''Keep 'Em Flying'' is a 1941 American

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Arthur Lubin Arthur Lubin (July 25, 1898 – May 11, 1995) was an American film director and producer who directed several ''Abbott & Costello'' films, ''Phantom of the Opera (1943 film), Phantom of the Opera'' (1943), the ''Francis the Talking Mule'' series a ...

starring the team of

Abbott and Costello Abbott and Costello were an American comedy duo composed of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in t ...

alongside

Martha Raye Martha Raye (born Margy Reed; August 27, 1916 – October 19, 1994), nicknamed The Big Mouth, was an American comic actress and singer who performed in movies, and later on television. She also acted in plays, including on Broadway. She was hono ...

and Carol Bruce. The film was their third service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team had appeared in two previous service comedies in 1941, before the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

entered the war: '' Buck Privates'', released in January, and '' In the Navy'', released in May.Mulholland 1977, pp. 80–86. '' Flying Cadets'', along with ''Keep 'Em Flying'' were both produced by

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

in 1941. The film's title is taken from the official motto of the U.S. Army Air Corps, some five months after it had been reformed into the

USAAF The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. ''Keep 'Em Flying'' reflected the "spirit of the times" and encouraged many young men to volunteer for flight training."

Plot

Jinx Roberts, an arrogant but talented stunt pilot, and his assistants Blackie and Heathcliff, are fired from a carnival air show after a disagreement with the owner. Jinx decides to join the Army Air Corps, and he, Blackie and Heathcliff go to a nightclub to party one last time. Jinx falls for the club's singer, Linda Joyce. Coincidentally, she leaves her job to become a

USO The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed F ...

hostess at the same Academy where Jinx and her brother, Jimmy, are enrolled. Jinx's instructor at the Academy turns out to be Craig Morrison, his co-pilot on a commercial aircraft years earlier, and the two still hold animosity for each other. Meanwhile, Blackie and Heathcliff persuade a colonel to allow them to join the Air Corps as ground crewman. They fall in love with twin USO hostesses. Once romance takes hold, Blackie and Heathcliff take their girls back to the same carnival they were fired from. The owner is not pleased to see Heathcliff and chases him through the fun house. Heathcliff somehow ends up telling his troubles to a gorilla. Jinx hatches a plan to help Jimmy solo by abandoning him in mid-air. Jimmy is nearly killed landing the plane. Linda deplores Jinx for his ill-conceived actions and he, along with Blackie and Heathcliff, who have had several mishaps of their own, are discharged from the air corps. In an aerial display during graduation, Craig parachutes out of a plane but gets his chute caught on the tail end of the aircraft. Jinx, watching from the ground, confiscates an aircraft and flies to his rescue. For his heroic actions, Jinx is reinstated and wins back Linda's affections.

Cast

Bud Abbott William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known as the straight man in the comedy duo Abbott and Costello. Early life Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New Jer ...

as Blackie Benson *

Lou Costello Louis Francis Cristillo (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as Lou Costello, was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his double act with Bud Abbott and their routine " Who's on First?". Abbott and Cos ...

as Heathcliff *

as Gloria Phelps / Barbara Phelps * Carol Bruce as Linda Joyce *

William Gargan William Dennis Gargan (July 17, 1905February 16, 1979) was an American film, television and radio actor. He was the 5th recipient of the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award in 1967, and in 1941, was nominated for the Academy Award for Be ...

as Craig Morrison * Dick Foran as Jinx Roberts * Charles Lang as Jim Joyce * William Davidson as Gonigle * Truman Bradley as Butch * Loring Smith as Maj. Barstow * William Forrest as Colonel *

Freddie Slack Frederick Charles Slack (August 7, 1910 – August 10, 1965) was an American swing and boogie-woogie pianist and bandleader. Life and career Slack was born in Westby, Wisconsin, United States. He learned to play drums as a boy. Later he took ...

as Pianist

Production

''Keep 'Em Flying'' was filmed at the Cal-Aero Academy in

Ontario, California Ontario is a city in southwestern San Bernardino County, California, United States, east of downtown Los Angeles and west of downtown San Bernardino, the county seat. Located in the western part of the Inland Empire metropolitan area, it lies ...

from September 5-October 29, 1941 under the working title ''Up in the Air''. Costello's brother Pat Costello was used as Lou's stunt double.Furmanek and Palumbo 1991, p. 68.

