Bud Abbott


Comedian
Bud Abbott

About

Also Known As
William Alexander Abbott, [Bud] Abbott
Birth Place
Asbury Park, New Jersey, USA
Born
October 02, 1898
Died
April 24, 1974
Cause of Death
Cancer

Biography

The leaner, meaner, faster-talking half of one of America's greatest comedic duos, Bud Abbott, along with his partner Lou Costello, was one of Hollywood's biggest stars throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Born into a show business family, Abbott already had years of experience as a show producer, promoter and performer by the time he teamed up with fellow vaudevillian Costello in the mid-193...

Photos & Videos

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood - Publicity Stills
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd - Movie Poster
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - Lobby Cards

Family & Companions

Betty Abbott
Wife

Bibliography

"The Horror Spoofs of Abbott and Costello: A Critical Assessment of the Comedy Team's Monster Films"
Jeffrey S. Miller, McFarland (2000)
"The Abbott and Costello Book"
Jim Mulholland (1975)

Notes

In 1944 the Treasury Department published earnings for the twelve-month period ending August 31, 1943: Universal paid Abbott and Costello $789,628.

Biography

The leaner, meaner, faster-talking half of one of America's greatest comedic duos, Bud Abbott, along with his partner Lou Costello, was one of Hollywood's biggest stars throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Born into a show business family, Abbott already had years of experience as a show producer, promoter and performer by the time he teamed up with fellow vaudevillian Costello in the mid-1930s. Growing recognition on the stages of New York eventually led to a guest stint on a popular national radio program, followed by their first film as a team, "One Night in the Tropics" (1940). With the massive success of their sophomore effort, "Buck Privates" (1941), Abbott and his cohort became two of the biggest movie stars of the wartime era. More hit films like "Pardon My Sarong" (1942), "In Society" (1944) and "The Naughty Nineties" (1945), combined with popular radio appearances on their own program and others like "The Kate Smith Show" - which first broadcast their famous "Who's on First?" routine - kept them at the top of the entertainment heap, despite critics' dismissal of their oeuvre as being decidedly lowbrow. The comedy-monster mash-up "Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein" (1948) marked not only the beginning of their repetitive "Abbot and Costello Meet." phase, but of their inevitable over-exposure and consequent slump in popularity. As the team's career deteriorated, so too did Abbott's relationship with Costello. The comedy "Dance with Me, Henry" (1956) marked their final film appearance together before the team split up in 1957 and Costello died in 1959. Semi-retired and in increasingly poor health, Abbott passed away at the age of 78 in 1974. One of the best at what he did and in the underappreciated position of comic foil, Bud Abbott was openly admired by Costello, who frequently insisted, "Comics are a dime a dozen, but good straight men are hard to find."

Born William Alexander Abbott on Oct. 2, 1895 in Asbury Park, NJ, "Bud" was the son of Rae Abbott, a bareback rider, and Harry Abbott, a publicist and booking agent with Barnum and Bailey Circus, for which they both worked. Understandably drawn to the world of show business, Abbott dropped out of school in 1909 to work at New York's Coney Island, where his father was then employed. His young life took a bizarre, unexpected turn, when at the age of 15, Abbott was drugged and shanghaied on a Norwegian-bound shipping vessel. After miraculously making his way back home, a now street-wise Abbott began working in burlesque theater, where he met his future wife, Jenny, who was a dancer and comedienne. Following a stint with the National Theater in Detroit, MI, where he gained a reputation as a talented comedic "straight man," Abbott returned to the New York area where he and Betty produced a small variety "tab show" on the thriving burlesque circuit. Although details may have been embellished over the decades, the most widely-related version of events stated that in the early 1930s, a young comic named Lou Costello needed a last-minute replacement for his then-straight man, who had become suddenly ill. Abbott happened to be working at the theater box office that night, and having had a fair amount of experience in the position, graciously volunteered his services. The pair clicked and a legend was born. After several impromptu repeat performances and the urging of Bud's wife, the comedy team of Abbott and Costello officially formed in 1936.

