Editing Abbott and Costello (section)

==Burlesque==
The two comedians had crossed paths a few times previously, but first worked together in 1935 at the [[Eltinge Theatre|Eltinge Burlesque Theater]] on [[42nd Street (Manhattan)|42nd Street]] in New York City.<ref name=Hollywood>''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'', {{ISBN|0-399-51605-0}}</ref> Their first performance resulted from Costello's regular partner becoming ill, and Abbott substituting for him.<ref name="auto">Furmanek, Bob, and Ron Palumbo. "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood." Perigee, 1991.</ref>

Other performers in the show, including Abbott's wife, encouraged a permanent pairing. The duo built an act by refining and reworking numerous burlesque sketches with Abbott as the devious [[straight man]] and Costello as the dimwitted comic.

Decades later, when [[AMC Theatres|AMC]] moved the old theater {{convert|168|ft|abbr=off}} further west on 42nd Street to its current location, giant balloons of Abbott and Costello were rigged to appear to pull it.<ref>''[[The New York Times]]'', Sunday, February 28, 1998</ref>