On This Day in Abbott & Costello History…

February 21, 2010

It was on this day, 68 years ago, that the Abbott and Costello movie Ride ‘Em Cowboy was released.  Ride ‘Em Cowboy was filmed from June 30 thru August 9, 1941 and was originally intended to be the third Abbott and Costello film.  However, due to the success of the service film, Buck Privates, the [...]

Read the full article →

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Bloopers

January 28, 2010

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was one of Hollywood’s top money makers of 1948, and certainly the most successful film for the comedy duo since Buck Privates (1941).  It has also held up as one of the most popular of their thirty-six movies. But what you may not know is that the movie contains three [...]

Read the full article →

Abbott & Costello and The Big Bang Theory: The Connection

January 6, 2010

Did you know…? I read somewhat recently that the two lead characters in one of my favorite TV shows, Sheldon Cooper and Leonard Hofstadter of The Big Bang Theory, were named as a tribute to the late Sheldon Leonard (see picture to the right). Sheldon Leonard was one of the 20th century’s most prolific directors [...]

Read the full article →

Poker on the Abbott & Costello Movie Sets

January 1, 2010

Poker games on the sets of Abbott & Costello movies were legendary. It was not unusual for tens of thousands of dollars (much of it in $100 bills) to be on the poker table. Bud and Lou were famous for inviting all kinds of players to the high-stakes games. If no one else was available, [...]

Read the full article →

The “First” Abbott and Costello Movie

December 26, 2009

One Night in the Tropics, released on November 15, 1040, is considered to be the first of the thirty-six movies that Abbott & Costello made together.  However, it is also the only movie that did not give the duo top-billing. Presumably this is the reason why Bud and Lou hardly ever mentioned the film during [...]

Read the full article →

Interesting Abbott & Costello Trivia

December 1, 2009

This post is for all you trivia buffs out there.  Here’s a list of ten interesting bits of Abbott & Costello trivia: 1. In 1991, Abbott & Costello were featured on a 29 cent U.S. commemorative postage stamp. 2. While not members of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, Abbott & Costello are the only [...]

Read the full article →

The Rift Between Abbott and Costello

November 17, 2009

Not many people know this, but in 1945, Abbott and Costello experienced a rift in their relationship.  The brouhaha concerned the hiring of a domestic servant by Abbott who had previously been fired by Costello.  Looking back, this may seem silly and maybe even petty, but Costello, hurt by his partner’s action, refused to speak [...]

Read the full article →

Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein

November 5, 2009

Did you know?… Abbott and Costello’s film, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, is often cited as the funniest of the 36 movies these two made together.  The film was released in June 1948 and re-released in 1956. In 2001, the United States Library of Congress deemed this film “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and chose [...]

Read the full article →

Bud Abbott: A Show Biz Life

November 3, 2009

You might say that Bud Abbott (born William Alexander Abbott in 1895) was destined from the day he was born to be in show business. He was born into a show business family –  both parents worked for the Barnum & Bailey Circus:  His mother, Rae, as a bareback rider and his father, Harry, as [...]

Read the full article →

Lou Costello: Much Tragedy in a Blessed Life

October 29, 2009

When I first read up on the life of Lou Costello, I was struck by the contrasts in his life.  What I mean is, while he enjoyed what many would describe as a blessed life in terms of fame and fortune, Costello experienced much tragedy and heartache in his life. Lou Costello, who was born Louis [...]

Read the full article →

← Previous Entries

Next Entries →