Editing Abbott and Costello (section)

==Radio==
[[File:Abbott, Costello and Carmen Miranda.jpg|thumb|With [[Carmen Miranda]], ''The Streets of Paris'', in 1939.]]
The team's first known radio broadcast was on ''[[The Kate Smith Hour]]'' on February 3, 1938.<ref name="auto"/> At first, the similarities between their voices made it difficult for radio listeners (as opposed to stage audiences) to tell them apart during their rapid-fire [[repartee]]. As a result, Costello affected a high-pitched, childish voice. "[[Who's on First?]]" was first performed for a national radio audience the following month.<ref name="auto"/> They performed on the program as regulars for two years, while also landing roles in a Broadway revue, ''[[The Streets of Paris]]'', in 1939.<ref name=EB>{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=The New [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]|title=Abbott, Bud; and Costello, Lou|edition=15|year=2010|volume=I: A-Ak –Bayes|location=Chicago|isbn=978-1-59339-837-8|page= 13|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency/page/13}}</ref>

[[File:Abbott and Costello 1950s.JPG|thumb|Abbott and Costello on radio (note Abbott without [[toupee]] normally worn in films)]]
After debuting their own program, ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show (radio program)|The Abbott and Costello Show]]'', as [[Fred Allen]]'s summer replacement in 1940,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=June 2, 1940 |page=3 |title=Abbott-Costello Replaces Allen |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Radio-Life/40s/40/Radio-Life-1940-06-02.pdf#page=3 |magazine=Radio Life |access-date=}}</ref> Abbott and Costello joined [[Edgar Bergen]] and [[Charlie McCarthy]] on ''[[The Chase and Sanborn Hour]]'' in 1941. Two of their films (''[[Hold That Ghost]]'' and ''[[Buck Privates]]'') were adapted for radio that year. ''Hold That Ghost'' was presented as a half-hour adaptation on August 1, 1941 on [[Louella Parsons]]' ''Hollywood Premiere'',<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=G_EjAAAAIBAJ&pg=3714%2C227296&q=Hollywood+Premiere+Abbott+Costello+Hold+Ghost |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Program Selections |page=4 (Peach Section) |newspaper=Toledo Blade (Ohio) |date=1941-08-01 |access-date=2022-11-09 }}</ref> and ''Buck Privates'' was presented on ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' as a one-hour adaptation on October 13, 1941.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CvsnAAAAIBAJ&pg=3974%2C2110646&q=Abbott+Costello+Buck+Privates |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Program Selections |page=4 (Peach Section) |newspaper=Toledo Blade (Ohio) |date=1941-10-13 |access-date=2022-11-09 }}</ref> Their program returned in its own weekly time slot starting on October 8, 1942, with [[Camel (cigarette)|Camel]] cigarettes as sponsor.

''The Abbott and Costello Show'' mixed comedy with musical interludes (by vocalists such as [[Connie Haines]], [[Ashley Eustis]], [[the Delta Rhythm Boys]], [[Skinnay Ennis]], [[Marilyn Maxwell]] and the [[Les Baxter]] Singers).

Among the show's regular and semi-regular performers were [[Joe Kirk]] (Costello's brother-in-law) as the excitable Sicilian immigrant Mr. Bacciagalupe, [[Artie Auerbach]] as Mr. Kitzel, [[Elvia Allman]], [[Iris Adrian]], [[Mel Blanc]], [[Wally Brown]], [[Sharon Douglas]], [[Verna Felton]], [[Sidney Fields]], [[Frank Nelson (actor)|Frank Nelson]], [[Martha Wentworth]] and [[Benay Venuta]]. Guest stars included [[Cary Grant]], [[Frank Sinatra]], [[The Andrews Sisters]] and [[Lucille Ball]].

[[Ken Niles]] was the show's longtime announcer, doubling as an exasperated foil to Costello, who routinely insulted his on-air wife (played by Elvia Allman). Niles was succeeded by [[Michael Roy]], alternating over the years with [[Frank Bingman]] and [[Jim Doyle (announcer)|Jim Doyle]].

The show went through several orchestras, including those of Ennis, [[Charles Hoff (musician)|Charles Hoff]], [[Matty Matlock]], [[Matty Malneck]], [[Jack Meakin (musician)|Jack Meakin]], [[Will Osborne (musician)|Will Osborne]], [[Fred Rich]], [[Leith Stevens]] and [[Peter van Steeden]].

The show's writers included [[Howard Harris (writer)|Howard Harris]], [[Hal Fimberg]], [[Parke Levy]], [[Don Prindle]], [[Eddie Cherkose]] (later known as [[Eddie Maxwell]]), [[Leonard B. Stern]], [[Martin Ragaway]], [[Paul Conlan]] and [[Eddie Forman]], as well as producer [[Martin Gosch]]. Sound effects were handled primarily by Floyd Caton.

In 1947, the show moved to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (the former NBC [[Blue Network]]). During their time on ABC the duo also hosted a 30-minute children's radio program (''The Abbott and Costello Children's Show''<ref name="iA/A+C-cs">{{cite web |title=Abbott and Costello Childrens Show |url=https://archive.org/details/AbbottAndCostelloChildrensShow12181948 |website=[[archive.org]] |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=1948-12-18}}</ref>) on Saturday mornings. The program featured child vocalist Anna Mae Slaughter and child announcer [[John Wilder (producer)|Johnny McGovern]].<ref name="Vindicator">{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=jxZJAAAAIBAJ&sjid=loMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=5908%2C5460587&q=Lou+Costello+Bud+Abbott+Children's+Anna+Mae+Slaughter |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=ABC to Broadcast Fight Between Williams, Flores |page=41 |newspaper=Youngstown Vindicator (Ohio) |date=1948-05-14 |access-date=2025-04-01}}</ref> It finished its run in 1949.<ref name="dunningota">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22The+Abbott+and+Costello+Show,+comedy%22&pg=PA2 |last1=Dunning |first1=John| title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio| section=The Abbott and Costello Show| date=1998| publisher=Oxford University Press| location=New York, NY| isbn=978-0-19-507678-3| pages=2–3| edition=Revised| accessdate=2019-08-11}}</ref>