Abbott and Costello
[key], American comedy team of William Alexander “Bud” Abbott,
1895–1974, b. Asbury Park, N.J., and Lou Costello, 1906–59, b. Paterson, N.J.,
as Louis Francis Cristillo. From 1931 to 1957 the tall, elegant Abbott played “straight
man” to the short, roly-poly Costello in various stage, film, radio, and television
routines. Extremely popular in the 1940s, they were well known for their series of successful
movies including Buck Privates (1941) and Abbott & Costello
Meet Frankenstein (1948). The duo was also famous for their “Who's on
first?” routine.
See biography by B. Thomas (1977); studies by J. Mulholland (1975), S. Cox and J. Lofflin (1997), J. Miller (2000)
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