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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello
1895-1974 and 1906-1959
Updated 3/22/2008 with all TV episodes of The Abbott and Costello Show available on DVD, and more films available on DVD.
biography
Born William Abbott in New Jersey in October 1895 (some sources cite 1897), Bud Abbott was born into show business, as his parents worked for the Barnum & Bailey Circus. As a juvenile he dropped out of school and worked in carnivals. As he matured into a young man, Abbott worked the vaudeville circuit as a 'straight man' for various comics; after his marriage to wife Betty in 1918, Abbott also worked as a theatre manager to make ends meet. He was in his mid 30s by the time he first teamed with Lou Costello, whose straight man had taken ill. Abbott, working as a box office manager at the time, filled in for the ailing performer. The two became friends, but it would take about five more years for Abbott and Costello to officially become a team, which they finally did in 1936.
Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo in March 1906 in New Jersey. Standing only 5'3" but very athletic, Costello went to Hollywood as a young man in the 1920s to break into films. However, he could only secure work as a stuntman and in bit parts. Feeling defeated, he went back east in the late 1920s and entered burlesque. After his initial meeting with Bud Abbott, the duo developed an instant rapport. They honed their act in vaudeville and burlesque houses; since the act was becoming successful so quickly, they soon found themselves ascending to greater heights. Comedian Henny Youngman, who was a great fan of theirs, pulled some strings and got them a one-time booking on a 1938 episode of the Kate Smith Radio Hour, one of the most popular radio programs at the time. The team proved to be such a hit with audiences that they returned to the show numerous times, eventually doing their famous "Who's On First?" routine. Several studio executives took notice of Abbott and Costello's growing popularity, but Universal Studios, best known at the time for their horror films, made the best offer, so the team signed a contact with the studio in 1939.
LEFT: Abbott and Costello doing an Armed Forces radio show in the 1940s. RIGHT: Preparing for a radio show in the 1940s
The team's first film for Universal was the B musical One Night in the Tropics (1940; with Robert Cummings). Abbott and Costello's second film, Buck Privates (1941; with Jane Frazee), was their first headliner and became a smash hit. Their Universal contract proved to be so lucrative for the team that the studio lowered its usual production values to bring the films in on budget. The team's was buoyed by their radio show, which aired on ABC from 1941 through 1946, switching to NBC from 1946 though 1949. Into the 1940s, they became wildly popular with war-weary audiences seeking escapist entertainment. In support of the war effort, Abbott and Costello criss-crossed the country selling War Bonds and, later, promoted various charities. At the height of their success, however, Lou Costello was hit with a number of personal tragedies. He became seriously ill with rheumatic fever in early 1943 and had to cease making films and radio appearances for several months. After he recovered, on the day that the team's radio show began its 1943 season, his one-year-old son tragically drowned in his pool. He went on with the radio show that evening, putting off his anguish until after the show aired.
the films of abbott and costello
Hold That Ghost (1941)
The Noose Hangs High (1948)
From The Noose Hangs High with Mike Mazurki
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Lobby card from Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Scenes from Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. LEFT: Lou Costello as a detective. CENTER A: Lou goes undercover as a prizefighter. CENTER B: Bud and Lou try to catch a killer. RIGHT: Abbott and Costello with Adele Jergens
Abbott and Costello Go To Mars (1953)
From Abbott and Costello Go To Mars. LEFT: Bud and Lou in New Orleans during Mardi Gras. CENTER A, B, and C: With Mari Blanchard as the Queen of Venus. RIGHT: Bud and Lou with the beautiful Venusians, who were all actually Miss Universe Pageant contestants. Look for Anita Ekberg in this photo
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955)
Scenes from Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
With Eddie Parker as the Mummy in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, the last of Abbott and Costello's Universal monster films
abbott and costello's later years
With the growing popularity of television, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello took a rotating hosting gig on the NBC variety series The Colgate Comedy Hour, beginning in early 1951. The next year, on rival network CBS, the team starred in its own series, The Abbott and Costello Show, which ran for two seasons. After their Universal contract lapsed following the release of Dance with Me, Henry (1956), the handwriting was on the wall. Lou Costello wanted to go solo, and Bud Abbott, now past 60, longed to retire. In 1957, the team amicably split. Lou Costello did a number of nightclub appearances and headlined the film The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959). Sadly, before the film was released, he passed away suddenly from a heart ailment in March 1959 at the age of 52. His wife Anne died just months later. The couple was survived by three daughters. An interesting side note is that, in the mid 1940s Costello helped discover Dean Martin. Years later, Costello's middle daughter Carole married Martin's son Craig.
