Rixflix A to Z: Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Perhaps, "A Killer", not "The Killer", would be more appropriate. Karloff's "phony", as the police put it, swami may have no qualms about hypnotizing Costello's bellhop character into offing himself, but he is only one of many suspects residing in a hotel swarming with police looking for the murderer of an attorney. Karloff is great fun in the swami role, but he also disappears largely from the film after some good early scenes. Costello booby-traps his room to try and catch the real killer, but naturally his traps backfire in numerous places. Of course, many murders occur in the meantime, and of course, Lou will get the blame for all of them, but that's the fun part, right? Watching the pudgy little guy bluster and whistle and sweat his way from bad situation to worse situation, all the while both aided and blocked by his best pal Abbott. That's what A&C are all about, and this one delivers the goods, albeit in a reduced fashion. Still fun...