Editing Abbott and Costello

{{short description|American comedy duo}}
{{Other uses}}
{{missing information|the team's history (including their beginnings, success, and split), and their legacy/influence|date=April 2018}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox comedian
| name        = Abbott and Costello
| image       = Abbott and Costello circa 1940s.JPG
| caption     = Abbott (left) and Costello (right) circa 1940s
| pseudonym   =
| birth_name  =
| birth_date  =
| birth_place = [[New Jersey]], U.S.
| death_date  =
| death_place =
| medium      = [[Burlesque]], [[vaudeville]], film, radio, television
| nationality = American 
| active      = 1935–1957
| genre       = [[Word play]], [[physical comedy]], [[surreal humour]]
| subject     =
| influences  =
| influenced  =
| notable_work= ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]''{{br}}''[[Hold That Ghost]]''{{br}}''[[The Naughty Nineties]]''{{br}}''[[The Time of Their Lives]]''{{br}}''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]''{{br}}''[[Buck Privates]]''{{br}}''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]''
| past_members = [[Bud Abbott]]<br />[[Lou Costello]]
}}

'''Abbott and Costello''' were an American [[Double act|comedy duo]] composed of comedians [[Bud Abbott]] and [[Lou Costello]], whose work in radio, film, and television made them the most popular comedy team of the 1940s and 1950s, and the highest-paid entertainers in the world during the [[Second World War]]. Their patter routine "[[Who's on First?]]" is considered one of the greatest comedy routines of all time,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.loc.gov/static/programs/national-recording-preservation-board/documents/WhosOnFirst-Palumbo.pdf |title="Who's On First?"--Abbott and Costello (October 6, 1938) |author=Ron Palumbo |publisher=Library of Congress |access-date=January 14, 2021}}</ref> a version of which appears in their 1945 film ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]''.

Abbott and Costello made their film debut in the 1940 comedy ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]''. The following year, they appeared in three armed service comedies: ''[[Buck Privates]]'', ''[[In the Navy (film)|In the Navy]]'', and ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]]''. They also appeared in the 1941 [[horror comedy]] film ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'', and went on to appear in several other horror comedies, including ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' (1948), ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]'' (1949), ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]'' (1951), ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' (1953), and ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy]]'' (1955). Other films starring the duo include ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'', ''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]'' (both 1942), ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]'' (1946), ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'' (1947), ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949), and ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]'' (1953).

==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>

==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>
	
==Film==
In 1940, [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] signed them for a musical, ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]'' starring [[Allan Jones (actor)|Allan Jones]] and [[Nancy Kelly]]. Cast in supporting roles, Abbott and Costello stole the picture with several classic routines, including "Who's on First?". Signed to a two-picture contract, their second film, ''[[Buck Privates]]'' (1941), directed by [[Arthur Lubin]] and co-starring [[The Andrews Sisters]], was a massive hit, earning $4&nbsp;million at the box office and launching Abbott and Costello as stars.<ref name="auto"/>

Their next film was a haunted house comedy, ''Oh, Charlie!''; however, ''Buck Privates'' was so successful that the studio decided to delay the release so the team could hastily film and release a second service comedy. ''[[In the Navy (film)|In the Navy]]'' (1941), co-starred crooner [[Dick Powell]] and the Andrews Sisters, and initially out-grossed ''Buck Privates''. Loew's Criterion in Manhattan was open until 5 a.m. to oblige over 49,000 customers during the film's first week.<ref name="auto"/>

''Oh, Charlie'' went  back into production to add music featuring the Andrews Sisters and Ted Lewis. The film was eventually retitled  ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'' (1941).<ref>Palumbo, Ron. ''Hold That Ghost: The Complete Filmscript'' Bear Manor Media, 2018.</ref> The duo next appeared  in ''[[Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942 film)|Ride 'Em Cowboy]]'' (1941), with [[Dick Foran]], but its release was delayed so they could appear in a third service comedy, ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]]'' (1941). This was their last film directed by [[Arthur Lubin]]. All of their 1941 films were big hits, and Abbott and Costello were voted the [[Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll|third biggest box office attraction]] in the country in 1941.

Universal loaned the team to [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] for a musical comedy, ''[[Rio Rita (1942 film)|Rio Rita]]'' (1942). During filming Abbott and Costello had their hand and foot prints set in concrete at what was then "[[TCL Chinese Theatre|Grauman's Chinese Theatre]]". Back at Universal they made ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'' (1942), a spoof of South Sea Island movies; and ''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]'' (1942), a comedy-mystery.

In 1942, exhibitors voted them the top box office stars in the country, and their earnings for the fiscal year were $789,026.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=October 18, 1944 |title=111 Film Toppers earned close to $18 mill in '42 |url= https://archive.org/stream/variety156-1944-10#page/n97/mode/1up|journal= Variety|page = 6 |access-date=July 28, 2016 }}</ref> The team did a 35-day tour during the summer of 1942 to promote and sell War Bonds. The Treasury Department credited them with $85&nbsp;million in sales.<ref name="auto" />

After the tour the team starred in ''[[It Ain't Hay]]'' (1943), from a story by [[Damon Runyon]]; and ''[[Hit the Ice (film)|Hit the Ice]]'' (1943).

