Look who made it to 800...
"I fear nothing when I am in the right / Whoever pushes me around will find me full of fight."
Jack (Costello) and Mr. Dinkle (Abbott) are hired to babysit actress Eloise Larkin's (Cogan) baby sister and trouble-making brother, Donald (Stollery) for the evening. Jack loves kids and convinces Donald to read his favorite bedtime story, "Jack and the Beanstalk." Donald starts reading and Jack quickly falls asleep, dreaming about the story.
In the dream, the kingdom has been laid to waste by the Giant (Baer). The kingdom is so poor that Princess Eloise (Cogan) is forced to marry Prince Arthur (Alexander) from a neighboring kingdom. But before their wedding can take place, both are stolen by the Giant. Jack Strong (Costello) is dim-witted and his best friend is his cow Henry. To make a little money, his mother (Brown), forces him to sell the cow to the butcher, Mr. Dinklepuss (Abbott). Dinklepuss gives Jack magic beans, which grown into a giant beanstalk. Jack vows to climb the beanstalk and rescue the princess. Dinklepuss volunteers to go along, in order to steal some of the Giant's wealth. In the Giant's kingdom they befriend the Giant's housekeeper, Polly (Ford) and find the royals. Can they all escape the Giant's clutches?
I grew up loving Abbott and Costello films, especially this one. It was a nice mix of slapstick and music, and a classic fairy tale story to tie it all together. Watching it as an adult, I still remember all the words to the songs and still laugh at the ridiculous messes Costello's Jack gets into.
This was one of the few Abbott and Costello films in color. The film begins in black and white, then changes to color during the dream. As usual, Bud Abbott plays the straight man, the brains of the operation always looking out for himself, while Lou Costello is the slapstick center with a heart of gold.
They are joined by a strong ensemble cast. Former wrestler Buddy Baer, who worked with Abbott and Costello in 1949's Africa Screams, menaces from the beginning as a police officer who Jack keeps running into and later as the Giant. He is physically larger and repeatedly picks up Jack and has a great deep voice that helps build the character. Dorothy Ford, a 6'2" model, also towers over Costello. She plays the receptionist at the job agency and Polly in the dream, and her height difference is a repeated joke. Shaye Cogan and James Alexander were singers and this was the film debut for both. They are the romantic leads in both stories, and retain the same character names in both. Child actor David Stollery is perfect as the self-proclaimed "problem child" Donald. He is only in the beginning and end of the film, but he is still memorable.
It is an amusing little film, the only film the duo made specifically for kids. The songs are cute, but not great... and the choreography is underwhelming, but the real reason to see this film is Abbott and Costello.
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) 82 minutes
Director: Jean Yarbrough
Starring: Bud Abbott as Mr. Dinkle / Mr. Dinklepuss
Lou Costello as Jack / Jack Strong
Buddy Baer as Sgt Riley / The Giant
Shaye Cogan as Eloise Larkin / Princess Eloise
James Alexander as Arthur / Prince Arthur
Dorothy Ford as Receptionist / Polly
Barbara Brown as Mrs. Strong
David Stollery as Donald Larkin
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