Abbott and Costello, film clowns and comedy stars of stage, screen and television | clown ministry | History

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Introduction to Abbott and Costello, one of the greatest comedy teams of all time

Abbott and Costello was a legendary comedy team, consisting of Bud Abbott, the tall, thin straight man, and Lou Costello, the short, pudgy comic. They were famous for their rapid-fire verbal exchanges, and Costello’s clownish view of the world. Like Laurel and Hardy, they were a visual contrast - the tall, debonair Bud Abbott, and the short, goofy, unkempt Lou Costello. In fact, when they were hired by Universal Studios, the studio was thinking of them as a more up-to-date version of Laurel and Hardy.

Abbott and Costello initially teamed up in 1931 when Bud Abbott was working at a Brooklyn theater, and Lou Costello asked him to fill in for his act’s straight man, who had taken ill. Throughout the 1930’s Abbott and Costello built and polished their act in vaudeville and burlesque theaters, using well-known vaudeville routines.

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In 1938, they came to national prominence after performing on the radio show The Kate Smith Hour, which lead to Abbott and Costello signing a movie contract with Universal Studios the next year. In 1940, Abbott and Costello released their first film, One Night in the Tropics, in which they were only supposed to be supporting roles, but they ended up stealing the show, notably with an abridged version of their classic "Who's on First?" routine. They were quickly propelled to stardom, starring in the movies, their own radio show and television program.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello swiftly became box office sensations, and one of the most popular comedy teams of all times, creating dozens of movies (as well as radio shows, a ground-breaking television show, and their own comic book series) over the next twenty years.

In 1957, the team separated, due to internal stresses as well as virtual bankruptcy, due to tax issues with the IRS. Lou Costello died the next year, due to a weakened heart after his exposure to Rheumatic Fever during World War II.

In 1994, comedian Jerry Seinfeld hosted the television special, Abbott and Costello meet Jerry Seinfeld which aired on NBC to over 20 million homes.

Filmography of Abbott and Costello

One Night in the Tropics, 1940
Buck Privates, 1941
In The Navy, 1941
Hold That Ghost, 1941
Keep 'Em Flying, 1941
Ride 'Em Cowboy, 1942
Rio Rita, 1942
Pardon My Sarong, 1942
Who Done It?, 1942
It Ain't Hay, 1943
Hit The Ice, 1943
In Society, 1944
Lost In A Harem, 1944
Here Come The Co-eds, 1945
The Naughty Nineties, 1945
Abbott & Costello In Hollywood, 1945
Little Giant, 1946
The Time Of Their Lives, 1946
Buck Privates Come Home, 1947
The Wistful Widow Of Wagon Gap, 1947
The Noose Hangs High, 1948
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, 1948
Mexican Hayride, 1948
Abbott and Costello Meet The Killer: Boris Karloff, 1949
Africa Screams, 1949
Abbott and Costello In The Foreign Legion, 1950
Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man, 1951
Comin' Round The Mountain, 1951
Jack And The Beanstalk, 1952
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd, 1952
Lost In Alaska, 1952
Abbott and Costello Go To Mars, 1953
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, 1954
Abbott and Costello Meet The Keystone Cops, 1955
Abbott and Costello Meet The Mummy, 1955
Dance With Me Henry, 1956
The Abbott and Costello Show, 1952-53

Articles on Abbott and Costello

Bud Abbott biography
- The Man Everyone Forgot - interview with Bud Abbott after the death of Lou Costello, after his bankruptcy courtesy of the IRS
Lou Costello biography
- How I Fought Back - article by Lou Costello, telling of his recovery from rheumatic fever
- My Cure For Sorrow - article by Lou Costello, telling how he dealt with the loss of his son
The Feud of Abbott & Costello

Abbott & Costello - famous routines
- Hertz U-Drive - Abbott and Costello need to rent a car from Hertz. U-Drive? No, I'll drive!
- Jonah and the Apples - routine with Lou Costello trying to tell a joke, despite constant interruptions from Bud Abbott
- Susquehanna Hat Company - also known as Bagel Street or Fluegel Street - where Lou has to deliver some hats - what could possibly go wrong?
- Slowly I Turned - the vaudeville routine made famous by the Three Stooges, as performed by Abbott and Costello
- Turkey Sandwich and a Cup of Coffee - classic routine with Bud Abbott trying to put on a good front, even though he and Lou Costello only have 25 cents
- Two Tens for a Five - classic routine with Bud Abbott swindling Lou Costello
- The Vitamin Skit - from Abbott and Costello's radio series
- Who's on First? - their most famous routine