Tonight- “Abbott and Costello Go To Mars” (No, Not the Candy Company…)

Yes, tonight on MeTV, Bud and Lou are headed to Mars- not the makers of Snickers, though the end product is really half nuts (see what I did there?)- it's a planetary panic when the boys get into the rocket racket in "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars"!

In this later (1953)  adventure of the comedy duo, we meet Lou, whose lifelong dream is to be able to fly. Somehow, he ends up on a truck heading to a secret government base, where Bud happens to be working unloading shipments. Also somehow,  a scientist is expected on this secret base, and Lou is mistaken for said dignitary (yeah, that seems plausible...)! There is major confusion when the real scientist arrives, and a scientific brain trust gets to work on deciding exactly where their latest rocket should be sent. This becomes a moot point, because- as one would expect-Bud and Lou  are working on getting the ship loaded, and, in the process, they accidentally launch the rocket! (Is it REALLY that easy to do? In this movie- yes!)

The wayward spaceship cause some  turmoil as it weaves around the airspace of New York City- before it finally heads out into space. Bud and Lou, thorough more luck than brains, manage to finally land the rocket- and are convinced that they have indeed touched down on the red planet Mars- little realizing they are actually back home on Mother Earth. However, they've landed in an area where a certain celebration is in full swing- with plenty of odd sights and enough costumed people to convince them that they are meeting alien species on an unfamiliar planet.  While they continue to explore this new world, a pair of half-witted  escapees from a local prison find their space ship- and help themselves to space suits and weaponry which they can use to commit a crime!

When the authorities canvas the area in  search of the dastardly duo who pulled off the caper, of course, Bud and Lou, who are also in space suits, are the main suspects- and must avoid capture and return to the safety of their rocket, which isn't that safe, since the robbers have also returned to the ship! For those who think lightning never strikes twice in the same place- sorry, but, once again, the rocket is accidentally launched one more time- only, this time, it makes its way to outer space! Our motley crew endures various odd conditions in space, until they finally end up ready to land on a distant planet...but, not quite the one they'd planned on!

This  planet ,populated by a bevy of beautiful women, is, of course, Venus- where  men are considered the enemy and have been banned for years!  Bud and Lou work to co-exist with the women and their sultry queen, while the criminal duo scheme to take power- and anything else they can lay their hands on. Will the boys convince the girls that the masculine gender should be welcomed- or will it be time to blast off in a hasty retreat and try to finally get to Mars?!

Bud and Lou took this  side trip from meeting monsters to dabble in a little science fiction-much like the 3 Stooges later did in a couple of their full-length features in the 60s. We'll let you decide who did it better- and we'll also fill you in on the interstellar stars in this movie's cast- including one female guard who later became a notable star! And- speaking of the 3 Stooges- you might just recognize one veteran of their Columbia shorts! Plus- we've got a whole load of Sven space shtick for you to enjoy!

“Abbott and Costello Go to Mars” launches tonight on MeTV at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 central, or check for local time and channel in your local listings or at www.metv.com. In Chicago, local viewers will get  a second trip to the "Island of Lost Souls" at 111 am on our sister station, WCIU, the U!

Is it a coincidence that our show has Abbott and Costello launching a rocket into the sky- on 4th of July weekend? Please enjoy the movie - and a safe holiday- we want you back with us in the weeks to come!