Abbott & Costello Full Biography and Filmography

Abbott & Costello were the last of the great comedy teams. Their career spanned 21 years…from burlesque, to Broadway, to radio, to films and finally to, television.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello officially teamed up in 1936. Bud was regarded as one of the best and sought after straightmen on the burlesque circuit. Born William Alexander Abbott on October 2, 1895 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Bud’s early career in show business began in 1918 when he was a treasurer of the National Theatre, a burlesque house in Washington, DC. It was here where Bud met his wife, Jenny Mae Pratt, whose stage name was Betty Smith.

Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo on March 6, 1906 in Paterson, N.J. Wanting to try his luck in Hollywood, Lou found sparse work as a laborer and an extra at MGM in 1927. He appeared in the boxing sequence of Laurel & Hardy’s “Battle of the Century” (1927) and in the Delores Del Rio 1928 epic “Trails of 98.”


Abbott and Costello

Abbott & Costello were the last of the great comedy teams. Their career spanned 21 years…from burlesque, to Broadway, to radio, to films and finally to, television.

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello officially teamed up in 1936. Bud was regarded as one of the best and sought after straightmen on the burlesque circuit. Born William Alexander Abbott on October 2, 1895 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, Bud’s early career in show business began in 1918 when he was a treasurer of the National Theatre, a burlesque house in Washington, DC. It was here where Bud met his wife, Jenny Mae Pratt, whose stage name was Betty Smith.

Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo on March 6, 1906 in Paterson, N.J. Wanting to try his luck in Hollywood, Lou found sparse work as a laborer and an extra at MGM in 1927. He appeared in the boxing sequence of Laurel & Hardy’s “Battle of the Century” (1927) and in the Delores Del Rio 1928 epic “Trails of 98.”

By the time Lou worked his way back to the east coast, Bud Abbott was already a successful straightman in burlesque. Although Lou had his designs on becoming a dramatic actor, he worked as a Dutch comic in St. Joseph, Missouri at $16.00 a week in order to make his way back to N.J. Once home, he continued pursuing burlesque jobs and for awhile worked as a dancing juvenile in Ann Corio’s “This Is Burlesque.” It was in this show that he met his future wife, Anne Battler and whom he married in 1934.

Although one can find many stories that claim to document the teaming up of Abbott & Costello, the most familiar is that of Lou’s straightman getting sick and Lou asking Bud, also on the bill, if he would step in. Subsequently, history was made that night at a Brooklyn burlesque house in 1936 and the team of Abbott & Costello was born.

The first couple of years of their partnership were rather lean ones, but the turning point came when Ted Collins, manager for Kate Smith, asked if they would appear on the “Kate Smith Radio Show.” They signed as summer replacements and proved to be a great success. Following, they signed to appear in Mike Todd’s Broadway show, “Streets of Paris” and which also featured another newcomer, Carmen Miranda. Returning to radio, it was their performance of a new routine they had written in collaboration with their comedy writer, John Grant, that catapulted them to Hollywood and to stardom. Today, WHO’S ON FIRST has become their classic signature skit and most well-remembered of the Abbott &Costello routines.

Signed by Universal Pictures in 1939, their first film was a “test run” to see how well Abbott & Costello would go over to theatre going audiences. “One Night in the Tropics” was an Alan Jones, Nancy Kelly film, however, the studio kept shooting more and more footage of Abbott & Costello due to reports from the set that the crew could barely contain themselves from laughing. It was the perfect springboard for the boys and a giant success at the box office. Universal realized they had a prime commodity with this comedic duo and immediately set the wheels in motion for Abbott & Costello to star in their next film, “Buck Privates.”

Bud and Lou made a succession of box office hits for Universal and were voted #1 box office stars in 1942 --- “In the Navy,” “Keep ‘Em Flying,” “Hold That Ghost,” “ Who Done It?” and “Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein,” today a cult classic amongst Abbott &Costello fans, kept the gates of Universal open at a time when Universal was considered a B studio. In all, Bud and Lou made 36 films, their last being “Dance With Me Henry” in 1957.

