One Night in the Tropics

Bud & Lou are very funny in "One Night in the Tropics". They're not in as much of the movie as fans would like but their limited scenes are very funny. They do a great version of "Who's On First". The rest of the movie is pleasant enough. Robert Cummings is funny. The rest of the cast is fine. There are a few too many musical numbers. The only I like the one at the end. The rest are forgettable.

Abbott & Costello made their film debut in this otherwise forgettable and lightweight comedy as two "enforcers" for a nightclub owner(played by William Frawley) who has underwritten a "love insurance" policy to ensure that an engaged man(played by Robert Cummings) will marry his fiancée(played by Nancy Kelly) though his old girlfriend(played by Peggy Moran) tries to break it up, as does a disapproving aunt. Will true love prevail? Not that funny, though it is obvious why the team of Abbott & Costello took off; they provide the film's only bright spots, going on to star in many comedies for Universal Studios during the 1940's through the mid 1950's.

My first viewing of this movie left me surprised. Why? For years I'd read that the only plus was the first screen appearance of Lou and Bud. Instead I found the story fun and the cast fine, especially Bob Cummings as a kind of good-looking Woody Allen-type character. Bob in fact takes the limelight whenever he's on the screen. When the boys did appear, it was if they'd walked in off the lot next door with no idea of what was going on. Their routines were pure music hall. There seemed to be no effort to work them into the story. Perhaps the point that neither were sympathetic characters didn't help. So anyone with expectations of this movie should be prepared for something different.

I will go slightly against the grain of most reviewers here and say that the film is enjoyable enough without the addition of Abbott & Costello. This film will forever remain the debut of that wonderful pairing, but the film isn't reliant on their input to lift it above average. Sure they have great moments, the Who's On First and Salary Deconstruction {Dollar A Day} sequences are pure joy, but they are merely seasoning in a decent enough zany comedy stew. Allan Jones, Nancy Kelly, and a delightful turn from Robert Cummings cement the fun to be had with this daft plot line of Love Insurance, the tunes are engaging enough and the ending is one of satisfaction that concludes nicely for the viewer. Bud & Lou started here, and would go on to much better movies, but saying this film is saved by them is a disservice to the others involved. 7/10