The Time of Their Lives

"Lou haunts a house - for free!!"

1946 1h 22m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 53

ComedyFantasyHorror

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Two ghosts, who were mistakenly branded as traitors during the Revolutionary War, return to 20th century New England to retrieve a letter from George Washington which would prove their innocence.

“Lou haunts a house - for free!!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Bud Abbott
Cuthbert Greenway / Dr. Ralph Greenway
Lou Costello
Horatio Prim
Marjorie Reynolds
Melody Allen
Binnie Barnes
Mildred Dean
John Shelton
Sheldon Gage
Gale Sondergaard
Emily
Lynn Baggett
June Prescott
Jess Barker
Thomas Danbury

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Charles Barton
Writers: Val Burton, Bradford Ropes, Walter DeLeon
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

82 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

80 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Charles Barton, shot by Charles Van Enger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Milton Rosen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Philip Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and Marjorie Reynolds carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Lou haunts a house - for free!!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0039037 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Charles Barton directs. Charles Van Enger behind the camera. Milton Rosen scores. Philip Cahn cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

182 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
280 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Charles Barton, shot by Charles Van Enger. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Milton Rosen. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Philip Cahn shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and Marjorie Reynolds carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "Lou haunts a house - for free!!".
8IMDB entry: tt0039037 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 53 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 13 themes, including "new york city", "robbery", "haunted house", "mistaken identity".

The technical file

Cinematography: Charles Van Enger
Original score: Milton Rosen
Editing: Philip Cahn
Costume design: Rosemary Odell
Runtime: 82 min · 1h 22m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Time of Their Lives (1946)

Also by

Charles Barton

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Phills22026-06-22
★ 7/10
This is such a corny long ago movie for me. I haven't seen it before since 45 years ago. But every minute the ghosts are on screen they reverse a rule they made before. They can walk though objects and walls, but they can pick them up, too. They can touch people and move them or be felt. Lou and Bud have a lot of slapstick together while Horatio haunts the house, so who says they weren't working as a team. Hilarious, but a bit drawn out too long.

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