Costello was stricken with [[rheumatic fever]] upon his return from a winter tour of army bases in March 1943 and was bedridden for approximately six months.<ref name="Lou-First">{{cite book |last1=Costello |first1=Chris |last2=Strait |first2=Raymond |title=Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by His Youngest Child |date=15 December 1982 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-312-49914-3 |url=https://openlibrary.org/works/OL3891122W/Lou%27s_on_first |language=en}}</ref> On November 4, 1943, the same day that Costello returned to radio after a one-year hiatus due to his illness, his infant son Lou Jr. (nicknamed "Butch" and born November 6, 1942) died in an accidental drowning in the family's swimming pool.<ref>Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by his Youngest Child {{ISBN|0-312-49914-0}}</ref> Maxene Andrews remembers visiting Costello with sisters Patty and LaVerne during his illness, and remembered how Costello's demeanor changed after the tragic loss of his son, recalling, "He didn't seem as fun-loving and as warm...He seemed to anger easily...there was a difference in his attitude".{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}

After Costello recovered, the duo returned to MGM for ''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' (1944) then were back at Universal for ''[[In Society]]'' (1944), ''[[Here Come the Co-Eds]]'' (1945) and ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]'' (1945). Their third and final film for MGM was ''[[Abbott and Costello in Hollywood]]'' (1945).

In 1945, a rift developed when Abbott hired a domestic servant who had been fired by Costello. Costello refused to speak to his partner except when performing. The following year they made two films, (''[[Little Giant]]'' and ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]''), in which they appeared as separate characters rather than as a team. This was likely the result of the tensions between them, plus the fact that their most recent films had not performed as well at the box office. Abbott resolved the rift when he suggested naming Costello's pet charity, a foundation for underprivileged children, the "Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation." The facility opened in 1947 and still serves the [[Boyle Heights, Los Angeles|Boyle Heights]] district of Los Angeles.

Abbott and Costello reunited as a team in ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'' (1947), a sequel to their 1941 hit. In ''[[The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap]]'' (1947) they were supported by [[Marjorie Main]]. They signed a new contract with Universal which allowed them to appear in films outside of their studio contract.<ref name="auto" /> The first of these, ''[[The Noose Hangs High]]'' (1948), was distributed by [[Eagle-Lion]].

The team's next film, ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' (1948), co-starring [[Bela Lugosi]] and [[Lon Chaney Jr]], was a massive hit and revitalized the duo's careers. It was followed by ''[[Mexican Hayride]]'' (1948), an adaptation of a [[Cole Porter]] musical without the songs. They followed with ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949) for Nassour Studios, an independent company which was released through [[United Artists]]. Back at Universal, they returned to horror comedy with ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]'' (1949).

The pair was sidelined again for several months when Costello suffered a relapse of rheumatic fever.<ref name="Lou-First"/> They returned to the screen in ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]'' (1950). They returned the following year in ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]'' (1951); then ''[[Comin' Round the Mountain]]'' (1952), a hillbilly comedy.

Their first color film, ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)|Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' (1952), was an independent production distributed by [[Warner Bros.]] After filming ''[[Lost in Alaska]]'' (1952) back at Universal, they made a second independent color movie, ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]'' (1952) co-starring [[Charles Laughton]], which was also distributed by Warner Bros.

At Universal, they starred in ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]'' (1953) and ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' (1953). They were forced to withdraw from ''[[Fireman Save My Child (1954 film)|Fireman Save My Child]]'' in 1954 due to Costello's ill health, and were replaced by lookalikes [[Hugh O'Brian]] and [[Buddy Hackett]] along with [[Spike Jones and his City Slickers]]. Their last two films for Universal were ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops]]'' (1955) and ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy]]'' (1955). In 1956, they appeared in their final film together, ''[[Dance With Me, Henry]]'', an independent production released through United Artists.

==Television==
[[File:Abbott and costello this is your life.jpg|thumb|Abbott and Costello on NBC's ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'' November 21, 1956]]

In January 1951, Abbott and Costello joined the roster of rotating hosts of ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]'' on NBC. ([[Eddie Cantor]] and [[Martin and Lewis]] were among the others.) Each show was a live hour of [[vaudeville]] in front of an audience, revitalizing the comedians' performances and giving their old routines a new sparkle.

From the fall of 1952 to the spring of 1954, a filmed half-hour series, ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'', appeared in syndication on over 40 local stations across the United States. Loosely based on their radio series, the show cast the duo as unemployed wastrels. One of the show's [[running gag]]s involved Abbott perpetually hounding Costello to get a job, while Abbott was happily unemployed. The show featured [[Sidney Fields]] as their landlord and [[Hillary Brooke]] as a neighbor and sometime love interest for Costello. Other regulars were future Stooge [[Joe Besser]] as Stinky, a whiny child in a [[Little Lord Fauntleroy]] suit; [[Gordon Jones (actor)|Gordon Jones]] as Mike the cop, who always lost patience with Costello; Joe Kirk, an Italian immigrant caricature whose role varied with the requirements of the script; and [[Bobby Barber]], who played many "extra" parts.

