Abbott, Costello, and Xena

Before I go to work in the mornings, I enjoy watching Steven Sears' "Swamp Thing" on the Sci-Fi channel. It makes my concerns look like fluff in comparison. (I get to see Gabby's deceased hubby, too.) In honor of Columbus Day today, however, "Swamp Thing" wasn't on. Instead, there was a marathon of Abbott and Costello Sci-Fi movies.

At 7:00 am I was watching "Abbott and Costello go to Mars", but their rocket ship took them to Venus. The Abbott and Costello version of that planet was far different from Robert Heinlein's version. Heinlien had fish people (kind of like the Swamp Thing) while Abbott and Costello's planet was populated by women who detested men....like the Amazons in the old Wonder Woman Comic Books. Well, to each his own Venus.

Before I had to leave the house, Lou Abbott was exploring the planet and found a group of women practicing throwing chakram-like discs through a target. They really weren't too good at the throwing part (although through the magic of film, the discs did hit the target each time). The film was released in 1953 and I do not know if the Frisbee had been produced yet or not. I think it fostered good disc throwing skills in my generation.

I thought it was interesting that in 1953, somebody in Hollywood had already come up with the idea of a group of warrior women on film using round throwing thingies as weapons.

I have long equated Lucy's style of great comedy with that of Abbott and Costello, so it was fun to see this relationship today,,,even though I missed "Swamp Thing".

Taram
*BOX*
mreinhar@infoway.lib.nm.us