With the rotund Costello in the role of the affably dim-witted funnyman, Abbott and his new partner refined their routine and gradually began making a name for themselves as they performed their act at various burlesque shows, vaudeville theaters and movie house venues. After being signed to the William Morris Agency, Abbott and his collaborator gained national exposure when they became featured performers on the popular radio variety program "The Kate Smith Show" in 1938. The following year - during which time they also appeared in the Broadway review of "The Streets of Paris" - the funnymen were signed by Universal Pictures for a two-movie deal. Abbott and Costello made their feature film debut in "One Night in the Topics" (1940). Although cast in supporting roles, the duo virtually stole the show in the lighthearted comedy, giving audiences an abbreviated version of their famous "Who's on First?" bit, a word-play routine already made popular on the Kate Smith radio program. The movie was a sizable hit, with Abbott and his portly partner garnering much of the accolades. After renegotiating a new long-term contract with Universal, Abbott and Costello next appeared onscreen as the stars of "Buck Privates" (1941), a boot-camp comedy released prior to America's entry into World War II. The first of three films in which the team would co-star alongside the Andrews Sisters, it not only outgrossed "Citizen Kane" (1941) at the box-office, but its famous "drill routine" was later notoriously used by the Japanese as wartime propaganda as an illustration of the "ineptitude" of the average U.S. soldier.

The huge success of "Buck Privates" made movie stars of Abbott and Costello, and the pair wasted no time getting back into the studio for a string of hits, beginning with "In the Navy" (1941), "Hold That Ghost" (1941) and "Pardon My Sarong" (1942). The following year the hugely popular duo was given a radio show of their own with "The Abbott and Costello Show," which aired for nearly a decade. In 1942, the comedy team of Abbott and Costello became the No. 1 box office draw for the year, and would remain in the Top Ten continuously until 1952. One of the most popular acts it the country, they embarked on two cross-country promotional tours, selling War Bonds, during which they raised tens of millions of dollars for the U.S. military effort. Amidst the height of their success, there was also tragedy. Following a lengthy bout with rheumatic fever, Lou Costello had returned to work on their radio show in 1943, only to be informed that his only son, Lou, Jr., had drowned in the pool earlier that day. In the epitome of the old showbiz axiom, "The show must go on," Costello performed with Abbott as scheduled, only informing the radio audience of his personal loss after the show. In spite of such heartbreaking events, the streak of hit films continued with fun-loving romps like "It Ain't Hay" (1943), "In Society" (1944) and "Here Come the Co-Eds" (1945). In the best of these films, the boys played good-natured bumbling schemers and con men who experience changes of heart and/or fortune after being caught up in circumstances beyond their meager control.

At the top of the box office heap throughout World War II, America could not get enough of Abbott and his cohort. They even revived their old "Who's on First?" routine with a lengthier, unabridged version for the film "The Naughty Nineties" (1945). On the flip side of that equation, when they attempted to divert from the established pattern of their previous efforts - as they did in "Little Giant" (1945) and "The Time of Their Lives" (1945), which gave both players more individual storylines and injected a touch of drama into the proceedings - moviegoers where less enthusiastic. In their more appreciated vehicles, the pair cavorted and double-talked their way through enjoyable frolics such as "Buck Privates Come Home" (1947) and Mexican Hayride" (1948). However, a slight change of trajectory in Abbott's career came with the inevitable effects of overexposure, and a reliance upon an initially winning, but eventually lazy formula struck upon by the ailing studio, Universal Pictures. At first, "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" (1948) served as a wacky hybrid vehicle in which Universal could get additional mileage out of its stable of classic movie monsters. And although audiences initially howled at the hilarious antics of Bud and Lou avoiding the clutches of Frankenstein's Monster (Glenn Strange), Dracula (Bèla Lugosi) and the Wolf Man (Lon Chaney, Jr.), the shtick soon grew stale with subsequent retreads, including "Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man" (1951) and "Abbott and Costello Go to Mars" (1953), among others.

That was not to say that Abbott and Costello were no longer popular. The pair found a highly receptive audience on television, where, in addition to their films being frequently seen in reruns, they were also given a half-hour comedy program of their own: "The Abbott and Costello Show" (syndicated, 1952-54). Nonetheless, there were other aspiring successors to the comedy team throne by that time - primarily, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis - and by the time they released the last of their big screen efforts, "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" (1955) and "Dance with Me, Henry" (1956), they were as tired of each other as it seemed America had become with their long-running act. Even though their relationship had been badly strained by a previous disagreement and Abbott's increased reliance on alcohol to cope with the epilepsy that plagued him throughout his life, the two were tearfully reunited on a 1956 segment of "This Is Your Life" (NBC, 1952-1961). Shortly thereafter, however, the team of Abbott and Costello officially called it quits in 1957. Both men, inveterate gamblers, had fallen under the scrutiny of the IRS, and Abbott was eventually forced into bankruptcy. Following the death of Costello from a heart attack in 1959, Abbott attempted to revive his burlesque career alongside a new partner, vocalist Candy Candido. The act did not catch on with audiences, however, and after stating that "No one could ever live up to Lou," Abbott quit the act in 1960. He later provided his own voice for the Hannah-Barbera cartoon "Abbott & Costello" (syndicated, 1967-68), with actor Stan Irwin filling in vocally for Costello. Following a series of strokes in the early-1960s, an increasingly infirmed Bud Abbott died on April 24, 1974. He was 78 years old.

