Bud, Lou, and the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy | Get hold of US

Buck Privates, the 1941 comedy that made stars of Abbott and Costello, would not rank among the many staff’s greatest movies (e.g.,  A&C Meet Frankenstein, Maintain That Ghost, The Time of Their Lives). Nonetheless, that is to be considerably anticipated since Bud and Lou aren’t even top-billed within the solid. 

Lee Bowman and Jane Frazee.

That honor belongs to Lee Bowman and Alan Curtis, who play new Military recruits vying for the affections of a fairly USO hostess (Jane Frazee). Bowman’s wealthy playboy has a tough time bonding together with his fellow troopers, particularly after he ditches a rifle competitors to go on a date. It is a superfluous plot that serves to bridge the gaps between Bud and Lou’s routines and the Andrews Sisters’ musical numbers.

Bud needs to borrow $50.

As for the boys, they play road hucksters who unintentionally be a part of the Military, considering that they are signing up for a raffle in a movie show. It is simple to see why the duo had been the movie’s breakout stars. With just one different film to their credit score (One Evening within the Tropics), they had been capable of introduce a number of of their funniest vaudeville routines. Thus, audiences had been handled to basic gags like: “You are 40–she’s 10,” “Give me the $40 and you may owe me $10,” and the craps recreation. If a few of these routines sound acquainted, that is as a result of Bud and Lou recycled them in later films.

Maxene, Patty, and LaVerne Andrews.

The Andrews Sisters had been already recording hit songs by 1941. Nevertheless, their second movie look in Buck Privates raised their profile considerably. That was principally as a result of debut of one in every of their signature hits “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” The track earned an Academy Award nomination (dropping to “The Final Time I Noticed Paris”). Charles Previn’s music rating additionally obtained an Oscar nomination.

Its mixture of broad comedy and catchy music turned Buck Privates into one of many greatest field workplace attracts of 1941. Common Footage, which was already making Maintain That Ghost with Abbott and Costello, put that film on maintain to supply one other service comedy. Within the Navy reteamed the boys (now top-billed) with the Andrews Sisters–and featured Dick Powell in one in every of his final singing roles. It was field workplace gold as effectively and the Andrews Sisters had been shortly added to the Maintain the Ghost solid.

By 1942, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello had been the largest field workplace stars in America. They remained among the many high 10 stars yearly all through the Forties. Buck Privates is an effective introduction to some their greatest comedy routines, however the pair would make higher films within the coming years.