Bud Abbott wasn't allowed to enjoy retirement for long, as the I.R.S. hit him with a huge back tax bill. Needing to work, he formed a new comedy team with Johnny "Candy" Candido in the early 1960s, but Abbott's heart wasn't in it and the pair had little luck. He took a few television roles and later did voice work on Hanna-Barbera's 1966 animated series The Abbott and Costello Show. He was forced to retire afterward due to failing health. Bud Abbott passed away in 1974 at the age of 79 and was survived by his wife and daughter and son.
The Abbott And Costello Show: 100th Anniversary Collection: Season One [DVD](1952) DVD
All 26 episodes from the first season--including "The Drug Store," "Lou's Birthday Party," "Hungry," "Bingo the Chimp," and "Safari"--are featured in this five-disc set. 13 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English; bonus footage; bonus short "10,000 Kids and a Cop" (1948).
The Abbott And Costello Show: 100th Anniversary Collection: Season Two [DVD](1953) DVD
All 26 episodes from the second (and final) season--including "Uncle Bozzo's Visit," "Pest Exterminators," "From Bed to Worse," "Wife Wanted," and "Barber Lou"--are featured in this five-disc set. 13 1/3 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; interviews; more.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 1 [DVD] DVD
Abbott and Costello's screen debut finds them as detectives cracking an insurance scam in "One Night in the Tropics" (1940); boot camp becomes a course in basic comedy training in the team's first starring film, "Buck Privates" (1941); the boys set sail for seafaring silliness in the service comedy "In the Navy" (1941); there are high spirits when the pair get trapped in a haunted house in "Hold That Ghost!" (1941); take off for laughs with the duo as would-be pilots in "Keep 'Em Flying" (1941); "Ride 'Em Cowboy" (1942) has them as city slickers-turned-comical cowhands; Chicago bus drivers Bud and Lou take a really wrong turn in "Pardon My Sarong" (1942); and, in "Who Done It?" (1942), they're private eyes "helping" the police catch a killer. 11 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French, Spanish.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 2 [DVD] DVD
Abbott and Costello pull off a bank heist in "Hit the Ice" (1943); they star as plumbers who are mistaken as members of the social elite in "In Society" (1944); Bud and Lou are caretakers at an all-girl college in "Here Come the Co-Eds" (1945); the only big screen appearance of their "Who's on First?" routine is featured in "The Naughty Nineties" (1945); Lou plays a vacuum cleaner merchant in "Little Giant" (1946); "The Time of Their Lives" (1946) has Lou as a falsely accused ghost; the problems of homecoming G.I.s are spoofed in "Buck Privates Come Home" (1947); it's fun on the frontier in "The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap" (1947). 11 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French; theatrical trailers.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 3 [DVD] DVD
The laughs are out of this world as "Abbott & Costello Go to Mars" (1959); they star as wrestling promoters who get involved with a sexy spy in "Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion" (1950); "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) while trying to dodge Bela Lugosi (as Dracula); it takes a doctor's invisibility serum to help catch a crook in "Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man" (1950); Bud and Lou suspect a swami of murder in "Abbott & Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff" (1949); the fellows search for gold in backwoods Kentucky in "Comin' Round the Mountain" (1951); they get "Lost in Alaska" (1952) while trying to help a prospector; and a stock scheme sends the duo south of the border in "Mexican Hayride" (1948). 10 3/4 hrs. on two discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: Spanish, French.
