Producer: Robert Arthur. Copyright Universal Pictures Co., Inc. and C.S. Co., 25 March 1947. New York opening at the Winter Garden: 11 April 1947. U.S. release: April 1947. U.K. release: 4 August 1947. Australian release: 16 October 1947. 6,942 feet. 77 minutes.
U.K. release title: ROOKIES COME HOME.
SYNOPSIS: After serving nobly — if ineffectually — as soldiers in World War II, Slicker (Bud Abbott) and Herbie (Lou Costello) board a troop transport to return to the United States.
During an inspection on board ship, Sergeant Collins (Nat Pendleton) and his captain (Don Porter) discover Evey (Beverly Simmons), a six- year-old French orphan whom Herbie has smuggled aboard.
The captain orders that Slicker and Herbie peel spuds until they mend their ways and that Evey be held for immigration authorities by a nurse, Sylvia (Joan Fulton), who also is a passenger. NOTES: A sequel to Buck Privates (1941), with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Nat Pendleton reprising their original roles. In fact this film actually opens with the famous "drill routine" footage from Buck Privates.
COMMENT: Upstanding entertainment for Abbott and Costello fans with some amusing routines and a good chase finale. It is the only Abbott and Costello feature that is a sequel to another film and the only one to use footage from one of their previous features. In fact, the first ten minutes consists of a reprise of "Buck Privates", including the opening sequence and the classic drill routine, tied together with some stock newsreel footage and a commentary spoken by Knox Manning.
This movie is also unusual in its absence of musical numbers. There is a snippet of a going home song when the film itself starts, but that is all. There is also a very slight attempt at serious social comment, a factor not present in any other A&C film. The story itself is on the sentimental side, though it is not laid on to anything like the same extent as "The Little Giant". Production values are first-class.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In order to get race shots that would burn up the movie screens, Producer Bob Arthur and Director Charles Barton checked all recent auto race results and found the men with the best records. A full week was spent at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles shooting the racers from all different angles, with the drivers often cutting loose at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.
Included in the list are four of last year's Indianapolis 500-mile racers, Ronnie Householder, Duke Nalon, Henry Banks and Louis Tomei. There also are five of the Pacific Coast's top drivers, including Cal Niday, Al Sherman, Bob Pankratz, Chick Barbo and Lyle Dickey. George Davis, Australian champion, was brought in for the film, as were Mark Hilling, former motor cycle racer who has switched to the small cars, and Duane Carter who is well-known in the eastern and mid-western circuits. — Universal Press Release.
U.K. release title: ROOKIES COME HOME.
SYNOPSIS: After serving nobly — if ineffectually — as soldiers in World War II, Slicker (Bud Abbott) and Herbie (Lou Costello) board a troop transport to return to the United States.
During an inspection on board ship, Sergeant Collins (Nat Pendleton) and his captain (Don Porter) discover Evey (Beverly Simmons), a six- year-old French orphan whom Herbie has smuggled aboard.
The captain orders that Slicker and Herbie peel spuds until they mend their ways and that Evey be held for immigration authorities by a nurse, Sylvia (Joan Fulton), who also is a passenger. NOTES: A sequel to Buck Privates (1941), with Bud Abbott, Lou Costello and Nat Pendleton reprising their original roles. In fact this film actually opens with the famous "drill routine" footage from Buck Privates.
COMMENT: Upstanding entertainment for Abbott and Costello fans with some amusing routines and a good chase finale. It is the only Abbott and Costello feature that is a sequel to another film and the only one to use footage from one of their previous features. In fact, the first ten minutes consists of a reprise of "Buck Privates", including the opening sequence and the classic drill routine, tied together with some stock newsreel footage and a commentary spoken by Knox Manning.
This movie is also unusual in its absence of musical numbers. There is a snippet of a going home song when the film itself starts, but that is all. There is also a very slight attempt at serious social comment, a factor not present in any other A&C film. The story itself is on the sentimental side, though it is not laid on to anything like the same extent as "The Little Giant". Production values are first-class.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: In order to get race shots that would burn up the movie screens, Producer Bob Arthur and Director Charles Barton checked all recent auto race results and found the men with the best records. A full week was spent at Gilmore Stadium in Los Angeles shooting the racers from all different angles, with the drivers often cutting loose at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.
Included in the list are four of last year's Indianapolis 500-mile racers, Ronnie Householder, Duke Nalon, Henry Banks and Louis Tomei. There also are five of the Pacific Coast's top drivers, including Cal Niday, Al Sherman, Bob Pankratz, Chick Barbo and Lyle Dickey. George Davis, Australian champion, was brought in for the film, as were Mark Hilling, former motor cycle racer who has switched to the small cars, and Duane Carter who is well-known in the eastern and mid-western circuits. — Universal Press Release.