By 1952, Abbott & Costello were reaching the twilight of their success. It was at this point that their popularity was beginning to wane, as they found that they were no longer top box office attractions. But nevertheless, that didn't mean that they weren't still capable of being able to provide quality entertainment. Their 1952 Universal outing proved that even after 12 years and 30 moves, the two of them still had the ability to delightfully entertain their audiences.
Lost In Alaska is another later Abbott & Costello effort that definitely makes for a good time. It's a fast-paced and delightful film that features the duo continuing what they do best at, getting into difficult situations and trying hard to find a way out, only to get into further complications. Even though it doesn't rank among their best outings, it still manages to become a very pleasant experience that's worth seeing, and shows that the duo hadn't lost their abilities after over a decade, as there were some genuinely funny scenes in the film.
In the film, Abbott & Costello play a pair of firemen, who, on the job one night, save a prospector known as "Nugget Joe" from drowning. Unfortunately, Joe tells them that he wants to die, because his girlfriend, Rosette, doesn't love him. After getting a telegram from Rosette, who claims that she still does love him, however, Joe decides to return to Alaska. Unfortunately, the boys are suspected of murdering Joe, and they end up accompanying him. Upon arriving in Alaska, they find themselves walking into danger, as Joe is targeted by many of the townspeople, because he was once a local sheriff who had hanged many of their relatives. Also troubling is the fact that many of Joe's friends want him dead so that they can receive a large amount of gold from his will. Also interested is a saloon owner who wants to kill Joe so that he can gain a fortune. And along the way, Abbott & Costello get caught up in the situation.
As mentioned, the film is rather fast-paced. However, it features some very funny gags and sequences. There's a scene near the beginning where A&C keep an eye on Joe, by swapping places and sleeping, in which Abbott sleeps for two hours, and when Costello goes to sleep, Abbott sets a nearby clock forward two hours. There's also a sequence where Costello inadvertently wins a lot of money at Roulette, in which is talking to a lawyer, and whenever he names a number, the operator places his earnings on said number. And then, when he loses it, Costello, who is unaware of what happened, just shrugs it off like it's nothing. Another great moment involves Costello coming face to face with some crabs, as well as a scene where he and Abbott are fishing, and everything gets a little haywire.
Something else that's worth mentioning is that you might be surprised to see that this film is something of a throwback to Abbott & Costello's earlier films, as it contains two songs in it, both performed by Mitzi Green. However, I won't complain, because the music was legitimately good, and Mitzi Green was also rather lovely to watch, particularly in her second number, where she does a rather funny duet with Costello, which was something that didn't happen often in A&C's films, when one of them actually contributed to the music.
Ultimately, while Lost In Alaska is far from being among Abbott & Costello's best films, it's still a good film that has some very funny sequences in it. And, as I've said before, there's always something delightful about seeing Abbott & Costello get into the types of problems that they always find themselves in. Reiterating, the film is fast-paced, but such comedy can work if it's done right, and it was here, because when the gags do happen, they have a tendency to escalate, which is something that Abbott & Costello were perfect at.
