"Who Done It?" (1942)

Next up for the team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello is the Universal release "Who Done It?" from 1942.

This film marks a first for the boys, as it does not contain any musical numbers at all! Modern audiences seem to appreciate this aspect, but I actually like the musical numbers from the earlier films in general. But, as i always say, don't go by me!

Without music numbers, the movie is pretty short, perhaps A & C's shortest ever, which makes me wonder if there had originally been a plan to include a musical number or two. The radio station setting would seemingly allow for that!

In any event, what we do have is, as advertised in the title, a murder mystery with Bud and Lou caught in the middle. They portray soda jerks (with an emphasis on the latter) who aspire to be radio writers and become suspects in a murder at a radio station.

The boys are in typically good form here, with many clever routines. They even get in a meta dig at their own famous "Who's on First" routine!

The supporting cast is pretty solid, with a lot of Universal regulars, including romantics lead Patric Knowles and Louise Albritton, who make an appealing couple.

(l-r) Gargan, Costello, Abbot, Bendix

Most intriguing is an early movie appearance by William Bendix, who is the "Costello" half of a sub-Abbott and Costello duo of police detectives along with William Gargan. Bendix's character is actually dumber than the "real" Costello!

My favorite, though, is Walter Tetley, who has perhaps his most substantial movie role as a snappy elevator operator who's constantly putting one over on Lou. Walter is of course best-known as a radio/voice actor, but he fits that kind of man-child vibe that elevator operators or bellboys or telegram messengers seemed to have in 1940s movies!

So, good fun all around! And I really love the radio station setting!

Note: As for the reissue lobby card below, I totally understand Bill Bendix getting featured billing, but what's with the curvaceous cutie as the seeming perp?