Bud Abbott, as the manager of Madame La Zonga’s School of Dance, tries to make an easy mark of Lou Costello by persuading him to take lessons. Also, a movie parody of Christopher Columbus.
Madame La Zonga – The Abbott and Costello Radio Show
Broadcast: July 31, 1940.
Bud Abbott, as the manager of Madam Lazonga’s School of Dance, tries to make an easy mark of Lou Costello by persuading him to take conga lessons from Madam Lazonga.
Lou Costello does his routine, where he’s had a car accident. He has to turn it over right away, or his wife will be angry at him. Where is she? Under the car! Why didn’t he call a policeman? Because he hit one! You hit a police man in uniform? No, I hit him in the patrol car!
Madame La Zonga’s Dance Studio
“Dances 10 cents apiece, or three for a dollar.”
And each “song” lasts roughly 2 seconds, so Lou doesn’t get a chance to actually dance! “You should see me when I get to move my other leg!”
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus – allegedly a movie by Abbott and Costello’s Whackaville film company, with Lou as Christopher Columbus.
Abbott: The man meant tide was high.
Costello: Alright, so Tide was high. The guy’ll sober up in the morning.
Costello: Octopus. A fish with eight faces. “Octo’ means eight, and a puss is a puss!
[the King’s approaching]
Costello: Last night, I sneaked into the castle before the drawbridges was up.
Abbott: Why should he be mad?
Costello: I caught him with his bridges down!
King: Every night you’ve been coming to my queen, and asking her to let you press your suit!
Costello: That’s a lie! I only asked her to wash a couple of my shirts!
Abbott: Wait a minute! You asked the queen to wash your shirts?
Costello: Yes.
Abbott: Queen Isabelle of Bastille?
Costello: Yessir.
Abbott: What happened?
Costello: No soap.
Costello: The queen sings like a bird.
Abbott: What kind of a bird?
Costello: A stool pigeon!
Queen: Every night I bathe in milk.
Costello: Can I ask you a personal question?
Queen: What is it?
Costello: How do you fit in the bottle?
WAC of the Week interview
Interview with the author of “Phooey on Fashion”
A variety of “fat jokes” about Lou’s wife. After mocking the women’s fashions, Lou ends the segment giving fashion “advice” to the women of America.
Songs
- Benay Venuta sings “Saint Louis Blues.”
- Peter Van Steeden and the Ipana Troubadours play the title song from the Broadway hit “Louisiana Purchase.”
- Benay Venuta ends the show with “Get Up Get Out and Meet the Sun Half Way,” and “Hey Young Fellow.”
Trivia
- Sponsored by Ipana toothpaste, at the time the best-selling toothpaste in the country. Also Sal Hepatica – a laxative.
- Based on the 1940 hit song, “Six Dance Lessons from Madame La Zonga” – not the 1941 movie of the same name. Since this was recorded in 1940 🙂
Cast
- Bud Abbott
- Lou Costello
- Benay Venuta (Annie Get Your Gun)
- Harry Von Zell
- Peter Van Steeden
- The Ipana Troubadours