The Noose Hangs High

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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in The Noose Hangs High (1948)

Two window washers mistakenly receive, and lose, $50,000 belonging to a shady bookie, and have only forty-eight hours to retrieve the money.Two window washers mistakenly receive, and lose, $50,000 belonging to a shady bookie, and have only forty-eight hours to retrieve the money.Two window washers mistakenly receive, and lose, $50,000 belonging to a shady bookie, and have only forty-eight hours to retrieve the money.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

1.2K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos11

+ 5

Top cast48

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Bud Abbott

Ted Higgins

Lou Costello

Tommy Hinchcliffe

Joseph Calleia

Nick Craig

Leon Errol

Julius Caesar 'J.C.' McBride

Cathy Downs

Carol Blair

Mike Mazurki

Chuck

Fritz Feld

Psychiatrist

Elvia Allman

Woman
(uncredited)

Lois Austin

Woman on Street
(uncredited)

Harry Brown

Upson
(uncredited)

Fred Browne

Waiter
(uncredited)

Ellen Corby

Hilda - the Maid
(uncredited)

Irmgard Dawson

Girl
(uncredited)

Jimmie Dodd

Messenger
(uncredited)

Pat Flaherty

Tough Driver
(uncredited)

James Flavin

Traffic Cop
(uncredited)

Bess Flowers

Fainting Psychiatrist's Patient
(uncredited)

Arno Frey

Headwaiter
(uncredited)

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
In one scene, Lou Costello bets on a horse named "Lolly C". That is an inside joke, referring to Costello's mother, Helen Cristillo, who was an Associate Producer on this film.

Quotes
Ted Higgins: What makes you so dumb?
Tommy Hinchcliffe: It just comes naturally.

Connections
Edited into Oh, My Achin' Tooth! (1954)

User reviews27

Review

Featured review

8/10

An undervalued A&C gem...one of their best

If you're a fan of Abbott and Costello routines, then "The Noose Hangs High" is for you. Numerous routines are packed into this film, including "Dress/Undress," "Someplace Else," "Fodder/Mudder," etc. The boys display these routines with flair and show how much they enjoy them.

The plot involves A&C as window washers mistaken as messengers by a bookie who must make good a $50,000 bet with a man who never loses a bet (played by Leon Errol). The money ends up in an envelope sent to a secretary (Cathy Downs) who spends all but $2,000 of it. The comedy and plot follows A&C and Downs as they try to raise the rest of the money.

"Noose Hangs High" was filmed in late 1947 at Eagle-Lion studios. A&C's new contract with Universal allowed them one independent production a year, and "Noose" was it. Not part of the Universal package when their films were syndicated to television, "Noose" has fallen through the cracks and is one of their least familiar films to moviewatchers. The fact that the film has almost no reputation does not hinder its quality; the laughs are constant and the plot is good, ranking this film among A&C's best. 8 out of 10.