The Naughty Nineties
Encyclopedia
The Naughty Nineties is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello
. It is significant for containing perhaps the best-known recorded rendition of the team's classic "Who's on First?
" routine, as it is this version of the routine that is shown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
in Cooperstown.
), owner of the showboat River Queen, is travelling from port to port along the Mississippi River
, bringing his entertainment to each town. During one stop, in the river town of Ironville, he meets up with three individuals, Crawford (Alan Curtis
), Bonita (Rita Johnson
), and Bailey (Joe Sawyer), who are hiding from the local sheriff. Against the advice of his daughter Caroline (Lois Collier
), his lead actor Dexter Broadhurst (Bud Abbott
), and his chief roustabout
Sebastian Dinwiddle (Lou Costello
), the Captain joins them for a card game at a local gambling house.
The Captain is fed drink after drink until he is intoxicated and gets involved in a crooked card game where he loses controlling interest in the show boat to Bonita and Crawford. They use their newfound power to turn the showboat into a floating gambling casino with every game rigged in their favor. Dexter and Sebastian help the captain regain ownership of his vessel and oust the unwanted criminals.
, which also contained the "Who's on First?" routine.
Abbott and Costello
William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello performed together as Abbott and Costello, an American comedy duo whose work on stage, radio, film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and 1950s...
. It is significant for containing perhaps the best-known recorded rendition of the team's classic "Who's on First?
Who's on First?
Who's on First? is a vaudeville comedy routine made most famous by Abbott and Costello. In Abbott and Costello's version, the premise of the routine is that Abbott is identifying the players on a baseball team to Costello, but their names and nicknames can be interpreted as non-responsive answers...
" routine, as it is this version of the routine that is shown at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is an American history museum and hall of fame, located at 25 Main Street in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of baseball in the United States and beyond, the display of...
in Cooperstown.
Plot
The time is the 1890s, and Captain Sam (Henry TraversHenry Travers
Henry Travers was an English actor. His most memorable role was that of the angel, Clarence, in the 1946 motion picture It's A Wonderful Life.-Early life:...
), owner of the showboat River Queen, is travelling from port to port along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, bringing his entertainment to each town. During one stop, in the river town of Ironville, he meets up with three individuals, Crawford (Alan Curtis
Alan Curtis (American actor)
Alan Curtis was an American film actor appearing in over 50 films.Born Harry Ueberroth in Chicago, Illinois, he began his career as a model before becoming an actor, appearing in local newspaper ads. His looks did not go unnoticed in Hollywood...
), Bonita (Rita Johnson
Rita Johnson
Rita Johnson was an American actress.-Career:She was born Rita McSean in Worcester, Massachusetts and attended the New England Conservatory of Music. Johnson began acting on Broadway in 1935 and started her film career two years later. She played a murderess in Here Comes Mr...
), and Bailey (Joe Sawyer), who are hiding from the local sheriff. Against the advice of his daughter Caroline (Lois Collier
Lois Collier
Lois Collier was an American film actress born in Salley, South Carolina. She was sometimes credited as Lois Collyer....
), his lead actor Dexter Broadhurst (Bud Abbott
Bud Abbott
William Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American actor, producer and comedian. He is best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Lou Costello.-Early life:...
), and his chief roustabout
Roustabout
A roustabout is a labourer typically performing temporary, unskilled work. The term has traditionally been used to refer to traveling-circus workers, natural gas, or oil rig workers....
Sebastian Dinwiddle (Lou Costello
Lou Costello
Louis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
), the Captain joins them for a card game at a local gambling house.
The Captain is fed drink after drink until he is intoxicated and gets involved in a crooked card game where he loses controlling interest in the show boat to Bonita and Crawford. They use their newfound power to turn the showboat into a floating gambling casino with every game rigged in their favor. Dexter and Sebastian help the captain regain ownership of his vessel and oust the unwanted criminals.
Who's on First?
