Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars: Directed by Charles Lamont. With Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Mari Blanchard, Robert Paige. Two workmen accidentally launch a space rocket intended for Mars, and find mistakenly landing in New Orleans just the beginning of their misadventures.

“Your appreciation or otherwise of this little flick might depend on your level of whimsy and whether or not you were actually AROUND in the 50u0026#39;s and can recall the fervor of anticipated space travel and the films of those days. DESTINATION MOON, THIS ISLAND EARTH, TOBOR THE GREAT, WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE – there were so many! To see it now and compare it ..probably unfairly, with A u0026amp; Cu0026#39;s work of the late 40u0026#39;s, it indeed falls short of the standards they set for themselves. However as many have correctly commented, the younger viewer still finds it funny and gets something out of it.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe film was NOT made on the cheap and indeed many of the sets hold up rather well today. The title remains a misnomer in that Bud and Lou only THINK their comandeered rocket has landed on Mars. As it turns out, it is in fact just a mardi gras in southern Louisiana. This sequence was the highlight of the movie. By the time they wing their bumbling way to Venus, there is only 27 minutes of the film left.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eProbably fair to say that ABBOTT AND COSTELLO GO TO MARS was made during the downside of their career and the u0026quot;Space settingu0026quot; was intended to net them a new generation of fans. In that regard it probably was not the success they would have hoped for. Still….ANY opportunity to see Anita Ekberg, even for a glimpse, was always worth the price of admission.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eProbably not held up as classic A u0026amp; C but still it is part of their legacy and should be viewed with some affection.”