Abbott & Costello

Perhaps one of the greatest skits in the history of comedy.

WHO'S ON FIRST

and another favorite of mine :

MATH

You're speaking right to my heart, DC. I just bought seasons 1 and 2 of the tv show on dvd. The restoration is flawless.

I like the films too. My favorite that I own is who done it? The television show was really great too.

Our family loves A&C. Who's On First is the greatest. My fav. movies are:
1. Hold That Ghost

2.Who Done It?

3. The Time of Their Lives

4. Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff

5. Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein

6. In the Navy

7. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man

8. Jack and the Beanstalk

I really need to get the movies I don't have if I can find them.

I remember as a kid (and older) watching old Abbott & Costello movies on the early show. My father had many times mentioned the "who's on first" routine, but it was a long time before I actually saw it. It is a classic.

I always use to get them and Laurel & Hardy mixed up when I was a kid. My favorite from that era is still the Marx Brothers though.


TIS

What Abbott and Costello movie was this saying from :

"Odds Botkins"

Costello as Horatio Prim in "The Time of Their Lives", my favorite A&C film.

It seems like just yesterday that I remember hearing about Lou Costello dying. My friend told me he was running down the street and dropped dead. I went upstairs to my apartment and started to cry (I was 8 years old). I think he, more than any other actor, had a profound effect on me as a kid. I genuinely adored watching his movies.

You notice Shemp Howard as the third guy in that clip?

What A&C movie is "Mr. Dinklepuss" in?

"Jack & the Beanstalk".

Where was Costello born?

Paterson, New Jersey

Good eye SC!

Costello was born in Patterson New Jersey. Scenes from several different episodes of The Sopranos were shot in front of this statue :

Wasn't that one of the scenes from In The Navy?

Everyone always seems to talk about Lou. However Bud Abbott was fantastic. It's much tougher to be the straight man than the comedic one in a comedy act.

I once read somewhere that after Lou's death, Bud Abbott could never get over it and became pretty depressed and withdrawn over it.

Of course he couldn't... Costello was the reason he did so well. When they started their act, Bud was the senior man and took a larger cut of their salary. After a few of their movies came out it was plain to see that Costello was the main draw and they switched the salary percentage. Supposedly, Abbott never forgave Lou for that. They feuded frequently.

I always loved how the actor who played Mr. Sidney Fields on the show would play about 5 different characters!




And you had to love STINKY!

I was always partial to Baggiacalupe (sp?), the fruit vendor.

Mr. Bacciagalupe!




His real name is Joe Kirk and believe it or not he had bit parts in almost every A&C movie ever made.

Where was Bud born?

I don't know if this is true or not but the Col. told me that Bud used to slap Lou around on and off stage.

Bud was also Born in New Jersey. He was from Asbury Park.

Chick Young: I don't get it. Out of all the guys around here that classy dish has to pick out a guy like you.
Wilbur Grey: What's wrong with that?
Chick Young: Go look at yourself in the mirror sometime.
Wilbur Grey: Why should I hurt my own feelings?

Ferdie: If you see a pair of pants go flyin' through the air, don't grab 'em.
Chuck: Why not?
Ferdie: I'll be in 'em!

Chhh-i-i-i-i-i-hhhhck, Oh, Chi-i-i-i-i-i-i-i-icccckkk!

Wilbur: "I'm a union man and I only work 16 hours a day."

McDougal: "A union man only works 8 hours a day."

Wilbur: "I belong to 2 unions."

Even as a business agent, I'd have to give ole' Wilbur a pass on that one.

I thought maybe that an 8 year old SC was upset that he forgot to include him on his Death Pool list.

I too am a fan of Abbott and Costello. The phrase "Who's on First?" has achieved a permanent place in the American lexicon. Costello's appearance and expressions were priceless.

That was a tough year for me.... another of my childhood idols died a few months later - George Reeves (Superman).




Costello's daughter wrote an interesting bio on her dad, "Lou's On First". I recommend reading it to any A&C fan.

Other than that who's on first bit, I was never really a big fan.
Isnt it true that they hated each other's guts?

They were openly very competetive. Hate would be a bit too strong.

Pretty much so, at the end of their partnership.

It was sad at how they ended up financially. The government really got after them for back taxes. I know everyone has to pay taxes, but they should've been cut some slack in paying them back... they flew all over the world and spent a lot of time entertaining our troops in WWII, at their own expense.

During the filming of "The Time of Their Lives" (my personal favorite) Bud and Lou were hardly talking to each other. They actually had only a few scenes together on screen as a part of that "disagreeable time".

LOU'S ON FIRST was a great book. I highly recommend it.

It's been told that Lou was never the same after losing his 5 year old child in a drowning accident. I mean who would be? That coupled with some financial disagreements seemed to have caused a huge rift between he and Bud.

I just looked them up on Wikepedia... apparently they mended their fences, and then in the 50's got into big time IRS prblems. Costello died in 50 broke, Abbott lived into the 70's but had no money. Sad.

What A&C movies did the Andrew Sisters appear in?

They were in three A&C films, Mig: BUCK PRIVATES, IN THE NAVY and HOLD THAT GHOST.

Yup Your turn.

What famous group appeared in Pardon My Sarong?

I've never seen that one.

The Ink Spots.

That's my dad's favorite Abbott and Costello, DC.

"If I didn't caaaare, for youuuuuu!"

Fred G. Sanford (S-A-N-F-O-R-D----Period.)

Oh Man!!!!! I was thinking the exact same thing when I posted! I can see him waving his hand in the air as he sings it!

I think we share the same brain.

Who's Wilbur and who's Junior?