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Fall Guy

Tom Raymond

Fall Guy The Abbott and Costello Show season 2, originally aired April 24, 1954

In Fall Guy, Bud and Lou are behind on their rent — again. After a penniless day of trying to sell “No Peddlers Allowed” signs, Bud and Lou are approached by two men. It’s a scheme that will land them two hundred dollars. All they have to do is take two sisters out on a date …. And then switch places with the men. But as soon as they arrive at the girls’ home, their father wants the boys to install a new TV antenna on his roof.

Fall Guy begins with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are once again broke, as Lou demonstrates with a phone call from Stinky’s brother:

[Bud calls Lou to the telephone]
Lou Costello: Hello.
Stinky’s Brother: Is that you, Lou Costello?
Lou Costello: Yeah, this is Lou Costello. It ain’t his brother, Pat.
Stinky’s Brother: Are you sure this is Lou Costello?
Lou Costello: I am positive this is Lou Costello… yes, I am positive I am Lou Costello.
Stinky’s Brother: You don’t sound like Lou Costello.
Lou Costello: Well, whaddaya want me to do? I mean, I’m Lou Costello. I know who I am. I’m Costello. I got certificates and everything to prove I’m Lou Costello.
Stinky’s Brother: Well, listen, Costello, this is Stinky’s brother. I want you to bring me the five dollars you owe me.
Lou Costello: [slight pause] Oh, uh. When he gets in, I’ll tell him.

Which leads to their landlord, Sid Fields, coming up with an idea. A former tenant, a door to door salesman, left without paying his rent. But he left a bunch of “No Peddlers Allowed” signs behind. Why don’t Bud and Lou sell them, and use the money to pay the rent? After a slapstick day of rejections and punches in the nose, the answer is obvious.

Act II

But then, Sid has another idea. There are a pair of young men, who want to date a pair of beautiful sisters. But the girls’ father doesn’t like them. Which is frankly understandable, since they’re pushy and tend to get rough. But, they’re willing to pay Bud and Lou to pick the girls up for a date, only to act as decoys, and deliver the girls to the two men for the real date. After Bud coerces Lou a little bit, he agrees:

Bud Abbott: When I take you out with girls, don’t we always split 50-50?
Lou Costello: Yes. You always split the girls 50-50 with me.
Bud Abbott: That’s right.
Lou Costello: You always take the ones under 50, and give me the ones over 50.

One small problem is that the girls’ father is a bit of a bird watcher — and arguably a little bit crazy as well. When Bud and Lou appear to take the girls out on the date, first Lou tries to “impress” the man with his knowledge of birds. Then, he and Bud volunteer to put a new TV antenna on the roof. An antenna shaped like a bird’s cage!

First there’s some slapstick trouble with the roofer on top of the roof. Then, they’re trying to set up the antenna. But the two tough guys have gotten impatient, and climb up on the roof and start fighting with Abbott and Costello! Tar gets thrown at Lou, who falls through the roof, lands on a bed, gets covered with feathers from it, and is mistaken for a giant bird by the girls’ father! He shoots at Lou, who crashes through the front door, ending the episode.

Cast of characters

Additional Cast

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