To me, this movie is perfection.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Although Abbott and Costello are fun, I never really considered them great feature film material, more short sketch comedians with a lot of silly fumbling and bumbling from Costello... until I watched this. It was quite unexpected in its form and to major parts very good.The story is pretty simple but it is still logical enough to carry the movie. The background is dark, being about accidental killings in wartime. But then, I think it manages to put a very charming angle on ghosts. Costello's naive, fumbling character fits right in, as a ghost who doesn't really know what it is about and has to improvise a lot, being as confused as the living.Another strong point with the movie is the special effects. 1946, and this good? Of course there is a bit of fading in and out, but there are several scenes where effects are made really masterfully.There is relatively little interaction between Abbott and Costello, but what there is is important, and with pretty much all other characters doing straight man parts, Abbott doesn't have to have that role as much but can rather be one of the story-driving characters.What dd I didn't like? Not much, really. There were times where the movie risked overdoing scenes, but it didn't. I think I can point out a scene or two with imperfect special effects, but there are many special effects in this movie. There are a few inconsistencies in ghost abilities, but never mind. They are usually there to drive fun moments.All in all, a fun and well made movie that I am glad to have come across.

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.

This movie is unusual for its absence of the usual Abbott & Costello routines and shtick. Instead, it has a genuinely engrossing plot, good acting, a few scary moments, and even decent special effects.The story opens in 1780. Lou Costello plays Horatio Prim, a Revolutionary War tinker loyal to the Revolutionary cause; and Bud Abbott plays Cuthbert Greenway, a butler who has wronged him. Mr. Prim and a friend, equally patriotic Melody Allen (played by the delightful Marjorie Main) are mistaken for traitors by General Washington's army and killed. They return as ghosts, cursed to walk the earth near where they were shot, unless they can find some evidence to prove their innocence of the charge of treason. Centuries pass without any success, and now it's 1946. A new family has built a house on the premises, including Dr. Ralph Greenway (also played by Bud Abbott), a descendant of the original Cuthbert Greenway. Mr. Prim and Ms. Allen try to enlist their aid in finding evidence to prove their own innocence--and free them to go to heaven.Except for those aforementioned scary moments, the movie is warm and even touching rather than good for belly laughs, with a cute twist at the very end that will leave you smiling.

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!!