The simple plot lines were often an excuse to recreate comedy routines from their films and burlesque days, including "Who's on First?" Since Costello owned the series (with Abbott working on salary), this allowed them to own these versions of the classic routines as well.  The 2nd season was more story-driven. There was no continuity. Although ''The Abbott and Costello Show'' originally ran for only two seasons, it found a larger viewership in reruns from the 1960s to the 1990s. The shows have also been released in three different DVD sets over the years.

=="Who's on First?"==
{{Main|Who's on First?}}
"Who's on First?" is Abbott and Costello's signature routine. ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine (December 26, 1999) named it the best comedy routine of the 20th century. The sketch was based on other earlier burlesque wordplay routines. They began honing the routine shortly after teaming up in 1936, and performed it in vaudeville in 1937 and 1938. It was first heard by a national radio audience on March 24, 1938, when the team were regulars on the Kate Smith radio show.<ref name="auto"/> By then, [[John Grant (screenwriter)|John Grant]] had been writing or adapting other sketches for the team and may have helped expand "Who's on First?" prior to its radio debut. He stayed on as their head writer into the 1950s.

Depending upon the version, Abbott has either organized a new baseball team and the players have nicknames, or he points out the proliferation of nicknames in baseball (citing [[St. Louis Cardinals]] sibling [[pitcher]]s [[Dizzy Dean|Dizzy]] and [[Paul Dean (baseball)|Daffy Dean]]) before launching into the routine. The [[infielder]]s' nicknames are Who ([[first baseman|first base]]), What ([[second baseman|second base]]) and I Don't Know ([[third baseman|third base]]). The key to the routine is Costello's mounting frustration set against Abbott's unyielding formality. Audio recordings are readily available on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/1940sComedy/Comedy-abbotAndCostello-WhosOnFirst1942.mp3 |format=MP3|title=Listen to "Who's on First?" from a 1942 radio performance|website=Archive.org}}</ref>

A notable version is the first television performance on the 1951 ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour|Colgate Comedy Hour]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/AbbottCostelloWhosOnFirst/AbbottAndCostello-WhosOnFirst.mp4 |format=MP4|title=Abbott and Costello performing "Who's on First?" in 1951 from the Colgate Comedy Hour|website=Archive.org}}</ref>

[[File:AbbottCostelloWhosOnFirst.jpg|left|thumb|Abbott and Costello performing "[[Who's on First?]]"]]
"Who's on First?" is believed to be available in as many as twenty versions, ranging from one minute to up to ten minutes. The team could time the routine at will, adding or deleting portions as needed for films, radio or television. The longest version is seen in "The Actors' Home" episode of their filmed TV series, running approximately eight minutes. A live performance commemorating the opening day of the Lou Costello Jr Youth Foundation in 1947 was recorded, and has been included in numerous comedy albums. The team's final performance of "Who's on First?" on TV was on [[The Steve Allen Show|Steve Allen's variety show]] in 1957.

==Personal lives==
Abbott and Costello both married performers they met in burlesque. Abbott wed Betty Smith, a dancer and comedienne, in 1918, and Costello married a chorus girl, Anne Battler, in 1934. The Costellos had four children; the Abbotts adopted two. Abbott and Costello faced personal demons at times. Both were compulsive<ref>Thomas, Bob, Bud & Lou: The Abbott and Costello Story (1977) J.B. Lippincott Co. (Dual biography featuring a highly unflattering portrait of Lou Costello, contested by friends and family members)</ref> gamblers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Costello |first1=Lou |author1-link=Lou Costello |title=Document Signed 06/24/1952 |url=https://www.historyforsale.com/abbott-costello-lou-costello-document-signed-06-24-1952/dc226409 |website=HistoryForSale |access-date=12 March 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728140931/https://www.historyforsale.com/abbott-costello-lou-costello-document-signed-06-24-1952/dc226409 |archive-date=July 28, 2021 |language=en |quote=Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this document in 1952 to declare that his betting losses from 1946 exceeded his betting wins. This document is probably related to his tax problems with the IRS, which left him broke by the mid-1950s. Document signed "Lou Costello" and by notary public, both in blue ink. Blank ink notary stamp in lower left corner. 1 page, 8½x11, carbon copy. With embossed 1½-inch diameter embossed notary seal in bottom left corner. June 24, 1952. Costello signed this affidavit the county of Los Angeles, state of California, that his losses exceeded his winnings from wagering in 1946. He was probably rehashing this six year-old information because he was in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service for back taxes. Lou and his partner Bud Abbott wound up selling most of their assets, including their film rights, to satisfy the tax man.}}</ref><ref name="nytimes/abbott-dead">{{cite news |title=Bud Abbott, Straight Man To Lou Costello, Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/25/archives/bud-abbott-straight-man-to-lou-costello-is-dead.html |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=25 April 1974}}</ref><ref name="nPBL/cC">{{cite news |last1=Barker |first1=Pamela |title=Chris Costello |url=https://www.northpalmbeachlife.com/chris-costello.html |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=North Palm Beach Life |date=February 1, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160204034642/https://www.northpalmbeachlife.com/chris-costello.html |archive-date=February 4, 2016 |language=en}}</ref> Costello attended horse races and raised horses at his ranch in Canoga Park.<ref name="Yahoo/152413833">{{cite web |title=Lou Costello's Daughter Says He 'Wasn't the Character' at Home: 'He Was Actually Very Quiet' |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/lou-costello-daughter-says-wasn-152413833.html |website=[[Yahoo]] Entertainment |access-date=12 March 2025 |date=12 October 2023}}</ref> Additionally both had serious health problems. Abbott suffered from [[epilepsy]] and turned to alcohol for seizure management. Costello had occasional, near-fatal bouts with [[rheumatic fever]].<ref name="Lou-First"/>