The Best Of Bud Abbott And Lou Costello, Vol. 4 [DVD] DVD
Two American cops are sent to London where they find themselves in the throes of terror when they become mixed up with the menacing mad doc (Boris Karloff) with the split personality in "Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1953); the boys are duped into purchasing a ramshackle silent film studio and head from Hollywood to New York to catch the culprit in "Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops" (1955); Bud and Lou get wrapped up in riotous comedy when they head to Egypt in search of hidden treasure in "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" (1955); "The World of Abbott and Costello" (1965) is a collection of the pair's greatest movie bits, including the classic "Who's on First?"; "Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld" (1994) in this clip-laden tribute, hosted by Seinfeld, to the duo that served as one of his early influences; and the documentary "Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters" (2000) features interviews with Chris Costello and Bela Lugosi, Jr., as well as rare outtakes, production stills and a poster slideshow. 6 1/2 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English (SDH), Spanish, French.
Colgate Comedy Hour Christmas Show (1952) VHS
Abbott and Costello were the guest hosts for this holiday segment of this early TV variety series. The skits include Bud and Lou trying to raise money for gifts, a cooking lesson on top of Lou's noggin, and more. Also included is a spooky segment from 1955 with the boys meeting the Frankenstein Monster on Universal's back lot. 50 min.
One Night In The Tropics(1940) VHS
Abbott and Costello's screen debut finds them as detectives investigating an insurance scam involving a bride-to-be who runs off with her insurance salesman on their wedding day. Bud and Lou use some of their favorite routines in this musical-comedy that features a score by Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II and Dorothy Fields. With Allan Jones, Nancy Kelly, Robert Cummings. 82 min.
Pardon My Sarong(1942) VHS
Chicago bus drivers Abbott and Costello take a really wrong turn when their involvement with a wealthy playboy winds up taking them to the South Seas and into a den of jewel thieves. Robert Paige, Lionel Atwill, Virginia Bruce, William Demarest and The Ink Spots co-star. 83 min.
Hit The Ice(1943) VHS
The laughs snowball when Abbott and Costello get suckered into pulling off a bank heist, and then must track down gang boss Sheldon Leonard before the cops track them down! 89 min.
Lost In A Harem (1944)/Abbott And Costello In Hollywood (1945) [DVD] DVD
Abbott and Costello are magicians who get "Lost in a Harem" while stranded in a desert kingdom trying to help a dashing prince reclaim the throne from an evil sheik. Marilyn Maxwell, John Conte, and Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra are featured, along with an elaborate "Scheherazade" ballet segment and A&C's "Pokomoko" rendition of the famous "Niagara Falls" vaudeville skit. And, Bud and Lou are a barber and porter in the movie capital who decide they can make more money by becoming "agents to the stars" and try to get their client, singer Robert Stanton, into a musical film, in "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood." Cameos by Lucille Ball, Mike Mazurki, Dean Stockwell. 172 min. total. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French; theatrical trailer.
Buck Privates Come Home [DVD](1947) DVD
The problems of homecoming G.I.s were spoofed in this sequel to Abbott and Costello's first starring film, as the boys try to sneak a French war orphan into America and find that their old sergeant is now their neighborhood cop! With Nat Pendleton, Beverly Simmons. 77 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Abbott And Costello Meet Frankenstein [DVD](1948) DVD
Universal tossed their most popular ghouls--Dracula, the Wolf Man, and Frankenstein's Monster--in this comedic monster mash, with Abbott and Costello trying to dodge Bela Lugosi (as Dracula), who wants to put Lou's brain inside the Monster's head. With Lon Chaney, Jr., Glenn Strange. 83 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: French; audio commentary; "making of" documentary; production notes; biographies; photo gallery; theatrical trailer.
