SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Humaira Grant It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

simeon_flake This film definitely rates as one of Bud and Lou's best and the laughs kick off almost immediately as we see what I have to call a takeoff on "turn on the radio." This time around, it's "blow the horn" and an irate cop getting entangled with Lou.Abbott and Costello do plumbing as well--if not better--than the Three Stooges. The biggest laughs though may come from the classic Susquehana Hat Company gag--a routine I became familiar with from watching their old TV show, but I have to say, it was probably funnier here.Lou getting his bath drawn was another highlight. Of course, there are some of the drawbacks one would usually expect to see in an A & C feature--the staged singing numbers; although they don't grate on me as they do in some of their other features.Overall--if you like Bud and Lou--"In Society" is a must see.9 stars

AaronCapenBanner Abbott & Costello play two bumbling plumbers who are accidentally invited to a ritzy country club after being hired to do some emergency plumbing work by a wealthy man(and making a mess of things in the process). This gets them mistakenly invited to a ritzy country club, where they get into more trouble. Also there is woman taxi driver Elsie Hammerdingle(played by Marion Hutton) who begins a romance with a rich man, who doesn't know her true identity. Underrated comedy from the team has a most appealing performance from Miss Hutton, and some very funny moments: the best of which is the Bagel Street sketch, the single funniest scene I have ever seen in a film! Ending and some songs are weak, but otherwise most enjoyable.

MartinHafer Although Abbott and Costello were very popular in 1944, surprisingly, Universal Pictures still insisted on placing musical numbers in their films--an odd convention of the time and something that wouldn't be abandoned for another couple years. As I said, this is odd because people came to see Abbott and Costello and comedy--not production numbers and singing. Fortunately, this one has less singing than most but it still is the same old formula.In this film, Abbott and Costello are idiot plumbers. One day, they are called to fix the plumbing at a mansion where there is a big society party. They make a mess of it but somehow are invited to the next party as guests! The two, in particular Lou, make a mess of things as they hang with the gentry. In addition to the silliness, there is a subplot involving a friend of theirs (a pretty young cab driver) who is also mistaken for a society lady, though this plot is 100% unnecessary and seems to have been added because the studio STILL couldn't trust an entire film to rest on the shoulders of Abbott and Costello--an odd thing, as they were the hottest thing in Hollywood at the time. Such romantic subplots are the norm for the early Universal films that the team made.In addition to all this, a crook tries to insinuate himself into the party. He also tries to get the boys to help him with his scheme to steal a painting, though naturally they refuse and help to thwart his wicked plan. However, the final big fight scene is exceptionally lame--the result of using an obvious rear-projected film to hide that it was all done on the set. This "clever" ruse was in fact pretty sad at times.There is also an old vaudeville skit in the film that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the film. It's about taking a load of hats to Bagel Street and the Susquehanna Hat Company. The Three Stooges later did the same routine and I suspect many have done it over the years (including Lou for the "Abbott and Costello Show" on television). This version seems to be the best and although it's pretty stupid, you can't help but laugh! Overall, it's a mixed bag--a lot of laughs AND some stupid singing and low points as well. Worth seeing for Abbott and Costello fans but skipable for most others.

george.schmidt IN SOCIETY (1944)*** One of Abbott and Costello's finest and funniest comedies with the boys as bumbling plumbers hobnobbing with the hoi palloi with some amusing moments in one of the first snob/slob comedies. Best bit: "Bagel Street" bit with poor Lou being abused while trying to run an errand for a friend.