==Later years==
In the 1950s, Abbott and Costello's popularity waned with the emergence of [[Martin and Lewis|Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis]]. Another reason for their decline was overexposure.<ref name="auto"/> Each year they made two new films, while [[Realart Pictures Inc.|Realart Pictures]] re-issued their older hits; their filmed television series was widely syndicated, and the same routines appeared frequently on the Colgate program. (Parke Levy, a writer,  told Jordan R. Young, the author, in ''The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age'',<ref name="Young/Laugh-Crafters">{{cite book |last1=Young |first1=Jordan R. |title=The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age |date=1999 |publisher=Past Times |isbn=978-0-940410-37-4 |language=en}}</ref> that he was stunned to learn that the pair were afraid to perform new material.)

In 1952, Abbott and Costello sued Universal for breach of contract for $5,000,000.<ref name="AC-Breach-suit-1952">{{cite news |last1=Pryor |first1=Thomas M. |title=ABBOTT, COSTELLO STOP DAMAGE SUIT; Comedians Cancel Action for $5,000,000 Against Universal Charging Contract Breach |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1952/10/31/archives/abbott-costello-stop-damage-suit-comedians-cancel-action-for.html |access-date=12 March 2025 |work=The New York Times |date=31 October 1952 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250312133614/https://www.nytimes.com/1952/10/31/archives/abbott-costello-stop-damage-suit-comedians-cancel-action-for.html |archive-date=12 March 2025}}</ref> Universal dropped the comedy team in 1955 after they could not agree on contract terms. In the early 1950s, the [[Internal Revenue Service]] charged them for back taxes, forcing them to sell their homes and most of their assets, including the rights to most of their films.<ref name="auto"/>

In 1956, they made one independent film, ''[[Dance with Me, Henry]]'', and Costello was the subject of the television program ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/download/TIYL_Lou_Costello/TIYL_Lou_Costello_512kb.mp4|format=MP4|title=This is your Life Lou Costello|website=Archive.org}}</ref> then formally dissolved their partnership in 1957.<ref>{{cite news |agency= [[United Press International]] |title=Abbott, Costello Split. Comedy Team Breaks Up to Let Abbott Raise Horses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/07/15/archives/abbott-costello-split-comedy-team-breaks-up-to-let-abbott-raise.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 15, 1957 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=2cZRAAAAIBAJ&dq=lou+costello&pg=7136,2077109|title=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette |via= Google News Archive Search|website=News.google.com|access-date=September 23, 2017}}</ref> In his posthumously published 1959 autobiography, ''[[My Wicked, Wicked Ways]]'',<ref>{{cite book|title=My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Autobiography of Errol Flynn|first1=Errol|last1=Flynn|first2=Jeffrey|last2=Meyers|date=November 4, 2002|publisher=Cooper Square Press|isbn=0815412509}}</ref> [[Errol Flynn]] claims that he triggered the breakup. Flynn, a chronic practical joker, invited them, along with their wives and children, to his house for dinner, and afterwards, he commenced to show a home movie that "accidentally" turned out to be hard-core pornography. While Flynn pretended to be baffled, Costello and Abbott each blamed the other for the film's substitution.