The Noose Hangs High [DVD](1948) DVD
Abbott and Costello play a pair of window washers who are mistaken for gamblers and ripped off for $50,000 from a group of thugs. Caper comedy features the sort of hilarious hijinks you'd expect from Bud and Lou, along with their classic "Mudder and Fodder" routine. 77 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Mexican Hayride(1948) VHS
The Cole Porter Broadway musical was stripped of its score by Universal and turned into a comedy for stars Abbott and Costello, as a stock scheme sends the duo south of the border for laughs amidst the bullfights and senoritas. With Virginia Grey, Luba Malina. 77 min.
Africa Screams [DVD](1949) DVD
Mistaken for great hunters and shanghaied to Africa, Abbott and Costello lead crooks on a silly safari for hidden diamonds. Lots of bungles in the jungle, with guest stars like Max and Buddy Baer, Frank Buck and Clyde Beatty, and Shemp Howard and Joe Besser. 79 min.
The Abbott And Costello Collection [DVD] DVD
This five-disc collection of Abbott and Costello favorites includes the feature films "Africa Screams" (1949) and "Jack and the Beanstalk" (1952); a 1952 episode of "The Colgate Comedy Hour"; "The Abbott and Costello Show" episodes "Las Vegas," "Little Old Lady," and "Police Rookie"; the cartoon Bud and Lou spoof "A Tale of Two Kitties" (1942); the shorts "Strictly G.I." (1943) and "Mail Call" (1944); plus a collection of classic movie trailers. 5 1/4 hrs. total. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono.
Jack And The Beanstalk [DVD](1952) DVD
Bud and Lou risk certain death to rescue a beautiful princess from the giant and bring back the hen that lays golden eggs in this musical, magical treatment of the classic fairy tale. Buddy Baer, Dorothy Ford also star. 78 min.
Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy [DVD](1955) DVD
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello get wrapped up in riotous comedy when they head to Egypt in search of hidden treasure and have a close encounter with Kharis, the living mummy. Marie Windsor, Richard Deacon, Michael Ansara co-star. 80 min. Standard; Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital mono, French Dolby Digital mono, Spanish Dolby Digital mono; biographies; theatrical trailer.
Dance With Me, Henry [DVD](1956) DVD
Abbott and Costello's final film together mixes slapstick and sentiment, as Bud and Lou run an amusement park while playing guardians to a group of orphans for whom a social worker is seeking a permanent home. Mary Wickes, Rusty Hamer co-star. 80 min. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French.
Great Comedy Team Movies 3 On 1 [DVD] DVD
Includes "Africa Screams," "Check and Double Check" and "The Flying Deuces."
The Golden Age Of Comedy [DVD] DVD
Relive the magic of live television comedy in this extensive collection of material from the 1950s and '60s. The biggest names in laughs are all here--Abbott and Costello, Martin and Lewis, Lucy, Johnny Carson, Jackie Gleason, Uncle Miltie, and many more. It's a treasure of comedy nostalgia for the whole family to enjoy! 6 1/2 hrs. total on four discs. Standard; Soundtrack: English Dolby Digital stereo; bonus footage; featurette.
CD From Amazon.com
Who's on First: A Collection of Classic Routines (Audio CD)
Features the best routines from Abbott and Costello's 1940s radio show.
Books from Amazon.com
The Abbott & Costello Story: Sixty Years of 'Who's on First?' by Stephen Cox and others (1997; 256 pages).
This is a "warts-and-all" biography of the famed comedy team, filled with photos and interviews.
Lou's on First: A Biography by Chris Costello (1983; 200 pages)
Chris Costello's biography of her father, Lou Costello, is a funny yet touching memoir.
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood by Bob Furmanek and others (1991; 271 pages)
This is the this definitive history of Abbott and Costello's 36-film career. Culled from studio archives, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's personal scrapbooks and more than 75 interviews, each film is described in detail, including cast and crew credits, synopsis, script excerpts, production notes, cut scenes, and final reviews. Also documented is the team's early career in burlesque and radio, as well as the years following their split. Includes over 150 rare, behind-the-scenes photos.