Filmography

 

Cast (Feature Film)

Entertaining the Troops (1989)
Himself
Dance with Me, Henry (1956)
Bud Flick
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)
Pete Patterson [Bud Abbott]
Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops (1955)
Harry Pierce
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1953)
Slim
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)
Lester
Lost in Alaska (1952)
Tom Watson
Jack and the Beanstalk (1952)
Mr. Dinkel/Dinkelpuss
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952)
Rocky Stonebridge
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)
Bud Alexander
Comin' Round the Mountain (1951)
Al Stewart
Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950)
Bud Jones
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer: Boris Karloff (1949)
Casey Edwards
Africa Screams (1949)
Buzz Johnson
The Noose Hangs High (1948)
Ted Higgins
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)
Chick [Young]
Mexican Hayride (1948)
Harry Lambert
The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947)
Duke Egan [Eagan]
Buck Privates Come Home (1947)
Slicker Smith
Little Giant (1946)
Mr. [E. L.] Morrison/[Tom Chandler]
The Time of Their Lives (1946)
Ralph Greenway/Cuthbert Greenway
The Naughty Nineties (1945)
Dexter Broadhurst
Here Come the Co-Eds (1945)
Slats [McCarthy]
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in Hollywood (1945)
Buzz Kurtis
Lost in a Harem (1944)
Peter Johnson
In Society (1944)
Eddie [Harrington]
Hit the Ice (1943)
Flash Fulton
It Ain't Hay (1943)
Grover [Mockridge]
Pardon My Sarong (1942)
Algy Shaw
Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942)
Duke
Rio Rita (1942)
"Doc"
Who Done It? (1942)
Chick Larkin
In the Navy (1941)
Smokey Adams
Keep 'Em Flying (1941)
Blackie Benson
Hold That Ghost (1941)
Chuck Murray
Buck Privates (1941)
Slicker [Smithy] Smith
One Night in the Tropics (1940)
Abbott

Misc. Crew (Feature Film)

Entertaining the Troops (1989)
Other
Oh... Rosalinda! (1955)
Sound

Life Events

1931

Teamed with Lou Costello in Brooklyn

1938

First radio appearance as Abbott and Costello on Kate Smith's program

1939

Broadway acting debut in revue, "Streets of Paris" alongside Carmen Miranda

1940

Film debut with Costello in comic supporting roles in "One Night in the Tropics"

1940

First starring roles for the duo, "Buck Privates", for Universal Studios

1946

Unsuccessfully attempted to work separately within the same film, "The Little Giant"

1948

Flagging popularity revived with success of "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein"; film initiated a series of onscreen encounters with other monsters

1955

Ended association with Universal after "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy"

1956

Their most famous comic routine, "Who's on First?" placed on permanent display in National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum in Cooperstown, NY, in the form of a gold record and a framed copy of the text

1956

Last film, "Dance with Me, Henry"

1957

Ended partnership with Costello

1959

Death of Costello

1961

Briefly revived some of old routines on stage with new partner, Candy Candido

1966

Supplied voice for 156 5-minute Abbott and Costello cartoons made by Hanna-Barbera

Photo Collections

Abbott and Costello in Hollywood - Publicity Stills
Here are a few Publicity Stills from Abbott and Costello in Hollywood (1945). Publicity stills were specially-posed photos, usually taken off the set, for purposes of publicity or reference for promotional artwork.
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd - Movie Poster
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd - Movie Poster
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - Lobby Cards
Here are a few Lobby Cards from Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). Lobby Cards were 11" x 14" posters that came in sets of 8. As the name implies, they were most often displayed in movie theater lobbies, to advertise current or coming attractions.

