Abbott and Costello in Hollywood is the third of three films that Abbott and Costello made for MGM, having been loaned to the studio by Universal to do so. It was released in 1945.
Buzz Curtis (Abbott) and Abercrombie (Costello) work for a Hollywood salon, doing barbering and shoe shining. While on assignment at the office of agent Norman Royce, the pair meet Jeff Parker, who's been trying to break into the film business. Though he's talented, when major film star Gregory LeMaise arrives and hears Royce offering Parker a shot at the part LeMaise had turned down, he immediately decides to take it anyway so the younger man can't. In response, Buzz and Abercrombie decide to become agents and try to get Parker into the business, though they don't have the easiest time of it due to LeMaise continuing to interfere when it seems Parker might end up in the part rather than him.
This film contains examples of:
- Climbing Climax: A portion of the final sequence involves Abercrombie and LeMaise chasing one another all over a roller coaster, Abercrombie fleeing and LeMaise initially trying to catch him to prove his innocence in the matter of Abercrombie's murder before snapping and trying to kill him for real.
- Comically Missing the Point: When Buzz tells Abercrombie to call him a cab, Abercrombie replies "You're a cab."
- Covered in Gunge: Early on, while practicing shaving a customer (actually a balloon), Abercrombie messes up and pops the balloon, resulting in him getting covered in shaving cream. Then he does it again due to accidentally heating up the razor.
- Double Take: After uttering some gibberish to a studio police officer, a disguised Abercrombie is asked "What's that mean?" Abercrombie replies, "I don't know, I don't speak English." before walking off. The cop promptly does a double-take, but Abercrombie's gone by then and he can't do anything.
- Driven by Envy: Gregory LeMaise does not appreciate anyone else who could be a potential rival getting a leading role in a movie, even if he'd turned it down, and actively works to sabotage the younger and talented Jeff Parker when the latter tries to get a part that LeMaise had recently turned down.
- Extreme Omnivore: While trying to shave a customer, Abercrombie ends up eating some of the shaving cream. By the look on his face, he actually enjoys the taste.
- Failed a Spot Check: While practicing shaving a customer (using a balloon), Abercrombie doesn't look where he's setting the razor down and puts it on a turned-on hot plate, resulting in his popping the balloon for the second time that day.
- Financial Abuse: Buzz is supposedly teaching Abercrombie everything he knows about barbering, and charging for the lessons, but it's really just a thinly-disguised way of cheating Abercrombie out of his money, as their coworker (and Abercrombie's girlfriend) Ruthie points out. Buzz later outright admits he'd been doing it.
- Frame-Up: Buzz and Abercrombie try to do this to LeMaise by photographing him in the act of punching Abercrombie to get him fired from the movie. He ends up getting framed for Abercrombie's murder after his punch sends Abercrombie into the water, where he supposedly drowns... and ultimately gets arrested for really trying to murder Abercrombie.
- Global Ignorance: Abercrombie initially thinks Des Moine, Iowa, is right next to Patterson, New Jersey, until Buzz corrects him.
- I Can't Hear You: In one sequence, Abercrombie offers Buzz some cotton earplugs so that he won't hear a sleep-inducing record that Abercrombie's using to cure his insomnia. Unfortunately, whoever's wearing them can't hear a thing, so Buzz can't hear Abercrombie talking to him once he puts them in, or hear the point where he's supposed to turn the record off.
- Mythology Gag: While in a classroom on the studio lot, Abercrombie is trying to tell the story of Little Red Riding Hood to the kids in the class, and describes a woodcutter who's sitting on the top of a very tall tree before asking the kids how they think he got up there. One replies, "He sat on it when it was an acorn."
- Nobody Here but Us Statues: At one point, Abercrombie ends up mistaken for a prop dummy, and is used in filming a scene where the film's character of Klondike Pete is supposed to beat him up and then throw him off a higher floor.
- Not Now, We're Too Busy Crying Over You: When Buzz thinks Abercrombie has drowned, he begins mourning and wishing he'd been nicer to Abercrombie, only for Abercrombie to show up and commiserate with him. Once Buzz finally realizes that it's Abercrombie crying on his shoulder, he immediately reverts back to his old self and slaps Abercrombie.
- Short-Distance Phone Call: Abercrombie tries to call his girlfriend, but ends up dialing the number of another phone in the same room and having a phone conversation with himself, and then with Buzz when he asks the latter to take the phone and talk to the other guy.
- Squirrels in My Pants: After falling in the water and supposedly drowning, Abercrombie ends up with a lobster in his pants, freaking out when he later discovers it.
- Stuff Blowing Up: During the climax, Abercrombie and LeMaise are running around on a set rigged to blow after a musical number is finished. Abercrombie ends up setting it off at just the right time, right as LeMaise is attacking him.
- Tempting Fate: In the bar, after removing his disguise, Abercrombie says "I hope I trusted the right guy." Cue the other man removing his own disguise to reveal Gregory LeMaise, the man framed for Abercrombie's murder, and Abercrombie fleeing while LeMaise chases after him.
- "Test Your Strength" Game: During the climax, while running around the set to avoid LeMaise, Abercrombie ends up on one of these before another actor hits it, sending Abercrombie up to hit his head on the bell.
- Watch the Paint Job: After Mr. Kavanaugh tells a couple of valets that he's just gotten his car out of the repair shop, he tells the valet guys to be careful with it. Cue Buzz and Abercrombie crashing into it in "their'' car.
- What's a Henway?: While in the bar waiting for Buzz, Abercrombie meets a disguised LeMaise, who asks him, "Why don't you take a drink anew?" At Abercrombie's confused "What's new?", the other man replies "Nothing, what's new with you?"
