Made after Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein but put into production before release of that movie, which prompted all those “Abbott and Costello Meet” films. This had one of the most distinguished pedigrees of an A and C vehicle, being based on a Cole Porter musical – but all the songs are cut out. This really feels as though it needed to be filmed in colour with a couple of musical stars belting out the numbers – like an old style Abbott and Costello film (okay they were all black and white but you get what I mean). What’s left is okay, it just feels as though it needs songs and colour – with talented contract stars singing them, say Kathryn Grayson or someone like that.
There is a lot of plot, typical of Charles Barton movies: Abbott is a true unrepentant conman in this one, determine to sell false mining rights south of the border – and there are a couple of other conmen in the film, giving the story a pleasing air of unscrupulousness. A woman sets out to seduce Costello and ends up genuinely falling for him (she gets electrocuted when she kisses him) – at the ending he rides off into the sunset with her! (With Abbott driving the horse and buggy). It’s also fun to see Costello in the bullring, and in a variety of Mexican outfits; the funniest gag for me was when Costello can’t stop dancing after having been in a dance marathon.
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