The Naughty Nineties
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The Naughty Nineties (1945) is the fifteenth feature film made by Abbott and Costello, and is significant for containing what is considered to be the best recorded rendition of the team's classic "Who's On First?" routine. It is this version of the routine that is shown at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
The film was also Abbott and Costello's first period picture. The story, which takes place in the 1890s, is about a group of cardsharps who win a Mississippi riverboat from a kindly old captain after plying him with liquor. They plan to turn the showboat into a floating gambling casino with every game rigged in their favor. A ham actor (Abbott) and a bumbling roustabout (Costello) help the captain regain ownership of his vessel.
Trivia
- The film's camera crew can be heard laughing in the background during the routine.
- The line, "Who's on First?" made it at number ninety-one on American Film Institute's 100 Movie Quotes.
- The only baseball defensive position not mentioned in the "Who's On First" routine: Right Field.
- The riverboat used in the film was originally constructed for the 1936 Universal musical "Show Boat," which was directed by James Whale.
Extra links
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