Orville (Lou Costello) is a 38-year-old orphan living in the Hideaway Home for Orphans. When he accidentally breaks a window, he hides inside a nearby van to try to avoid trouble. Driving the truck is Lester (Bud Abbott). Not knowing that Orville is hiding, Lester closes the back door of the van and drives to his next destination, a secret rocket facility. Orville is discovered and ends up assigned to Lester as his helper. The two men are assigned the task of loading supplies into the rocket ship. Being total nincompoops, the two manage to launch the rocket. On the ground watching the rocket take off is Dr. Wilson (Robert Paige), the designer of the rocket. There is nothing Wilson can do but watch the rocket fly around.
After some fancy maneuvers, the spaceship, along with Orville and Lester, lands in the Louisiana bayou, near New Orleans, during Mardi Gras. Orville and Lester believe that they have landed on the planet Mars. They put on their spacesuits and venture out. When they find people dressed in costumes, they think they are talking to Martians.
Also in the bayou are two escaped convicts, Mugsy (Horace McMahon) and Harry (Jack Kruschen). When they find the spaceship, they look inside and find extra spacesuits. The two escapees put on the spacesuits and find that they come with really neat ray guns that freeze people in place. In the suits and using the ray guns to disable the guard and tellers, Mugsy and Harry rob a bank and a clothing store. Orville and Lester are accused of being the robbers and are hunted by the police.
Lester and Orville race back to the spaceship but are taken hostage by Mugsy and Harry where they are forced to launch the ship and actually head for Mars. Lester and Orville regain control of the situation and try to land back on Earth but because they are stupid, they end up landing on Venus and are captured by Amazon women led by Queen Allura (Mari Blanchard). Needless to say, they never actually get to Mars.
“Abbott and Costello Go to Mars” was released in 1953 and was directed by Charles Lamont. It is an American science fiction comedy fantasy film.
The movie is very similar to most of the 50’s science fiction comedies of the time. A bunch of schlubs land on a planet inhabited by beautiful women and proceed to destroy their way of life. It’s a similar theme as movies like “Nude on the Moon” 1961, “Missile to the Moon” 1958 and “Queen of Outer Space” 1958. The only real difference is that it has a more slapstick style.
It’s not my favorite film by the duo but it is what it is, an Abbott and Costello comedy with little skits and lots of one liners and pratfalls. It’s entertaining and keeps to most of the A&C comedy formula.
Many of the Venusian women were played by the Miss Universe contestants from 1952.