Videos

Movie Clip

Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Madame Rontru Bumbling adventurers in Egypt Pete and Freddie (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello) frighten a shopkeeper, meet the alluring Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor) and do a snake charming gag, early in Universal's Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy, 1955.
Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy (1955) -- (Movie Clip) Hole In The Rock Big comedy piece as Pete and Freddie (Bud Abbott, Lou Costello) have finally reached the tomb of the evil mummy prince Klaris, accidentally gaining entry, in Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy, 1955.
Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) -- (Movie Clip) You Won't Feel A Thing Abbott And Costello are at Universal so there’s no worry about licensing monsters, though only two are originals, here in mayhem toward the end, Dracula (Bela Lugosi) plans to give Lou’s brain to the monster (Glenn Strange, not Karloff) and Larry Talbot (Lon Chaney Jr.) is on their side until the moon comes out, in Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein, 1948.
Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) -- (Movie Clip) You Little Blimp Just off the phone with the Wolf Man from London, postal clerk Wilbur (Lou Costello) deals with cranky McDougal (Frank Ferguson), amorous Sandra (Lenore Aubert) and snarky pal Chick (Bud Abbott), in Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein, 1948.
Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) -- (Movie Clip) Dracula's Legend Delivering materials to the local "House Of Horror," Wilbur (Lou Costello) tries to convince Chick (Bud Abbott) he's seen Dracula (Bela Lugosi), in Bud Abbott And Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein, 1948.
Buck Privates (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Drafty? Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (as "Slicker" and "Herbie") are introduced, and we find out how they wind up in the army, in this early scene from their mega-hit debut as stars, Buck Privates, 1941.
Buck Privates (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Paying On Account A quick insert, from special material written for the stars by John Grant, Slicker (Bud Abbott) and Herbie (Lou Costello) argue over money at the canteen, in Buck Privates, 1941.
Buck Privates (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Private Herbie (Lou Costello) needs a moment before his boxing match so "The Andrews Sisters" appear to introduce their smash "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by Don Raye and Hugh Prince, in the first big Abbott & Costello box office hit, Buck Privates, 1941.
Buck Privates (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Get Your Chins Up! Famous scene said to have been tough to film because the director kept cracking up, Slicker (Bud Abbott) and Herbie (Lou Costello) in the Army drill routine from Buck Privates, 1941.
Buck Privates (1941) -- (Movie Clip) You're A Lucky Fellow Herbie (Lou Costello) and Slicker (Bud Abbott) set up the first big number for The Andrews Sisters (Patty, Maxene and Laverne), "You're A Lucky Fellow Mr. Smith," staged by Nick Castle, in Buck Privates, 1941.
Abbott And Costello Meet Captain Kidd (1952) -- (Movie Clip) We Owe It To The Skipper Dressing up with color and musical comedy, the opening to Abbott And Costello's largely self-financed Abbott And Costello Meet Captain Kidd, 1952, Leif Erickson leading the pirate chorus and Charles Laughton spoofing his own role from 1945, the boys found bumbling around Tortuga.
Abbott And Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1953) -- (Movie Clip) Mr. Hyde Will Kill Him! All Boris Karloff, in the title role/s not occupied by the stars, and not a single joke, John Dierkes his assistant, ruminating on the motivations of himself and his alter ego, after committing a murder in turn-of-the-century London, in Abbot And Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, 1953.

Trailer

Hold That Ghost (1941) -- Original Trailer Original trailer for the second-made but third-released Abbott & Costello vehicle, Hold That Ghost, 1941, from Universal, with Joan Davis, Richard Carlson, Evelyn Ankers and The Andrews Sisters.
Jack and the Beanstalk - (Black-and-white Trailer) Abbott and Costello dream themselves into the classic children's story Jack and the Beanstalk (1952).
Time Of Their Lives, The - (Original Trailer) Lou Costello is a Revolutionary War ghost trying to clear his name in the unusual Abbott & Costello comedy The Time Of Their Lives (1946).
Abbott and Costello in Hollywood - (Original Trailer) Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are a pair of barbers who try to make it in the movies in Abbott and Costello In Hollywood (1945).
Lost in a Harem - (Original Trailer) Abbott & Costello play entertainers touring the Middle East who are kidnapped by an evil sultan in Lost in a Harem.
Rio Rita (1942) - (Original Trailer) A pair of nitwits try to stop Nazis from infiltrating a Western ranch in Rio Rita (1942), starring Bud Abbott & Lou Costello.
Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy - (Original Trailer) View Trailer
Buck Privates - (Re-issue Trailer) Abbott and Costello accidentally join the U.S. Army in their first starring comedy Buck Privates (1941).
Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man - (Original Trailer) Bud and Lou are detectives who take on the case of a hard-to-see boxer in Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951).
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein - (Re-issue Trailer) Universal first married their classic horror with their hottest comedy team in Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Family

Harry Abbott Sr
Father
Advance man for Ringling Bros. circus.
Olive Victoria Abbott
Sister
Actor. Born in 1896; died on August 8, 1997 at age 101.
Bud Abbott Jr
Son
Film technician, actor, cameraman. Adopted son; died of heart attack on January 19, 1997 at age 57.

Companions

Betty Abbott
Wife

Bibliography

"The Horror Spoofs of Abbott and Costello: A Critical Assessment of the Comedy Team's Monster Films"
Jeffrey S. Miller, McFarland (2000)
"The Abbott and Costello Book"
Jim Mulholland (1975)

Notes

In 1944 the Treasury Department published earnings for the twelve-month period ending August 31, 1943: Universal paid Abbott and Costello $789,628.