From AllPosters
From Movie Goods
filmography
FILM
The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959) (Lou Costello only) with Gale Gordon and Dorothy Provine
Dance with Me Henry (1956) the team's final film, with Gigi Perreau and Mary Wickes
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955) with Marie Windsor
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955) with Fred Clark and Lynn Bari
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953) with Boris Karloff and Craig Stevens
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953) with Mari Blanchard and Martha Hyer
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952) with Charles Laughton and Hillary Brooke
Lost in Alaska (1952) with Mitzi Green, Tom Ewell, and Bruce Cabot
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) with Buddy Baer
Comin' Round the Mountain (1951) with Glenn Strange and Margaret Hamilton
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) with Adele Jergens and William Frawley
Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) with Walter Slezak, Tor Johnson, and Patricia Medina
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949) with Boris Karloff
Africa Screams (1949) with Shemp Howard, Joe Besser, Hillary Brooke, and Buddy Baer
Mexican Hayride (1948) with Virginia Grey
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) with Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney Jr., Lenore Aubert, Glenn Strange, and Vincent Price
The Noose Hangs High (1948) with Mike Mazurki, Leon Errol, and Cathy Downs
Buck Privates Come Home (1947) with Nat Pendleton
The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947) with Marjorie Main
The Time of Their Lives (1946) with Gale Sondergaard and Kirk Alyn
Little Giant (1946) with Brenda Joyce, Elena Verdugo, and Margaret Dumont
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945) with Mike Mazurki
The Naughty Nineties (1945) with Alan Curtis
Here Come the Co-eds (1945) with Lon Chaney Jr. and Peggy Ryan
In Society (1944) with Arthur Treacher and Marion Hutton
Lost in a Harem (1944) with Marilyn Maxwell
Hit the Ice (1943) with Elyse Knox
It Ain't Hay (1943) with Shemp Howard, Eugene Pallette, and Cecil Kellaway
Rio Rita (1942) with Kathryn Grayson, Tom Conway, and Barry Nelson
Who Done It? (1942) with Louise Allbritton, Mary Wickes, and William Bendix
Pardon My Sarong (1942) with Virginia Bruce, Lionel Atwill, William Demarest, and Marie McDonald
Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942) with Johnny Mack Brown, Dick Foran, and Anne Gwynne
Keep 'Em Flying (1941) with Martha Raye and Dick Foran
Hold That Ghost (1941) with Joan Davis, Richard Carlson, Shemp Howard, Evelyn Ankers, and the Andrews Sisters
In the Navy (1941) with Dick Powell, Dick Foran, Shemp Howard, and the Andrews Sisters
Buck Privates (1941) with Jane Frazee, Nat Pendleton, Shemp Howard, and the Andrews Sisters
One Night in the Tropics (1940) with Nancy Kelly, Robert Cummings, and William Frawley
TELEVISION SERIES
The Abbott and Costello Show, 1966-1967 animated series, 156 episodes. Bud Abbott lent his vocal talents to this Hanna-Barbera cartoon
The Abbott and Costello Show, 1952-1953 TV series, 52 episodes
The Colgate Comedy Hour, 1950-1955 TV series. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello served as rotating hosts from 1951 to 1954
abbott and costello links
Abbott and Costello Meet the Internet
This is the official web site for Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.
Abbott and Costello Collectibles
Check out this web site for all kinds of merchandise featuring Abbott and Costello, along with other comedians. Look for hats, ties, magnets, mousepads, CD's, and more!
Lou's on First
Lou's on First: A Biography of Lou Costello is the best-selling biography of Lou Costello written by his youngest daughter, Chris Costello. Originally published in 1981, the book is still in print and was slightly revised in 2000.
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This page premiered October 29, 2002.
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