classicsoncall When MGM lost a contract deal to sign Abbott and Costello in 1941, Universal Studios in a conciliatory gesture loaned them out to their movie rival. Universal was willing to put the comedy team in as leads rather than support roles and the boys apparently had a talented agent to wrest them away from the larger studio. MGM was so aggrieved that they almost filed a lawsuit but apparently cooler heads prevailed, with "Rio Rita" the first of three pictures MGM put the boys in.For fans of Abbott and Costello who have seen plenty of their films, one of the first things you notice here are the absence of their many recycled film bits like 'Slowly I Turned' and 'Who's on First?'. The MGM writing staff did a decent job of coming up with their own funny dialog for the pair like the 'Pike's Peak' gag. Production values run a notch above Universal as well, obviously MGM had a lot more money to spend on extras as evidenced by the rather lavishly costumed Volusia dance number. It would have looked a lot better in color though.The setting is the Hotel Vista del Rio in Del Rio, Texas, which wouldn't mean much to most viewers, but that was also the home town of Imus in the Morning's fictional radio character, the Reverend Billy Sol Hargus. Imus hasn't used that bit for many years now, but once you've heard it you remember it.As for the story, things get muddled rather quickly after the main plot element is revealed. Radio station KPKO is a front for a Nazi fifth column enterprise attempting to smuggle bombs into the country. There's some business about a secret code book and planting information in the radio's broadcast commercials, but not a lot comes of it all. Even the presence of a 'talking' German Shepherd held some potential for Nazi intrigue, but instead the talented canine did an amusing roll-over gag with Costello.In fact, one could almost make a case for the picture being a musical, but with widely disparate genres in play. There's an early riders on horseback segment doing a Texas Rangers song, while John Carroll and Kathryn Grayson offer up a few tunes as well, with Grayson showing amazing voice control in an operatic number that in all other respects was virtually unlistenable. Things eventually come together to expose the Nazi bad guys in the end, but once it's over, one begins to wonder what the picture was all about.

utgard14 Bud and Lou tangle with Nazi spies in Mexico. The Nazis are led by suave Tom Conway. This is a loose remake of a 1929 Wheeler and Woolsey picture. I haven't seen that and likely won't anytime soon since I don't care for Wheeler and Woolsey much. This is also the first of three movies A&C did for MGM. None of these were among their best movies and this is easily the least enjoyable of the three. Nice cast backing up the boys but far too much focus on the bland romance between Kathryn Grayson and John Carroll, a poor leading man I've never been a fan of. He uses a particularly laughable Latin accent here. Also too much singing! And it's that "opera-y" type singing, too. You know what I mean - deep bass from the guy and high soprano from the girl. Not my thing. As for the comedy, it's pretty by-the-numbers Abbott & Costello material. A few good lines and gags but nothing for the career highlight reel. The car spinning gag ("Push the button!") is probably the movie's best scene and that's in the first twenty minutes. For die-hard A&C fans or fans of Ms. Grayson's singing. Everybody else would be advised to find one of the many superior Abbott & Costello films to watch.

LeonLouisRicci The Haughty MGM Studios had to Have it All. Borrowing Abbott and Costello from Universal, because the Comedy Team was a Big Hit, the Studio Managed to Cobble Together a Number of Elements in this Awkward Amalgamation of Opera On a Ranch, and Nazis Out West, and Set A & C Loose Among this Bizarre Combination. None of it Works. There is an Awful Lot of Awful Singing with Crooners on Horseback and Operatic Scale Sliding. The Comedy Team's Routines are OK and Quite Amusing with Slapstick, Sight Gags, and Word Play.But the Combination of Bud and Lou with the Other Parts Never Come Together. The Nazi Threat is Hardly Realized, and the Ranch Setting is Never Used for Any Advantage. The Love Interest is Never Interesting and the Only Thing Worth Watching is When Abbot and Costello are On the Screen. Everything Else is Embarrassing at Best and Atrocious at Worst.

[email protected] This was Bud and Lou's only film for MGM, which was their good fortune. It's surprising that Universal Studios, for which A and C were prime money-makers, would have lent them out. They must have sent someone to Universal in exchange. Most of the team's Universal films, no matter how silly the premise, were usually tightly constructed around their personalities and abilities, which were mostly a series of set pieces within a flimsy plot, except The Time of Their Lives, when they portrayed characters in the story line, without any of their routines. Many consider this their best film, though I don't agree, despite its departure from their formula. At any rate, MGM showed itself unable to use their talents to the foremost, as was the case in their use of the Marx Brothers in their three last MGM films. There are several excellent routines, but they are submerged in a tedious and unbelievable plot of romance and espionage. MGM was developing Kathryn Grayson (who does not get star billing) as a contract player, and would probably have taken advantage of A and C's box office appeal to showcase her. Unfortunately, her performance is quite wooden; though perhaps she could not do much with the material given. Later on she developed at least a degree of charm, if not strong acting talent, in some of MGM's large-scale musicals, especially Show Boat. If you are an A and C fan, make good use of your fast-forward.