In his last years, Costello made about ten solo appearances on ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]'' doing many of the old routines without Abbott. Costello performed [[Stand-up comedy|stand-up]] in [[Las Vegas]], and appeared in episodes of ''[[General Electric Theater|GE Theater]]'' and ''[[Wagon Train]]''. On March 3, 1959, not long after completing his lone solo film, ''[[The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock]]'', he died of a heart attack three days short of his 53rd birthday.<ref name=nytobit>{{cite news |title=Lou Costello, 52, Dies on Coast. Comic Had Teamed With Abbott. 'Little Guy Trying to Be a Big Shot' in Films and on TV-Partners Broke Up in '57 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/03/04/archives/lou-costello-52-dies-on-coast-comic-had-teamed-with-abbott-little.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 4, 1959}}</ref>

Abbott attempted a comeback in 1960 with [[Candy Candido]]. Although the new act received good reviews, Abbott quit, saying, "No one could ever live up to Lou." Abbott made a solo, dramatic appearance on an episode of ''General Electric Theater'' in 1961. In 1966, Abbott voiced his character in a series of 156 five-minute ''[[The Abbott and Costello Cartoon Show|Abbott and Costello]]'' cartoons made by [[Hanna-Barbera]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.toontracker.com/lh-ac/lh-ac.htm |title=Toon Tracker's Laurel & Hardy/Abbott & Costello Cartoons Page |access-date=June 1, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070530054057/http://www.toontracker.com/lh-ac/lh-ac.htm |archive-date=May 30, 2007  }}</ref> Costello's character was voiced by Stan Irwin. Bud Abbott died of cancer on April 24, 1974.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rY5AAAAAIBAJ&pg=4590,5423224&dq=bud+abbott+dies&hl=en|title=The Glasgow Herald |via=Google News Archive Search|access-date=September 23, 2017}}</ref><ref name="nytimes/abbott-dead"/>

==Filmography==
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Movie !! Lou Costello Role !! Bud Abbott Role !! Notes
|-
| 1940 || ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]'' || Costello || Abbott || [[Universal Pictures|Universal]]<br>Film debut
|-
| 1941 || ''[[Buck Privates]]'' || Herbie Brown || Slicker Smith || Universal<br>First starring roles<ref name=EB/>
|-
| 1941 || ''[[In the Navy (film)|In the Navy]]'' || Pomeroy Watson || Smokey Adams || Universal
|-
| 1941 || ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'' || Ferdinand Jones || Chuck Murray || Universal
|-
| 1941 || ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]]'' || Heathcliffe || Blackie Benson || Universal
|-
| 1942 || ''[[Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942 film)|Ride 'Em Cowboy]]'' || Willoughby || Duke || Universal
|-
| 1942 || ''[[Rio Rita (1942 film)|Rio Rita]]'' || Wishy Dunn || Doc || [[Metro Goldwyn Mayer|MGM]]
|-
| 1942 || ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'' || Wellington Phlug || Algy Shaw || Universal
|-
| 1942 || ''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]'' || Mervyn Milgrim || Chick Larkin || Universal
|-
| 1943 || ''[[It Ain't Hay]]'' || Wilbur Hoolihan || Grover Mickridge || Universal
|-
| 1943 || ''[[Hit the Ice (film)|Hit the Ice]]'' || Tubby McCoy || Flash Fulton || Universal
|-
| 1944 || ''[[In Society]]'' || Albert Mansfield || Eddie Harrington || Universal
|-
| 1944 || ''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' || Harvey Garvey || Peter Johnson || MGM
|-
| 1945 || ''[[Here Come the Co-Eds]]'' || Oliver Quackenbush || Slats McCarthy || Universal
|-
| 1945 || ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]'' || Sebastian Dinwiddie || Dexter Broadhurst || Universal<br>"[[Who's on First?]]" routine from this film is featured at the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|National Baseball Hall of Fame]].
|-
| 1945 || ''[[Abbott and Costello in Hollywood]]'' || Abercrombie || Buzz Kurtis || MGM
|-
| 1946 || ''[[Little Giant]]'' || Benny Miller || John Morrison/Tom Chandler || Universal
|-
| 1946 || ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]'' || Horatio Prim || Cuthbert/Dr. Greenway || Universal
|-
| 1947 || ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'' || Herbie Brown || Slicker Smith || Universal-International<br>Sequel to ''[[Buck Privates]]''
|-
| 1947 || ''[[The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap]]'' || Chester Wooley || Duke Egan || Universal-International
|-
| 1948 || ''[[The Noose Hangs High]]'' || Tommy Hinchcliffe || Ted Higgins || [[Eagle-Lion]]
|-
| 1948 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' || Wilbur Gray || Chick Young || Universal-International
|-
| 1948 || ''[[Mexican Hayride]]'' || Joe Bascom/Humphrey Fish || Harry Lambert || Universal-International
|-
| 1949 || ''[[Africa Screams]]'' || Stanley Livington || Buzz Johnson || [[United Artists]]
|-
| 1949 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]'' || Freddie Phillips || Casey Edwards || Universal-International
|-
| 1950 || ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]'' || Lou Hotchkiss || Bud Jones || Universal-International
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]'' || Lou Francis || Bud Alexander || Universal-International
|-
| 1951 || ''[[Comin' Round the Mountain]]'' || Wilbert Smith || Al Stewart || Universal-International
|-
| 1952 || ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)|Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' || Jack || Mr. Dinklepuss || [[Warner Bros.]]<br>In sepia and color.
|-
| 1952 || ''[[Lost in Alaska]]'' || George Bell || Tom Watson || Universal-International
|-
| 1952-54 || ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' || Himself || Himself || Television Show; Presented by Allan Enterprises
|-
| 1952 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]'' || Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson || Rocky Stonebridge || Warner Bros.<br>In color
|-
| 1953 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]'' || Orville || Lester || Universal-International
|-
| 1953 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' || Tubby || Slim || Universal-International
|-
| 1955 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops]]'' || Willie Piper || Harry Pierce || Universal-International
|-
| 1955 || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy]]'' || Costello (erroneously listed in the film as "Freddie Franklin") || Abbott (erroneously listed in the film as "Pete Patterson") || Universal-International
|-
| 1956 || ''[[Dance with Me, Henry]]'' ||Lou Henry || Bud Flick || United Artists<br>Final film as a duo 
|-
| 1965 || ''[[The World of Abbott and Costello]]'' || Himself || Himself || Universal<br>[[Compilation film]]
|}