Returning to radio between films, “The Abbott & Costello Show” aired on ABC from 1941-46 and on NBC from 1946-49.

The live stage was where Abbott & Costello thrived. In the early 1950’s, NBC welcomed Bud and Lou to their new hour long live variety show, “The Colgate Comedy Hour” as guest hosts. Debuting on January 7, 1951, Abbott & Costello boosted the show’s ratings as they performed their staple of routines, including the still popular and in demand, “Who’s On First.”

In 1956, one year before the release of their last film, “Dance With Me Henry, “ and the dissolving of their partnership, Bud and Lou were brought together on “Steve Allen Show” before a live audience and nationwide broadcast. The emotion was heightened when unbeknownst to both man, Steve Allen announced the induction of Abbott & Costello’s Gold Record in Cooperstown, N.Y. Today, Bud and Lou are still the first non-baseball playing celebrities to have such a work inducted.

Lou Costello passed away in March of 1959, followed by Bud Abbott in 1974. Today, their comedy continues to generate a whole new legion of fans from around the world. When “Abbott & Costello Meets Jerry Seinfeld” aired on NBC in 1994, Seinfeld contributed this thought. “If it weren’t for Bud Abbott & Lou Costello, many of the vaudeville and burlesque routines would have been lost forever. It was through Abbott & Costello’s films and television show appearances, as well as on radio, that will forever preserve them for generations to come.


Abbott & Costello
Official Website
Filmography (1940-1965)

Year / Movie / Lou Costello Role / Bud Abbott Role / Notes

1940 One Night in the Tropics Costello Abbott Film Debut
1941 Buck Privates Herbie Brown Slicker Smith
1941 In the Navy Pomeroy Watson Smokey Adams
1941 Hold That Ghost Ferdinand Jones Chuck Murray
1941 Keep 'Em Flying Heathcliffe Blackie Benson
1942 Ride 'Em Cowboy Willoughby Duke
1942 Rio Rita Wishy Dunn Doc
1942 Pardon My Sarong Wellington Phlug Algy Shaw
1942 Who Done It? Mervyn Milgrim Chick Larkin
1943 It Ain't Hay Wilbur Hoolihan Grover Mickridge
1943 Hit The Ice Tubby McCoy Flash Fulton
1944 In Society Albert Mansfield Eddie Harrington
1944 Lost in a Harem Harvey Garvey Peter Johnson
1945 Here Come the Co-Eds Oliver Quackenbush Slats McCarthy
1945 The Naughty Nineties Sebastian Dinwiddie Dexter Broadhurst
*Who's On First? From this film is featured at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
1945 Abbott and Costello in Hollywood Abercrombie Buzz Kurtis
1946 Little Giant Benny Miller John Morrison/Tom Chandler
1946 The Time of Their Lives Horatio Prim Cuthbert/Dr. Greenway
1947 Buck Privates Come Home Herbie Brown Slicker Smith Sequel to Buck Privates
1947 The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap Chester Wooley Duke Egan
1948 The Noose Hangs High Tommy Hinchcliffe Ted Higgins
1948 Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein Wilbur Gray Chick Young
1948 Mexican Hayride Joe Bascom/Humphrey Fish Harry Lambert
1949 Africa Screams Stanley Livington Buzz Johnson
1949 Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff Freddie Phillips Casey Edwards
1950 Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion Lou Hotchkiss Bud Jones
1951 Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man Lou Francis Bud Alexander
1951 Comin' Round the Mountain Wilbert Smith Al Stewart
1952 Jack and the Beanstalk Jack Mr. Dinklepuss In sepia and color
1952 Lost in Alaska George Bell Tom Watson
1952 Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson Rocky Stonebridge In color
1953 Abbott and Costello Go to Mars Orville Lester
1953 Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Tubby Slim
1955 Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops Willie Piper Harry Pierce
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")
1956 Dance with Me, Henry! Lou Henry Bud Flick Their final film
1959 The 30-Foot Bride of Candy Rock Artie Pinsetter - Lou Costello only
1965 The World of Abbott and Costello - - Compilation film