Review of Jack and the Beanstalk

JACK AND THE BEANSTALK is an all-colour, vibrant, cheap and cheerful version of the fairy tale, and also a vehicle for comic duo Abbott & Costello and their usual brand of dim-witted, slapstick humour. This one's dominated by Costello who takes on the role of Jack himself while Abbott only plays in support. It's a dated production for sure, lacking the finesse of an earlier production such as Laurel & Hardy's BABES IN TOYLAND, although there are a few choice moments. The song and dance numbers are quite difficult to sit through, but a lot of the entertainment value arises from Buddy Baer's turn as the Giant, portrayed as an unstoppable, TERMINATOR-style villain.