weezeralfalfa
Poor Horatio(Lou Costello) and Melody(Marjorie Reynolds) are having the time of their ghostly lives, haunting the arrivals to the newly restored Danbury mansion. This estate has been their prison for 166 years, as punishment for being wrongly accused as traitors to the cause of the American Revolution. Actually, they were going to warn General Washington about the treachery of Benedict Arnold, but Washington had already found out. His information also implicated Tom Danbury as being involved in the plot to give West Point to the British, and capture Washington. Hence, his troops came to the Danbury residence to arrest Danbury, and loot and burn his mansion. In the dark, they mistook the duo as British spies. They were fleeing from what they thought were British soldiers. Their bodies were thrown down the well, and a curse placed on their souls, forbidding then to leave the estate, unless evidence surfaced that they were not traitors. They figure the only way they might prove their innocence, would be if they could find the letter of commendation by Washington to Horatio. Danbury took the letter and hid it some unknown place. His mansion was burned to the ground, but the furnishings were looted beforehand. The present owner, Sheldon Gage, supposedly furnished the new mansion with mostly the original furnishings(How would he know what they were, and where to find them??)The estate occupants finally figure out that the letter was placed in a secret compartment of the library clock, but that the present clock isn't the original. They also figure out that the original is in a NY museum(pretty contrived) So, how to get access to it? Their story would be too unbelievable to warrant examining it. Dr. Greenway(Abbott) volunteers to go to the museum. They won't let him have it, but he (unbelievably) smuggles it out, with police on his tail. He gets to the Sheldon estate after the police(How did they know to go there to find him??)He pus the clock in another building and tries to figure out how to open the secret compartment, with Horatio's help. But, the police find him before he can figure it out. They handcuff him and put him and the clock in their car. But there is an invisible barrier at the gate, as long as Horatio and Melody unknowingly are in the car. When they get out to see what's wrong, Horatio takes the wheel and drives crazily around the estate, ending up at the well and a nearby tree. The clock flies into the bushes, begins to chime, and the compartment opens , with the letter inside. Now, the ghosts can wander where they want to, which is heaven, where Horatio hopes to find his first love: Nora, and Melody hopes to find Tom Danbury. Strange that she, evidently a supporter of the Revolution, should pine for Tom: a Tory!I will not describe the various comedic happenings. See them for yourself. I will say that Abbott, as Dr. Greenway, was often the victim of Horatio's antics, because he strongly resembles his ancestor Cuthbert Greenway, who was a rival for Nora's hand.This was the last of 2 pictures where Abbott and Costello weren't partners in misadventures, and where Lou never got slapped by Bud. Evidently the audience response wasn't positive enough to continue this format after the boys made up with each other. As usual, there were some gaping holes in the plot.Marjorie was radiant looking, usually in flattering outfits. She is best remembered in Hollywood films as the leading lady in the famous musical "Holiday Inn", with Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. As often, she was a blond then. Here, she's back to her natural brunet. On TV, she was Riley's brunet wife in "The Life of Riley" series... Binnie Barnes, in her 40s, looked much younger than an aunt to a grown woman.
bkoganbing
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.
richardlfluke1128
This is such a sweet little movie. It has beautiful music by Boccherini. It also has a beautiful tune called "Drink to Me Only With Thine Eyes." There is love in it. Yes, it has a seance. This is something the Bible talks about negatively, but I think that if you can realize that this is just a movie and that those things are forbidden by God, this is all right. All in all, it is a very purposeful movie in that though there is sadness, it is met with happiness in that there is a resolution. We need to watch movies like this and to love one another, for we don't know when we will be gone. I am a Christian, and I think this movie is good for Christians, though, as I said, just taking into account the seance part and realizing that that is forbidden by God is what is needed; I guess this is a somewhat liberal view, whereas some may say not to watch the movie because of this; God knows the difference though, and He is love. I delight in sweet movies such as this, absolutely clean and pleasant. Thank you for letting me comment. Enjoy the good movie!! and in your heart thank the players for exuding such joyous sweetness!!