===Box office ranking===
{{see|Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll}}
According to [[Martin Quigley (publisher)|Quigley Publishing's]] Poll of Exhibitors (1932-2009+), who published [[The Motion Picture Almanac]], [[Motion Picture Herald]], and [[Motion Picture Daily]], for a number of years Abbott and Costello were ranked{{cn|date=March 2025}} among the most popular stars in the US:
 
* 1941 – 3rd<ref>{{cite news|title=Mickey Rooney Tops List Three Times in a Row: Leads Money-Making Stars Again in 1941; Hollywood Luminaries Pay Capital a Visit; Items of News and Gossip of the Theater|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 2, 1942|page=18}}</ref>
* 1942 – 1st (US), 2nd (UK)
* 1943 – 3rd (US), 3rd (UK)
* 1944 – 8th (US), 10th (UK)
* 1945 – 11th (US), 8th (UK)
* 1946 – 20th
* 1947 – 16th<ref>{{cite news|title=Bing's Lucky Number: Pa Crosby Dons 4th B.O. Crown|author=Richard L. Coe|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=January 3, 1948|page=12}}</ref>
* 1948 – 3rd
* 1949 – 3rd
* 1950 – 6th (US), 2nd (UK)<ref>{{cite news|title=Of Local Origin|date=December 29, 1950|work=[[The New York Times]]|page=15}}</ref>
* 1951 – 4th (US), 4th (UK)
* 1952 – 11th
* 1953 – 20th

==Discography==
* 1942: ''Laugh, Laugh, Laugh'' (Parts I and II) Victor 27737<ref>{{cite magazine|title=On the Records|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NwwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22laugh+laugh+laugh%22&pg=PT13|access-date=May 29, 2023|magazine=Billboard|date=January 10, 1942|page=14}}</ref>

==Spin-offs==
The 1960s cartoon series was not the first time Abbott and Costello were animated. During the height of their popularity in the 1940s, [[Warner Bros.]]'s [[Looney Tunes]]/[[Merrie Melodies]] animation unit produced 3 cartoons featuring the pair as cats or mice named "[[Babbit and Catstello]]". One of the cartoons, Bob Clampett's ''[[A Tale of Two Kitties]]'' (1942), introduced [[Tweety]]. The other cartoons are ''A Tale of Two Mice'' and ''Mouse-Merized Cat''. In all three cartoons, [[Tedd Pierce]] (normally a storyman/writer for the cartoons) and Mel Blanc, respectively, provide voice impressions of the comedy duo.
[[File:Abbott costello caricature.jpg|thumb|right|Caricature of the pair from NBC-TV's Colgate Comedy Hour.]]
The revival of their former television series in syndicated reruns in the late 1960s and early 1970s helped spark renewed interest in the duo, as did the televising of many of their old film hits. In 1994, comedian [[Jerry Seinfeld]]—who says Abbott and Costello were strong influences on his work—hosted a television special ''Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld'' (the title refers to the duo's popular film series in which they met some of Universal's famed horror picture characters), on NBC; the special was said to have been seen in 20 million homes.

==In popular culture==
{{More citations needed section|date= November 2016}}
Abbott and Costello were frequently referred to in 1940s [[Looney Tunes]] cartoons, such as ''[[A Tale of Two Kitties]]'' (1942), ''[[A Tale of Two Mice]]'' (1945), ''[[Hollywood Canine Canteen]]'', ''[[Hollywood Daffy]]'' and ''[[The Mouse-Merized Cat]]'' (all three from 1946).<ref name="warnercompanion.com">{{Cite web|title=The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: A|url=http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-a.html|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=www.warnercompanion.com}}</ref> A catchphrase from Abbott and Costello's radios show, ''"I'm only three and a half years old"'' was often quoted in these cartoons too.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Warner Brothers Cartoon Companion: I|url=http://www.warnercompanion.com/eowbcc-i.html|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=www.warnercompanion.com}}</ref> Even [[Bugs Bunny]]'s famous [[catchphrase]], ''"Ain't I a stinker?"'' was borrowed from [[Lou Costello]].<ref name="warnercompanion.com"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Other Abbott and Costello horror comedies are: Hold That Ghost (1941), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), Jack and|url=http://www.vaiden.net/abbott.html|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=www.vaiden.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tex Avery|url=https://www.lambiek.net/artists/a/avery_tex.htm|access-date=March 29, 2021|website=lambiek.net|language=en}}</ref>

