Why so much hype?

Highly Overrated But Still Good

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

During the filming of The Time Of Their Lives and on into Little Giant Bud and Lou had come a cropper in their relationship. It looked like the team might in fact break up at that time. But Universal had both these guys signed to contracts and they weren't going to pay them for doing nothing.Given the situation both of these films were fashioned so that they were not exactly a comedy team and had only occasional scenes with each other. But in the case of The Time Of Their Lives, Universal came up with one of their best films with roles perfectly suited to their talents. In Bud Abbott's case it's two roles suitable to his talents. He plays Cuthbert Greenway a butler serving at Danbury Acres in 1780 during the Revolutionary War where the master Jess Barker is in league with Benedict Arnold and his scheme of treason. Abbott has his own scheme afoot, it's to take Anne Gillis away from tinker Horatio Prim who is played by Lou Costello. It's the usual Abbott and Costello shenanigans with a bit more bite to it as the boys were barely speaking to each other. Abbott tricks the trusting Costello into a trunk and locks it on him and takes Costello's prize possession, a letter of recommendation from George Washington himself as to Costello's honesty and patriotism. But the revolutionaries foil Arnold's plans as we know and come upon Danbury Acres and shoot both Costello and Marjorie Reynolds who is Barker's fiancé. They are cursed by the major in charge of the troop, Robert Barrat, to be bound to the Danbury Acres until crack of doom unless some evidence is found to prove they ain't traitors. Good thing he at least put an escape clause in.Fast forward six generations to 1946 and Abbott is now his own great great great grandson, a psychiatrist who's there with friends Binnie Barnes, John Shelton, and Lynn Baggett. Abbott and Shelton are now trying to restore the old mansion.Of course the ectoplasmic Costello and Reynolds are happy just to have company after 166 years. And Costello seeing his old enemy takes some ages overdue payback on the descendant. For once Abbott becomes the butt of Costello's humor. Not to say the that Costello doesn't get his share of laughs as he comes face to face with a lot of the progress of the past century and two thirds. The Time Of Their Lives is a charming fantasy where both Bud and Lou successfully manage to transcend their usual roles and still maintain their loyal fan base. Two more members of the cast who make invaluable contributions to the fun are Gale Sondergaard full time housekeeper and part time medium who is the key to solving the ghost's problems and Donald MacBride as the state police trooper who does his patented slow burn routine in the climax when the ghosts takeover his patrol car.This is one of Abbott&Costello's best films and in fact it's done without any of their burlesque routines, just on characterization alone.