- The "Who's on First?" routine was intended to appear much earlier in the film; Costello begins by saying to Abbott, "When we get to St. Louis...", but by this point in the film, they are already docked there.
- The camera crew can be heard laughing in the background during the routine.
- The line, "Who's on First?" made it at number ninety-one on American Film InstituteAmerican Film InstituteThe American Film Institute is an independent non-profit organization created by the National Endowment for the Arts, which was established in 1967 when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act...
's 100 Movie QuotesAFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie QuotesPart of the AFI 100 Years... series, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes is a list of the top 100 movie quotations in American cinema. The American Film Institute revealed the list on June 21, 2005, in a three-hour television program on CBS...
.
Other routines
- Besides the above-mentioned "Who's on First?" routine, this film contains the "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" routine, where Costello is singing during an audition while Abbott is shouting directions to the crew to change the location of the backdrop curtain. Costello believes the directions are for him and he follows them, by singing higher or lower, or even on one foot.
- In the Gilded Cage cafe, one of Sawyer's henchmen sneaks poison into Lou's wine. Lou distracts her ("Hello! Steve, old boy!"), and swaps the two glasses. The henchman does the same thing to Lou, and later fakes it to TRICK Lou into being poisoned.
- There is also the "Feathers in the Cake" routine, where Costello accidentally bakes feathers into a cake and the pieces are fed to everyone in the saloon. When they all take a bite, they wind up coughing up the feathers until the whole room is filled with them.
- The "Mirror Scene", where Costello and Sawyer mirror each other's actions can also be seen in the 19331933 in film-Events:* March 2 - King Kong premieres in New York City.* June 6 - The first drive-in theater opens, in Camden, New Jersey.* British Film Institute founded....
Marx BrothersMarx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
film, Duck Soup. - The scene where Costello wrestles with a real bear, thinking that he's wrestling Bud in a bear suit. Bears were commonly used in Abbott and Costello comic routines. They also appeared on screen along with Abbott and Costello in their films Ride 'Em CowboyRide 'Em CowboyRide 'Em Cowboy is a 1942 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:The author of best-selling western novels, Bronco Bob Mitchell , has never set foot in the west. A newspaper article has exposed this fact to his fans, and his image is suffering because of it. He decides to make...
; Hit the IceHit the Ice (film)Hit the Ice is a 1943 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello and directed by Charles Lamont, who took over after the original director, Erle C. Kenton, was fired.-Plot:...
; Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris KarloffAbbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris KarloffAbbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is a 1949 comedy horror film starring Abbott and Costello and Boris Karloff. The full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff....
; Jack and the BeanstalkJack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)Jack and the Beanstalk is a 1952 American family comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is a comic revision of the classic Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale.-Plot:...
and Lost in AlaskaLost in Alaska-Plot:The time is the 1890s, and the place is San Francisco. George Ball and Tom Watson are firemen who rescue 'Nugget' Joe McDermott from committing suicide by drowning. Joe wants to die because his girlfriend, Rosette no longer loves him...
.
Production
- It was filmed from January 15, 1945 through March 1, 1945.
- The riverboat was originally constructed for the 1936 UniversalUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
musical Show BoatShow Boat (1936 film)Show Boat is a 1936 film based on the musical play by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II , which the team adapted from the novel by Edna Ferber....
. - On May 13, 1945, during filming of their next film, Abbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in HollywoodAbbott and Costello in Hollywood is a 1945 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. This film's full onscreen title is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood.-Plot:...
for MGM Pictures, Abbott and Costello returned to Universal for reshoots on this film.
Rerelease
It was re-released in 1950 along with One Night in the TropicsOne Night in the Tropics
One Night in the Tropics is a 1940 comedy film noteworthy for being the film debut of Abbott and Costello. The team play minor roles but steal the picture with five classic routines, including an abbreviated version of "Who's On First?" Their work earned them a two-picture deal with Universal, and...
, which also contained the "Who's on First?" routine.