Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		3.0
Audio		3.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf December 9, 2019

Taking a look at a specific time in the career of Abbott and Costello, Shout Factory brings a whopping 28 films from the comedy duo’s time with Universal Pictures to Blu-ray. There’s an incredibly wide range of efforts here, starting with Abbott and Costello’s screen debut in 1940’s “One Night in the Tropics,” to their final Universal effort, 1955’s “Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy.” The rest of the collection examines their big hits (“Buck Privates”), strange experiments (“Little Giant”), and iconic forays into genre interests (“Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein”), while the rest of the set showcases all sorts of madcap action and slapstick intensity, pinpointing the genius of the Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and their incredible comfort with formula, trying their very best to deliver a good time for appreciative audiences.

Click here for a review of One Night in the Tropics

Click here for a review of Buck Privates

Click here for a review of In the Navy

Click here for a review of Hold That Ghost

Click here for a review of Keep Em' Flying

Click here for a review of Ride 'Em Cowboy

Click here for a review of Pardon My Sarong

Click here for a review of Who Done It?

Click here for a review of It Ain't Hay

Click here for a review of Hit the Ice

Click here for a review of In Society

Click here for a review of Here Come the Co- eds

Click here for a review of The Naughty Nineties

Click here for a review of Little Giant

Click here for a review of The Time of Their Lives

Click here for a review of Buck Privates Come Home

Click here for a review of The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Click here for a review of Mexican Hayride

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man

Click here for a review of Comin' Round the Mountain

Click here for a review of Lost in Alaska

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Go to Mars

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops

Click here for a review of Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

See the above reviews.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

See the above reviews.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Abbott and Costello: Life and Legacy" (73:12, HD) presents the life and times of the comedy duo, offering interviews with Lou's daughter, Chris Costello, and author Ron Palumbo.

• "Abbott and Costello: Film Stories" (50:36, HD) walks through the team's screen career, with hosting duties handled by author James L. Neibaur.

• "Abbott and Costello: Behind the Scenes" (17:08, HD) returns to Ron Palumbo for additional information concerning chemistry and history.

• "The World of Abbott and Costello" (74:53, HD) is a 1965 release from Universal, offering a compilation of silly moments from the team's screen achievements.

• "Abbott and Costello Met Jerry Seinfeld" (45:44, SD) is a 1994 special hosted by the comedian, who provides an overview of Abbott and Costello's film and television career.

• "Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters" (33:19, SD) is a 2000 featurette that takes a closer look at Bud and Lou's genre releases, offering interviews from Chris Costello, Ron Palumbo, David J. Skal, film historian Bob Madison, collector Bob Burns, and Bela G. Lugosi.

• "Abbott and Costello Meet Castle Films" (71:38, HD) presents the history of Abbott and Costello home releases, along with selections from the collection.

• Bloopers (SD) include "Pardon My Sarong" (3:55), "It Ain't Hay" (7:16), "Hit the Ice" (12:42), "Little Giant" (18:44), and "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (12:14).

• And a Booklet (46 pages) provides essays and production information.

Abbott & Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

While fresh scans weren't acquired for the box set, leaving some titles underwhelming, the sheer bigness of the collection remains impressive. Shout Factory also packs the 15-disc set with new commentaries and a bonus disc of informative interviews that get to the heart of Abbott and Costello's creative collaborations and longstanding teamwork, understanding their special chemistry and detailing their humanity as they dominated box office charts for 15 years.