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (Universal, 1946), directed Charles Barton, is an Abbott and Costello comedy with originality, in fact, one of the very few where they break away from their routine style of limited story tied together with tried and true comedy routines. With the team heading the cast, it's Lou Costello's film all the way with the top-billed Bud Abbott having less screen time but taking an important part as two different characters from two different generations. After six years of team work on screen, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES is a welcome change of pace for them. It's uncertain how audiences of the day responded to Bud and Lou in a period piece/fantasy film, but the result from today's classic movie lovers rank this the most interesting and favorable Abbott and Costello comedy thus far. Being a ghost story, a theme commonly found during the 1930s and 40s, with TOPPER (1937) and/ or THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (1944) as notable selections, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES might have had Abbott and Costello having the time of their lives as mischievous ghosts haunting the living, but this movie goes a step further in having Costello as the ghost(who kisses his girlfriend by pressing his lips together like a fish) with Abbott being the live one whose life becomes one big scare. "Why do they always pick on me?" he demands to know. He's sure to find out, no question about that.Part I: The prologue, set during the American Revolution September 23, 1780, opens in Danbury Manor located in Kings Point, New York. Horatio Prim (Lou Costello), a patriotic tinker, loves Nora O'Leary (Anne Gillis), a Danbury housemaid, with whom he intends to elope. Holding a letter of recommendation by General George Washington, Nora takes it to show Mistress Melody Allen as a means for her help with their elopement. However, all this changes as Horatio's rival, Cuthbert Greenway (Bud Abbott), the Danbury butler, tends to marry Nora and get Horatio out of the way. When Nora overhears Tom Danbury (Jess Barker) to be working with Benedict Arnold and plotting against General Washington, she is caught and abducted with Horatio's letter taken and placed in a secret compartment in a clock. Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), Tom's fiancée, also learning of the treason, rides out, with Horatio, to warn Washington. Spotted by American soldiers who have already learned of Danbury's plot, Horatio and Melody, mistaken as traitors, are shot and killed. Their bodies are placed in the well, with Major Putnam (Robert Barrat) condemning their immortal souls earthbound to Danbury Acres "til the crack of doom" unless evidence proves them innocent (the evidence hidden in the clock). All seems hopeless for Melody and Horatio, having materialized as ghosts, only to witness patriots burning down Danbury Manor. Part II: The year, 1946. The spirits of Horatio and Melody still roam the grounds of Danbury Manor. The mansion, having been restored by Sheldon Gage (John Shelton) with most of the original furniture intact, brings forth his fiancé, June Prescott (Lynne Baggett), her Aunt Mildred (Binnie Barnes), and Dr. Ralph Greenway (Abbott), a New York psychiatrist and descendant to Cuthbert Greenway, as his guests. After experiencing some supernatural haunts, it is Emily (Gale Sondergaard), the psychic maid, through a "ghost to ghost broadcast" séance, who reveals the truth of the earthbound spirits wanting help to prove their innocence.While Abbott and Costello obviously failed with their initial "split teaming" comedy of LITTLE GIANT (1946), THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES (title not to be confused with a James Cagney comedy, THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE, 1948) makes up for it for obvious reasons. Played straight throughout, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES succeeds with its developed story, great use of special effects, spooky sequences, funny slapstick by Costello and witty dialog recited by Binnie Barnes. Both atmospheric and funny, the script even manages to throw in the traditional car chase commonly found in Abbott and Costello comedies, with the ghostly Costello driving the police, particularly the "slow burn" Lt. Mason (Donald MacBride), out of their minds. Other key elements include Costello tampering with modern appliances such as the telephone and radio, along with a dark and gloomy séance headed by Emily communicating with the dead, with some surprises thrown in.THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES further proves Abbott and Costello capable of working successfully either a team or as separate characters. Costello, remaining true to form with his bumbling character, has a new counterpart, wonderfully played by Marjorie Reynolds in one of the few times on screen where she's used to good advantage. Thanks to frequent television revivals over the past few decades, and availability on both VHS and DVD formats, THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES has earned the reputation it deserves as being one of finer comedies starring Abbott and Costello. No smart guy-dumb guy partnerships this time around. In fact, this even became the first A&C comedy presented on American Movie Classics (1990-91). In later years it was resurrected to a new generation of movie lovers on other cable channels, especially Turner Classic Movies (2004-05). For a spook-tacular time, be sure to see Abbott and Costello, mainly Costello, having the time of their lives. (***)

You almost wonder with the premise of this one if Bud & Lou got back together in the great beyond & did this one again? The story is set in the American Revolution when Lou becomes a ghost. He is a tinker with a letter from George Washington which has gotten hidden, & until it is found his spirit can't leave. Then there is a shapely woman ghost with him under the same curse. Bud is a traitor who hides the letter. The mansion burns down but the letter survives.Then we fast forward to the 1940's Bud's Grandson who looks just like Bud comes back to visit the re-built mansion. Lou's ghost haunts him from the get go & this makes some of the funnier moments they have in their films. Lou & Bud argued a lot off screen so here, Lou gets to lay it on Bud & he does so pretty thick.The support cast in this movie is better than the average A&C film & for once there is not a bunch of music to distract the viewer. All these years later & the film is a little dated, but it is still funny.

Most unusual A&C film starts off in the Revoluntionary War where Horatio (Bud Abbott) and Melody (Marjorie Reynolds) are shot and killed and mistakenly believed to be traitors. Because of that their spirits are forced to remain Earthbound. Only a letter from George Washington can prove their innocence--but it's hidden away. Cut to 1946 where a bunch of people renovate and move into the house--and Horatio and Melody discover the letter might still be there...but where? They decide to haunt the house and find it.Strange comedy. Abbott & Costello shave precious little screen time together--but they're still great. Abbott's screaming is a little much at times but he plays well with beautiful Reynolds. Lou Costello is given probably the best role he ever had as an intelligent psychiatrist who can't believe the haunting. He clearly is enjoying playing it straight and he's just fantastic! Also Gale Sondergaard is on hand as a sinister housekeeper--of course. The rest of the cast is just there but Binnie Barnes does have some fun lines as Millie.I saw this countless times as a child in the 1970s--a local TV station used to show A&C films every Saturday night at 7:00 for years. I loved this back then and it still holds up. It's quick, funny and the special effects actually aren't bad (if obvious and amusing). This wasn't a hit at the time of its release but is now considered one of their best features. A must-see.One great line: Binnie Barnes meets Sondergaard for the first time and says, "Didn't I see you in Rebecca?"