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�s �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�s �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.

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 1950�s, 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.�

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.

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