Cinematographer The cinematographer or director of photography (sometimes shortened to DP or DOP) is the person responsible for the recording of a film, television production, music video or other live-action piece. The cinematographer is the chief of the camera ...

Elmer Dyer filmed the aerial sequences with

Paul Mantz Albert Paul Mantz (August 2, 1903 – July 8, 1965) was an American air racing and movie stunt pilot and consultant from the late 1930s until his death in the mid-1960s. He gained fame on two stages: Hollywood and in air races. Early years Ma ...

looking after the aerial "stunts". Although ''Keep 'Em Flying'' was filmed after '' Ride 'Em Cowboy'', the film was released first to coincide with the War Department's ''Keep 'Em Flying Week''.

Reception

Reviews from critics were generally not as positive as those for previous Abbott and Costello films.

Bosley Crowther Francis Bosley Crowther Jr. (July 13, 1905 – March 7, 1981) was an American journalist, writer, and film critic for ''The New York Times'' for 27 years. His work helped shape the careers of many actors, directors and screenwriters, though some ...

of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' found (the), "routine and sticky" plot overly intrusive on the duo's antics and concluded that "As sustained entertainment ... 'Keep 'Em Flying' doesn't heed its own advice. Too often it hits the ground with a dull, resounding plop." '' Variety'' wrote: "'Keep 'Em Flying' is the fourth release starring Abbott and Costello within a 10-month stretch. It indicates that the boys are appearing too often with their burlycue type of roustabout comedy to remain in public popularity for any length of time, unless new material is provided for their screen appearances. Too many of the numerous laugh routines displayed here are only slight variations of previous material, with resultant loss of audience reaction." However, ''

Film Daily ''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informati ...

'' reported: "Easily as good as before and maybe funnier, Abbott & Costello score again in another laugh-fest that's primed for top grosses." ''

Harrison's Reports ''Harrison's Reports'' was a New York City–based motion picture trade journal published weekly from 1919 to 1962. The typical issue was four letter-size pages sent to subscribers under a second-class mail permit. Its founder, editor and publish ...

'' wrote, "Here's another Abbott and Costello picture that will set audiences roaring with laughter." John Mosher of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

'' called the film "a bit too usual. Many may even feel that the Costello squeal is getting feebler." ''Diabolique'' magazine in 2019 argued it was the only one of Lubin's films with the duo that was not "first rate entertainment."

Re-release

''Keep 'Em Flying'' was re-released by Realart Pictures with '' Ride 'Em Cowboy'' in 1949, and with '' Buck Privates'' in 1953.

Home media

''Keep 'Em Flying'' has been released twice on DVD. The first time, on ''The Best of Abbott and Costello Volume One'', on February 10, 2004, and again on October 28, 2008 as part of ''Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection''."The Complete Universal Pictures Collection: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello: Movies & TV.:
''Nuance Communications'' (''Amazon.com''), February 3, 2012. Retrieved: July 2, 2019.

References

Notes

Citations

Bibliography

* Dick, Bernard F. ''City of Dreams: The Making and Remaking of Universal Pictures''. Lexington, Kentucky: Kentucky University Press, 1997. . * Farmer, James H. ''Celluloid Wings: The Impact of Movies on Aviation'' (1st ed.). Blue Ridge Summit, Pennsylvania: TAB Books 1984. . * Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo. ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood''. New York: Perigee Books, 1991. . * Mulholland, 'Jim. ''The Abbott and Costello Book''. New York: Popular Library, 1977. . * Paris, Michael. ''From the Wright Brothers to Top gun: Aviation, Nationalism, and Popular Cinema.'' Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press, 1995. . * Pendo, Stephen. ''Aviation in the Cinema''. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press, 1985. . * Wynne, H. Hugh. ''The Motion Picture Stunt Pilots and Hollywood's Classic Aviation Movies''. Missoula, Montana: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 1987. .

External links

* * {{Arthur Lubin 1941 films Abbott and Costello films American black-and-white films Films directed by Arthur Lubin American aviation films Military comedy films Universal Pictures films 1941 comedy films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films