Colgate Comedy Hour – Abbott & Costello – Army – originally aired 11/18/1951
Colgate Comedy Hour – Abbott & Costello – Army, with guests George Raft, Louis Armstrong, Rosette Shaw, The Pied Pipers, Al Goodman & his Orchestra.
The basic comedy routine has Bud and Lou unwittingly joining the Army, Ala Buck Privates. Louis Armstrong plays and sings “Basin Street Blues.”
Songs
- Basin Street Blues by Louis Armstrong
- The Skyscraper Blues sung by Rosette Shaw
- Oh! Susanna (instrumental) in the Old Soldiers sketch
- Dixie (instrumental) in the Old Soldiers sketch
- My Old Kentucky Home (instrumental)
Routines
- Popcorn routine – throwing popcorn into the audience
- Bud and Lou both fighting with the cameraman
- Bud’s “magic trick” to the cameraman – creating confetti
- Lou standing on Bobby Barber’s foot
- George Raft demonstrating on Lou what he’ll do to his superior officer when he gets out
- Lou “making the bed” in the barracks
- The packing / unpacking routine
- Lou “cutting in” at the USO dance
- Lou’s “dancing partner” at the USO
- Dice routine – “give ‘er a little Joe” — clubhouse!
- Drill routine with Corporal Abbott
Jokes
Lou: I’ve got brains I ain’t used yet!
Bud: Don’t let it go to your head.
Lou: I’m still lookin’ for my G.I. Insurance from the last war!
Bud: Wait a minute! You weren’t in the last war!
Lou: No wonder I can’t find it.
[George Raft slaps him]
Cast of characters
- Bud Abbott (The Time of their Lives) … Self – Host
- Lou Costello (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein) … Self – Host
- Louis Armstrong (High Society) … Self – Trumpet Player / Singer
- Sid Fields (Mexican Hayride) … Self – Army Recruiting Officer
- Al Goodman (Colgate Comedy Hour – Abbott and Costello) … Self – Orchestra Leader
- Joe Kirk (The Naughty Nineties) … Self – Bacciagalupe
- The Pied Pipers (DuBarry Was A Lady) … Themselves – Singers
- George Raft (Scarface) … Self – Actor
- Rosette Shaw … Self – Singer
- Nolie Miller … Dancer (1951-1952) (uncredited)