Although they are not inductees of the Hall itself, Abbott and Costello are among the few non-baseball personnel to be memorialized in the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]]. A plaque and a gold record of the "Who's on First?" sketch have been on permanent display there since 1956, and the routine runs on an endless video loop in the exhibit area.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Who's On First Joined the Hall 60 years ago {{!}} Baseball Hall of Fame |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/whos-on-first |access-date=2023-12-07 |website=baseballhall.org}}</ref>

Their "[[Who's on First?]]" routine has been referred to numerous times. In the 1988 movie ''[[Rain Man]]'', [[Dustin Hoffman]]'s [[Autism|autistic]] character Raymond Babbitt recites an affectless "Who's on First?" as a [[Defence mechanisms|defence mechanism]]. In 1982, ''[[Tonight Show]]'' host [[Johnny Carson]] performed a topical sketch as then-President [[Ronald Reagan]] in which "Who's on First?"-style confusion arose from the names of Interior Secretary [[James G. Watt|James Watt]], Palestinian leader [[Yassir Arafat]] and Chinese leader [[Hu Yaobang]].

The comedy group ''[[The Credibility Gap]]'' performed a [[rock and roll]] update of "Who's on First?" using the names of rock groups [[The Who]], [[The Guess Who]], and [[Yes (band)|Yes]], recorded and released on their first album, ''The Bronze Age of Radio''. On the January 13, 2001, episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' host [[Charlie Sheen]] and ''SNL'' cast-member [[Rachel Dratch]] performed a modified version of "Who's on First?" in a sketch. NBC's ''[[Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip]]'' (2006), a drama about life backstage at a television comedy series, used "Who's on First?" as a plot device.

A TV movie called ''Bud and Lou'', based on a book by Hollywood correspondent [[Bob Thomas (reporter)|Bob Thomas]], was broadcast in 1978. Starring [[Harvey Korman]] as Bud Abbott and [[Buddy Hackett]] as Lou Costello, the film told the duo's life story, focusing on Costello and portraying him as volatile and petty.

Jerry Seinfeld is an avid Abbott and Costello fan and their influence on him was celebrated in a 1994 NBC special, ''Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld''. Seinfeld's TV series includes numerous references to the team. George Costanza's middle name is "Louis", after Costello. "[[The Old Man (Seinfeld)|The Old Man]]" (Season 4, Episode 18, aired February 18, 1993) featured a cantankerous old man named "Sid Fields" (played by veteran actor [[Bill Erwin]]) as a tribute to the landlord on the Abbott and Costello TV show. A friend of Kramer's is named Mickey Abbott. A copywriter for the J. Peterman catalog is named Eddie Sherman, after the team's longtime agent. In Episode 30, [[Cosmo Kramer|Kramer]] hears the famous Abbott and Costello line, "His father was a mudder. His mother was a mudder."

In 1991, the [[United States Postal Service|US Postal Service]] featured Abbott and Costello on a first-class stamp,  part of a "Comedian Commemorative Issue", illustrated by [[Al Hirschfeld]].<ref>{{cite web |title=29c Bud Abbott and Lou Costello single |url=https://postalmuseum.si.edu/object/npm_1993.2015.145 |website=National Postal Museum |access-date=July 19, 2022}}</ref>

In 2003, [[Montclair State University]] dedicated a student residential complex named The Abbott and Costello Center on Clove Road in the [[Little Falls, New Jersey|Little Falls]] portion of the university's campus.<ref>[http://www.montclair.edu/publications/News/NewsRelease903village.html Who's on First? At MSU, it's Bud and Lou] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201090520/http://www.montclair.edu/publications/News/NewsRelease903village.html |date=February 1, 2009 }}</ref>

In ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'', a 1993 spoof comedy directed by [[Mel Brooks]], [[Dick Van Patten]] played the part of the Abbot. At one point, a man who looked and sounded like Lou Costello (played by [[Chuck McCann]]) yelled "Hey, Abbott!", in exactly the same way Lou did in the Abbott and Costello movies, repeating a joke from Brooks' Robin Hood sitcom ''[[When Things Were Rotten]]'' in which Van Patten shouted the line. Van Patten responds, "I hate that guy!"

Abbott and Costello were inducted into the [[New Jersey Hall of Fame]] in 2009.

In 2015, a non-profit fan film was produced titled ''Abbott & Costello Meet Superman.'' The film was screened at the Superman Celebration Film Festival in Metropolis Illinois and is currently streaming on YouTube. Abbott and Costello are played by two actors from New York, Aaron M. Lambert and Jake Navatka.

