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The quirky 1952 film "Jack and the Beanstalk" was directed by Jean Yarbrough, who began his career in silent films. Yarbrough gained a reputation for directing terrible films, but was seen as an asset in Hollywood because he was known for meeting deadlines and staying under budget. He did this however, by ignoring lines that were messed up by actors and neglecting to fix mistakes that were made while taping. Yarbrough directed his first feature, "Rebellious Daughters" in 1938, working for the Poverty Row Company at the start of his directing career and eventually moving on to Monogram, which was later known as Allied Artists. His career took an unexpected upswing when he began working with the legendary comedy team, Abbot and Costello in 1944. Yarbrough worked with Abbott and Costello in their lesser films but were nevertheless, the films were extremely popular. Yarbrough went on to direct ten episodes of the comedy team's television show and soon became one of the most in-demand directors working in Hollywood. He remained active in films until his old age.
As one might guess, Yarbrough features Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in "Jack and the Beanstalk". Abbott was cast into the role of Mr. Dinkel. Abbott began working as a child by participating in carnivals. He dropped out of school in 1909 and went to work as assistant treasurer for the Casino Theater in Brooklyn. He then went on to work as a treasurer or manager for various theaters around the country.
In 1930 Abbott formed what would become an immensely famous comedy team with Lou Costello. Costello, who played the role of Jack in Yarbrough's "Jack and the Beanstalk", was a former amateur boxer who was born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey. He dropped out of high school and headed west with the hopes of breaking into the movies. He got a job as a carpenter for MGM and Warners. He went from being a carpenter to a stuntman to a vaudeville as a comic, working mostly on his own until he met Abbott.
Throughout the 30s the team worked burlesque, minstrel shows, vaudeville and movie houses. In 1938 the pair got national exposure through the Kate Smith Hour radio show. In 1939 they signed with Universal for their film debut, "One Night of the Tropics" which was released in 1940. In 1941, their movie "Buck Privates", which they did with the Andrews Sisters, grossed what was then a company record of $10 million. In 1942 Abbott and Costello topped a poll of Hollywood stars and in the mid to late 40s they had their own radio show for ABC and then NBC. The pair split up in 1957 with both actors completely out of money after troubles with the Internal Revenue Service. An Abbott and Costello comic book was published for ten years until their partnership ended. Abbott attempted to start over in the 60s with a new partner, Candy Candido, but failed.
Abbott and Costello are the only non-sportsmen honored in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York for their "Who's On First" routine.
Yarbrough cast Buddy Baer for the roles of Sgt. Riley and the Giant in "Jack and the Beanstalk". Baer's birthname was Jacob Henry Baer. He grew to a great height of 6' 6" and was the younger brother of the heavyweight prizefighter, Max Baer, who eventually turned to acting. Throughout his career, Buddy Baer frequently played the roles of giants in films. On television, he acted in many Western programs during the genre's peak. As a boxer, Baer had a 50-7 record with 43 knockouts and was the highest paid boxer for a professional debut until Sugar Ray Leonard. He retired from boxing after being knocked out by Joe Louis in the first round of their rematch. Baer was known for his tendency to indulge in the nightlife and party scene, which prevented him from reaching his potential in Hollywood.
