Film

Who Done It?

Name: Who Done It?
Genre: Comedy, Mystery
Released: 1942
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Patric Knowles, Louise Allbritton, Mary Wickes

Comedy
Crime
Light-hearted

Abbott and Costello stumble into a real murder investigation at a radio station while pitching their own mystery script. It's a swift, affable farce that trades on their gift for physical comedy and rapid-fire banter, with a genuine whodunit plot underneath. Comfort food for fans of their earlier work, and a perfect entry point if you've never seen them before.

TMDb rating

3.5

If you liked this

Buck Privates1941

Their first film together, where Abbott and Costello's music-hall timing is already sharp and the military-camp setting gives endless material for their routines. Essential viewing for understanding why they became stars.

But The plot is almost willfully thin, and some of the ethnic humour has not aged well. Mostly it's an excuse for sketches.

In the Navy1941

Another 1941 gem where the duo's anarchic energy perfectly fits a naval base setting. Faster-paced than Who Done It? with better musical numbers and some of their best verbal sparring.

But The appeal rests entirely on finding them funny; there's no character development or dramatic stakes. Not your film if you find their style grating.

The Time of Their Lives1946

A ghost comedy that genuinely tries something different: Abbott and Costello as separate ghosts in different centuries, allowing for some inventive physical comedy and an actual romantic subplot to care about.

But The novelty wears off by the second act. It's more ambitious than it is successful.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Who Done It?

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Sullivan's Travels1941

Both are 1941-42 Hollywood comedies about the power and purpose of making people laugh in wartime, and both are fundamentally kind films. Sturges is asking why Abbott and Costello matter; this answers it.

Preston Sturges' masterpiece about a comedy director who disguises himself as a hobo to understand suffering. It's a meditation on the value of laughter during dark times, and it reframes what comedy is for—exactly the conversation Who Done It? sits inside.

But It's dramatic and occasionally heartbreaking in ways that have nothing to do with gags. If you want pure laughs, this will feel like tonal whiplash.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man1951

Takes their formula into Universal horror territory, which is inspired casting. Good blend of slapstick and creature-feature atmosphere, and the invisible-man gimmick creates genuinely funny set pieces.

But The monster-movie plot gets bogged down; you're mostly waiting for the next routine.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Invisible Man poster

Little Giant1946

Costello as a meek small-town guy trying to break into advertising in the big city. It's surprisingly touching, and their dynamic works better when there's a hint of real character beneath the gags.

But The sentimentality may feel at odds with what you want from them. Some will find it cloying.

Pardon My Sarong1942

A Caribbean island romp with better production values than their usual fare, some genuine charm, and one of their most purely fun setups. Lighter and breezier than most of their output.

But Plot is negligible, and the exotica-film tropes haven't aged gracefully. It's mostly just two guys being silly in Hawaiian shirts.

Abbott and Costello Go to Mars1953

Late-era Abbott and Costello taking on sci-fi, which should be terrible but somehow mostly works. The Mars setting is cheap but cheerful, and they commit fully to the absurdity.

But By the 1950s their act was getting tired, and this feels padded out. The space effects are hilariously unconvincing.

Here Come the Co-Eds1945

A college setting gives them great material, and there's a real sense of affection for the characters around them. One of their more cohesive films, with actual plot momentum.

But Relies heavily on 1940s college-comedy stereotypes that feel stale now. The romance subplots don't add much.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff1949

The title alone is worth it, and Karloff's deadpan brilliance opposite their hysteria creates an unexpectedly weird chemistry. A later film, but still has their energy intact.

But The mystery plot is genuinely confusing and not in a fun way. The pacing drags in the middle.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff poster

The Killers1946

Both are short, punchy films built around a murder mystery unfolding in layers. Who Done It? is the jukebox version; The Killers is the symphony. Same skeleton, opposite register.

Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner in Robert Siodmak's noir masterpiece about a boxer's mysterious past. It's got the same post-heist whodunit DNA as Who Done It?, except it's tense and beautiful instead of frantic and silly.

But It's deadly serious and visually dark. If you're watching this to follow up Abbott and Costello, the tonal shift will feel jarring.

Singin' in the Rain1952

Both celebrate early-1940s Hollywood and the scrappy joy of performers making people laugh. One is unpolished and sincere; the other is polished to a mirror shine. Together they're a portrait of what that moment felt like from the inside.

Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds in what may be cinema's purest expression of joy. It's about Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films, and it swims in the same era and spirit as Who Done It?, but with infinitely more craft.

But It's so perfect and so beloved that coming to it fresh can feel like watching a monument. The charm can feel distant if you're not in the mood for it.