Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #21647 in VHS
• Released on: 1999-12-01
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Formats: Black & White, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 80 minutes

Customer Reviews

Basic Good A&C Fun
One of Abbott and Costello's better excursions, this film was out of ciculation due to legal entanglements. Whatever circumstances allowed its video release, Universal MCA certainly didn't involve itself, and that is a shame. Their print would have been clean and fresh, as indicated by their other Abbott and Costello releases. The current video copy of "It ain't Hay" is a muddied, multi-generational print. To be fair, it still is very watchable (no splices). I recommend it.

Video could have been better. Movie is great !
This is one of Bud and Lou's best outings. Anything from thier movies from the early 40's were thier best years. There are a few exceptions from the late 40's but it was from 1941 - 45
that had the classic routines. Although not many in this one except when the boys go to bet on a horse at a bookie joint or a shortened version of Mudder & Fodder - priceless scenes. But this story was adapted from a Damon Runyon story. Shemp Howard has a really good line about that. It is Runyon's estate why this film has been kept out of circulation from a more professional studio release of the video and no doubt a better print of the film. This version unfortunately, as previously stated by another reviewer, the video is somewhat muddy at times. It looks to be a 16 or 35mm transfer of the film to video and duplicated many times over. And in the distributor's mishandling of such, there is a blatant edit towards the end of the movie where the miltary musical show is going on. They obviously didn't have ALL of the film elements to a complete feature. The movie itself rates as top notch but the video release gets 3 stars. I suppose if you don't have access to a film print to watch this movie - I guess this is the next best thing.

ONE OF THE TEAM'S BEST FILMS
IT AIN'T HAY
Universal Pictures
Release Date: March 19, 1943
Runtime: 80 minutes

Director:
Erle C. Kenton

Producer:
Alex Gottlieb

Writing Credits:
Damon Runyan
Allen Boretz
John Grant

Cast:
Bud Abbott - Grover Mockridge
Lou Costello - Wilbur Hoolihan
Wade Boteler - Reilly
Charles Coleman - Doorman (uncredited)
Paul Dubov - Tout (uncredited)
James Flavin - Cop (uncredited)
William Forrest - Banker (uncredited)
Kit Guard - Fighter (uncredited)
Harry Harvey - Shorty (uncredited)
Herbert Heyes - Manager (uncredited)
Samuel S. Hinds - Colonel Brainard
Robert Homans - Policeman (uncredited)
Shemp Howard - Umbrella Sam
George Humbert - Gardener (uncredited)
Selmer Jackson - Grant
Cecil Kellaway - King O'Hara
Robert Watson Kuecher - Clerk (uncredited)
Richard Lane - Slicker
Mike Mazurki - Bouncer (uncredited)
Grace McDonald - Kitty McClain
Leighton Noble - Orchestra Leader
Jack Norton - Drunk (uncredited)
Patsy O'Connor - Peggy (Princess O'Hara)
Spec O'Donnell - Newsboy (uncredited)
Eugene Pallette - Gregory Warner
Frank Penny - Ticket Seller (uncredited)
Eddie Quillan - Harry the Horse
Harry Strang - Policeman (uncredited)
Andrew Tombes - Big Hearted Charlie
Herb Vigran - Man in Mike Room (uncredited)
Pierre Watkin - Major Harper (uncredited)
Mat Willis - Bouncer (uncredited)

Music by:
Ralph Freed
Charles Previn
Harry Revel
Frank Skinner

Cinematography by:
Charles Van Enger

Film Editing by:
Frank Gross

Art Direction:
John B. Goodman

Set Decoration:
Russell A. Gausman
A.J. Gilmore

Stunts:
Pat Costello

Other Crew:
Daniel Dare - choreographer
Paul Francis Webster - lyricist

Plot Summary:

Wilbur Hoolihan is a taxi driver and Grover Mockridge is his pal. Wilbur inadvertently kills a horse and takes it upon himself to replace it. So the boys end up borrowing (stealing) a famous racehorse to be the replacement. A reward is placed on finding the horse which causes local shysters to look for the horse. Wilbur ends up being a jockey in a horse race to try to win prize money to replace the original horse.

ROUTINES & HILARIOUS MOMENTS:

Mudder/Fodder Routine

Trivia (from [...]): (1)This film was based on Damon Runyan's short-story "PRINCESS O'HARA".(2)The working title for this film was "HOLD YOUR HORSES".(3)This remains the least seen of the early Abbott and Costello films. Due to some legal issues with the Damon Runyan estate, this film was not included in the recent Abbott & Costello DVD Collections released by MCA, nor is it currently abvailable for television broadcasts.