In the 2016 sci-fi movie ''[[Arrival (film)|Arrival]]'', the two Heptapods ([[Extraterrestrial life|alien beings]]) are named Abbott and Costello by the scientists, because the one named Abbott is taller and quieter while the one named Costello is shorter and chattier. The names also have [[Diegesis|extra-diegetic]] significance as two of the main themes in the movie are [[linguistics]] and [[Communication|(mis)communication]], which mirrors themes of the "Who's on First?" routine.<ref>[http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/11/18/all_your_arrival_plot_questions_explained.html All you Arrival plot questions, explained] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170108013511/http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2016/11/18/all_your_arrival_plot_questions_explained.html |date=January 8, 2017}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Anobile, Richard J. (ed.), ''Who's on First?: Verbal and Visual Gems from the Films of Abbott & Costello'' (1972) Avon Books
* Costello, Chris, ''Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by His Youngest Child'' (1982) St. Martin's Press {{ISBN|0-312-49914-0}}
* Cox, Stephen and Lofflin, John, ''The Abbott & Costello Story: Sixty Years of "Who's on First?"'' (1997) Cumberland House Publishing (A revised and updated edition of ''The Official Abbott & Costello Scrapbook'')
* Cox, Stephen and Lofflin, John, ''The Official Abbott & Costello Scrapbook'' (1990) Contemporary Books, Inc.
* Dunning, John, ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio'' (1998) Oxford University Press
* Firestone, Ross (ed.), "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello" from ''The Big Radio Comedy Program'' (1978) Contemporary Books, Inc.
* Furmanek, Bob and Palumbo, Ron, ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood'' (1991) Perigee {{ISBN|0-399-51605-0}}
* Maltin, Leonard, ''The Great Movie Comedians'' (1978) Crown Publishers
* Maltin, Leonard, ''Movie Comedy Teams'' (1970, revised 1985) New American Library
* Miller, Jeffrey S., ''The Horror Spoofs of Abbott and Costello: A Critical Assessment of the Comedy Team's Monster Films'' (2004) McFarland & Co.
* Mulholland, Jim, ''The Abbott and Costello Book'' (1975) Popular Library
* [[Gerald Nachman (journalist)|Nachman, Gerald]]. ''Raised on Radio'' (1998) Pantheon Books
* Nollen, Scott Allen, ''Abbott and Costello on the Home Front: A Critical Study of the Wartime Films'' (2009) McFarland & Co.
* Palumbo, Ron, ''Buck Privates: The Original Screenplay'' (2012) Bear Manor Media.
* Palumbo, Ron, ''Hold That Ghost: The Original Screenplay'' (2016) Bear Manor Media.
* Sforza, John, "Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story" (2000) University Press of Kentucky
* Sies, Luther F., ''Encyclopedia of American Radio'' (2000) McFarland & Co.
* Terrace, Vincent, ''Radio Programs'' (1999) McFarland & Co.
* Thomas, Bob, ''Bud & Lou: The Abbott and Costello Story'' (1977) J.B. Lippincott Co. (Dual biography featuring a highly unflattering portrait of Lou Costello, contested by friends and family members)
* Young, Jordan R., ''The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age'' (1999) Past Times

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20190815060028/http://www.abbottandcostello.net/ Official Website]
* [https://www.radiohalloffame.com/abbott-costello Abbott and Costello] at the [[Radio Hall of Fame]]
* [http://www.abbottandcostellofanclub.com Official Fan Club]

'''Media'''
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=abbott%20AND%20mediatype%3Amovies Abbott and Costello] at the [[Internet Archive]]
* [http://zootradio.com/Abbott_And_Costello.php Abbott And Costello Radio Shows] at Zoot Radio
* [https://www.otroutlaws.com/album/9/various-artists/the-abbott-and-costello-show Abbott and Costello] on Old Time Radio Outlaws (need [[javascript]] enabled)
* [http://way-back-when.net/shows/comedy/abbott-and-costello-show Abbott and Costello] on Way Back When (Old Time Radio site)
::{{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017134239/http://way-back-when.net/shows/comedy/abbott-and-costello-show |date=October 17, 2013 }}
* [http://abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info/ abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info] by Tom Raymond
::Radio shows, TV scripts and articles

'''Metadata'''
* [http://www.abbottandcostello.net/abbott_costello_log.pdf Abbott and Costello Radio Log]
* [http://laughterlog.com/2009/03/26/abbott-and-costello/ Laughterlog.com] Full listing of A&C on Radio, Film, television, Record and in Books.

{{Abbott and Costello}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Abbott and Costello| ]]
[[Category:American comedy duos]]
[[Category:American male comedians]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male radio actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:Film duos]]
[[Category:American burlesque performers]]
[[Category:American vaudeville performers]]
[[Category:1930s American radio programs]]
[[Category:1940s American radio programs]]
[[Category:Male actors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract players]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures contract players]]
[[Category:Warner Bros. contract players]]