US Release date: 22 August 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 4 November 1950
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Running time: 84 minutes
Director: Charles Barton
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello & Boris Karloff
Australian Distributor: Universal
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Union’s Liberty Theatre for two weeks from 22 September 1950 supported by Mr Peabody and the Mermaid
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts 11-W-1
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 137 | 160 |
| EF PPE | 3.04 | 175 |
| Metres Travelled | 413,877 | 231 |
| Average MT | 9,197 | 332 |
| Engagements | 45 | 177 |
| Slots | 52 | 173 |
| Weeks | 6 | 155 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 13.33% | 171 |
| Saturdays | 14 | 166 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 31.11% | 208 |
| Tuesdays | 25 | 56 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 55.56% | 68 |
| First billed | 23 | 153 |
| Second billed | 21 | 147 |
| Feature only | 1 | 20 |
Hoyts ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 39 |
| Ratio | 86.67% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.69% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.22% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.17% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 5 |
| Ratio | 11.11% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 8.87% |
| Hoyts eng | 25 |
| Ratio | 55.56% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -10.22% |
| Independent eng | 6 |
| Ratio | 13.33% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 1.83% |
| Suburban eng | 14 |
| Ratio | 31.11% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 8.39% |
Notes: Abbott and Costello laughs and chills with Boris Karloff providing the latter had over half of its engagements on Tuesday nights when first billed against I was a Shoplifter and took the support role on Saturdays for Broken Arrow. sticking close to the city it was a decent mid-tier performer for Hoyts.
Meet the Killer engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Corridor of Mirrors |
| Coburg | Town Hall | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | S | 1 | Corridor of Mirrors |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | S | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | S | 1 | The Decision of Christopher Blake |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| St. Kilda | Memorial | Hoyts | 4/11/50 | 1 | W | 1 | The Rustlers |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 11/11/50 | 2 | S | 2 | Spawn of the North |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 11/11/50 | 2 | S | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 11/11/50 | 2 | S | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 11/11/50 | 2 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 11/11/50 | 2 | T | 2 | The Unafraid |
| Essendon | Circle | Hoyts | 11/11/50 | 2 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 11/11/50 | 2 | W | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 11/11/50 | 2 | W | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 11/11/50 | 2 | W | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 18/11/50 | 3 | S | 2 | Spawn of the North |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 18/11/50 | 3 | S | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 18/11/50 | 3 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 18/11/50 | 3 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 18/11/50 | 3 | W | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 25/11/50 | 4 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 25/11/50 | 4 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 25/11/50 | 4 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 25/11/50 | 4 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 25/11/50 | 4 | T | 1 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 2/12/50 | 5 | S | 2 | If I Had a Million |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 2/12/50 | 5 | T | 2 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 2/12/50 | 5 | T | 2 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 2/12/50 | 5 | T | 2 | I Was a Shoplifter |
| Clifton Hill | Clifton | Suburban | 2/12/50 | 5 | W | 2 | Cheaper by the Dozen |
| Box Hill | Regent | Suburban | 16/12/50 | 7 | S | FO | FO |
| West Preston | Rivoli | Independent | 23/12/50 | 8 | T | 2 | Broken Arrow |
| Oakleigh | Plaza | Independent | 30/12/50 | 9 | T | 1 | Flaxy Martin |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 30/12/50 | 9 | T | 2 | She Wore a Yellow Ribbon |
| Pascoe Vale | Tasma | Suburban | 27/1/51 | 13 | S | 2 | The Lady Gambles |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 5/5/51 | 27 | T | 2 | The Ghost Goes West |
| North Richmond | Victoria | Independent | 2/6/51 | 31 | S | 2 | Task Force |
| South Melbourne | Empire | Suburban | 16/6/51 | 33 | T | 1 | Yes Sir! That’s My Baby |
| West Coburg | Progress | Independent | 25/8/51 | 43 | T | 2 | East Side West Side |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 1/9/51 | 44 | S | 2 | City Lights |
The 1950 Project 