Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)

Director: Charles Barton

Starring: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Boris Karloff, Lenore Aubert

More info: IMDb

Tagline: Yipes! Those Killer-Dillers are out to get the King of the Killers!

Plot: Lost Caverns Hotel bellhop Freddie Phillips is suspected of murder. Swami Talpur tries to hypnotize Freddie into confessing, but Freddie is too stupid for the plot to work. Inspector Wellman uses Freddie to get the killer.

My rating: 6.5/10

Will I watch it again? Yeah.


Ya know, for a movie that had Boris Karloff's name IN THE TITLE there sure is a lack of him on the screen. It's astonishing how little time he's got but what's there is fun for Karloff fans. Just having him be deadly serious in the same scene with Costello's playfulness is priceless. The picture is a fun whodunit and with A&C. My only gripe, besides wanting more Karloff, is that nearly all of the picture takes place in the hotel. When they finally leave and go to the cavern in the last act it's like a breath of fresh air. That and the cavern is badass.


Oh, I can't leave without saying that Karloff is NOT the killer. I would bitch about it but then it's an Abbott and Costello movie that has the balls to Boris Karloff's actual name in the title even though he plays a character called Swami Talpur. I figure if I can overlook that then finding out he's not the killer makes this like an OMFG twist ending in an M. Night picture.