Subtitles:

None

Extras:

 

 

For their first independently-produced vehicle, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello chose to appear in a remake of the 1939 Universal programmer For Love or Money. Bud and Lou are cast as Ted and Tommy, two bumbling window washers hired by gangster Mike Craig (Joseph Calleila) to collect a $50,000 gambling debt. The boys manage to pick up the money, only to deliver it to the wrong person, a pretty private secretary named Carol (Cathy Downs). Ordered to retrieve the money within 24 hours "or else," Ted and Tommy trace the cash to Carol, who has mistakenly distributed it amongst the entries in a mailing list. As our heroes desperately concoct methods of escaping Craig's wrath, eccentric gambler Julius Caesar McBride (Leon Errol), the man who "never loses," comes to the rescue. Despite its seeming complexity, the plot exists merely as a peg on which to hang several of Abbott and Costello's best routines, including "Bet you 10 dollars you're not here," "Hole in the Wall," "Packing and unpacking," "Getting Arrested," and, best of all, "Mudder and Fodder." Beyond the seven credited actors, the huge unbilled supporting cast includes such reliable laugh-getters as Benny Rubin, Murray Leonard, Elvia Allman, Herb Vigran, Fred Kelsey, James Flavin, Lyle Latell, Isabel Randolph and Paul Maxey.

Excerpt from B+N located HERE

ClassicFlix Blu-ray to date:

Along Came Jones (1945)	Another Man's Poison (1951)	Casanova Brown  (1944)	Crime of Passion  (1957)	Down 3 Dark Streets (1954)	Five Steps to Danger (1954)	He Walked By Night (1954)

Merrily We Live (1938)	Raw Deal (1948)	The Killer is Loose  (1956)	The Man Who Watched Trains  (1952)	The Noose Hangs High (1948)	T-Men (1947)	Tomorrow is Forever (1946)	You Only Live Twice (1937)

 

The comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who hovered near the top of the list of box-office attractions in the 1940s, chose The Noose Hangs High (1948) as their first independently produced vehicle after a string of hits for Universal. Under a new contract with that studio, the pair were allowed one outside film a year, and this one was shot at Eagle Lion. It's a remake of Universal's For Love or Money (1939) starring Robert Kent and June Lang. Because The Noose Hangs High was not part of the package when Abbott and Costello's Universal releases were syndicated for television, it has been little seen in recent years.

Excerpt from TCM located HERE

Image :    NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

The single-layered Classicflix Blu-ray of The Noose Hangs High looks has a high bitrate and looks quite pleasing in 1080P. Contrast seems well-layered in the original aspect ratio and, while the image isn't crisp, it does have some decent detail in close-ups. The source is clean, and I noticed no noise. This Blu-ray gave me a very watchable, and pleasurable, viewing in regards to the picture quality.

CLICK EACH BLU-RAY CAPTURE TO SEE ALL IMAGES IN FULL 1920X1080 RESOLUTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classicflix use a DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel track (24-bit) in the original English language. There are slapstick-related effects in the film - and a score by Walter Schumann (notable for composing for the film The Night of the Hunter and the Dragnet TV series theme) that sounds very penetrating via the lossless. The dialogue was easily discernable and there are optional English subtitles offered (see sample above). My Oppo has identified it as being a region 'A'-locked.

Extras :

Extras consist of an original theatrical trailer and an, extensive, image gallery with rare stills, posters and other promotional material.

 

 

BOTTOM LINE:
The Noose Hangs High is plenty of fun with Abbott and Costello. A cute premise with some thrills and a generally fun, family, time. It rates in the upper tier of the team's work together. The Classicflix Blu-ray is the only way to see this comedic cracker in 1080P. Fans of the boys and those into a pleasant, enjoyable, entertainment film from the era can't really go wrong! Recommended. 

Gary Tooze

August 11th, 2017