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About Abbot & Costello |
| Abbott &
Costello were the last of the great comedy teams. Their career
spanned 21 years: from burlesque, to Broadway, to radio, to films
and finally to, television. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello officially
teamed up in 1936. Bud was regarded as one of the best and sought
after straightmen on the burlesque circuit. Born William Alexander
Abbott on October 2, 1895 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Bud's early
career in show business began in 1918 when he was a treasurer of the
National Theatre, a burlesque house in Washington, DC. It was here
where Bud met his wife, Jenny Mae Pratt, whose stage name was Betty
Smith.
Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo on March 6, 1906 in Paterson, N.J. Wanting to try his luck in Hollywood, Lou found sparse work as a laborer and an extra at MGM in 1927. He appeared in the boxing sequence of Laurel & Hardy "Battle of the Century' (1927) and in the Delores Del Rio 1928 epic "Trails of 98." By the time Lou worked his way back to the east coast, Bud Abbott was already a successful straightman in burlesque. Although Lou had his designs on becoming a dramatic actor, he worked as a Dutch comic in St. Joseph, Missouri at $16.00 a week in order to make his way back to N.J. Once home, he continued pursuing burlesque jobs and for awhile worked as a dancing juvenile in Ann Corio "This Is Burlesque." It was in this show that he met his future wife, Anne Battler and whom he married in 1934. Although one can find many stories that claim to document the teaming up of Abbott & Costello, the most familiar is that of Lou's straightman getting sick and Lou asking Bud, also on the bill, if he would step in. Subsequently, history was made that night at a Brooklyn burlesque house in 1936 and the team of Abbott & Costello was born. The first couple of years of their partnership were lean ones. The turning point came when Ted Collins, manager for Kate Smith, asked if they would appear on the "Kate Smith Radio Show." They signed as summer replacements and proved to be a great success. Following, they signed to appear in Mike Todd's Broadway show, "Streets of Paris" and which also featured another newcomer, Carmen Miranda. Returning to radio, it was their performance of a new routine they had written in collaboration with their comedy writer, John Grant, that catapulted them to Hollywood and to stardom. Today, WHO'S ON FIRST has become their classic signature skit and most well-remembered of the Abbott &Costello routines. Signed to Universal Pictures in 1939, their first film was a "test run" to see how well Abbott & Costello would go over to theatre going audiences. "One Night in the Tropics" was an Alan Jones, Nancy Kelly film, however, the studio kept shooting more and more footage of Abbott & Costello due to reports from the set that the crew could barely contain themselves from laughing. It was the perfect springboard for the boys and a giant success at the box office. Universal realized they had a prime commodity with this comedic duo and immediately set the wheels in motion for Abbott & Costello to star in their next film, "Buck Privates." Bud and Lou made a succession of box office hits for Universal and were voted #1 box office stars in 1942 --- "In the Navy," "Keep 'Em Flying," "Hold That Ghost," "Who Done It?" and "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein," today a cult classic amongst Abbott &Costello fans, kept the gates of Universal open at a time when Universal was considered a B studio. In all, Bud and Lou made 36 films, their last being "Dance With Me Henry" in 1957. Returning to radio between movie roles, "The Abbott & Costello Show" aired on ABC from 1941-46 and on NBC from 1946-49. The live stage was where Abbott & Costello thrived. In the early 1950s, NBC welcomed Bud and Lou to their new hour long live variety show, "The Colgate Comedy Hour" as guest hosts. Debuting on January 7, 1951, Abbott & Costello boosted the show's ratings as they performed their staple of routines, including the still popular and in demand, "Who's On First." In 1956, one year before the release of their last film, "Dance With Me Henry," and the dissolving of their partnership, Bud and Lou were brought together on "The Steve Allen Show" before a live audience and nationwide broadcast. The emotion was heightened when unbeknownst to both man, Steve Allen announced the induction of Abbott & Costello's Gold Record in Cooperstown, N.Y. Today, Bud and Lou are still the first non-baseball playing celebrities to have such a work inducted. Lou Costello passed away in March of 1959, Bud Abbott in 1974. Today, their comedy continues to generate a whole new legion of fans from around the world. When "Abbott & Costello Meets Jerry Seinfeld" aired on NBC in 1994, Seinfeld contributed this thought. "If it weren't for Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, many of the vaudeville and burlesque routines would have been lost forever. It was through Abbott & Costello's films and television show appearances, as well as on radio, that will forever preserve them for generations to come." |