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Two Tens for a five routine, made famous by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

A Dollar a Day

A dollar a day routine, made famous by Abbott and Costello

A Dollar A Day is a classic vaudeville skit, made famous by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, where Lou Costello has been working for Bud Abbott for the last year for the “princely” sum of one dollar per day—and Bud Abbott finds one reason after another to keep deducting wages, and deducting, and deducting …

It was first shown in their first movie, One Night in the Tropics, but the version displayed below is taken from their popular radio show.

A Dollar a Day
Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd - Lou and Bud find the treasure map

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd  (1952) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Charles Laughton, Hillary Brooke

In  Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd  two waiters, Oliver “Puddin’ Head” Johnson (Lou Costello) and Rocky Stonebridge (Bud Abbott) are on their way to work at Death’s Head Tavern on the pirate hangout on the island of Tortuga. There they encounter Lady Jane (Fran Warren). She asks them to bring a love note to the singer at the tavern, Bruce Martingale (Bill Shirley).

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd
Captain Jonah and the Whale routine, made famous by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

Captain Jonah and the Whale

Captain Jonah and the Whale routine, made famous by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

One of Abbott and Costello’s lesser-known routines, but performed by  Bud Abbott and Lou  Costello in their first movie  One Night in the Tropics, in “Here Come the Co-Eds“, on their television show episode “The Drug Store“, and also on the Colgate television show. The “Here Come the Co-Eds” version is perfect, as they perform it in a classroom of co-eds for audience reaction, and this is transcribed from that version. Bud and Lou are janitors dusting a classroom, where the girls are writing some jokes for the school play. The sympathy Lou gets from the girls adds to the atmosphere of the routine, unlike any other version. Much of the humor comes from the rapid-fire delivery of the lines, that Abbott and Costello were masters of.Captain Jonah and the Whale

Abbott and Costello's Jack in the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

Abbott and Costello in Jack and the Beanstalk (1952) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Buddy Baer

Jack and the Beanstalk is one of the only two films that  Abbott and Costello made in color.   It is a children’s movie that adults can enjoy as well.   The beginning and ending of the movie are filmed in black and white, with Bud and Lou playing their typical characters.  Bud Abbott  bosses around and takes advantage of  Lou Costello. Although that changes slightly at the end of the movie.  Bud having Lou work as a babysitter for an obnoxious child, who hits Lou on the head and launches the main part of the movie. Lou dreams in color of the story of  Jack and the Beanstalk.

Jack and the Beanstalk
Abbott and Costello - Bagel Street

Bagel Street, aka. Susquehannah Hat Company

Bagel Street, aka. Susquehanna Hat Company, aka. Fluegel Street routine – Abbott and Costello  skit, taken from In Society

This is a classic vaudeville routine and highly popular with the fans of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello.  During the filming ofIn Society, Lou wanted to include this routine in the movie. However, because the movie was already on a tight shooting schedule, since Universal Pictures wanted to release this film before MGM’s Abbott and Costello movie “Lost in a Harem,” the producers refused. Lou was unwilling to give up on the idea, so he filmed and directed this segment himself.

The routine involves Abbott and Costello helping out a friend, Derby Dan, owner of a hat shop, by delivering some hats to the Susquehanna Hat Company on Bagel Street [later, when doing the same routine on the Abbott and Costello television show, it was changed to Fleugel Street].Bagel Street, aka. Susquehannah Hat Company

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in a publicity photo from Lost in a Harem

Lost in a Harem

Abbott and Costello’s  Lost in a Harem  (1944) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Marilyn Maxwell

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello in a publicity photo from Lost in a Harem

Lost in a Harem is one of  Abbott and Costello’s best films, filmed at the MGM studios.   The film has a vaudeville show stranded in the mythical city of Port Inferno somewhere in the East.   Singer Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell, a semi-regular on the Abbott and Costello radio show) gets a job at the Cafe of All Nations, and has the club owner hire the show’s prop men, Harvey Garvey (Lou Costello) and Pete Johnson (Bud Abbott) to put on their magic act. 

Lost in a Harem
Hit the Ice - Bud Abbott, Lou Costello

Hit the Ice

 Hit the Ice (1943) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Ginny Sims, Sheldon Leonard

Flash Fulton (Bud Abbott) and Weejie McCoy (Lou Costello) take pictures of a bank robbery. They’re lured to the mountain resort hideout of the robbers. They’re accompanied by Dr. Bill Elliott (Patric Knowles) and Peggy Osborn (Elyse Knox). They meet old friend Johnny Long  and his band and singer Marcia Manning (Ginny Simms). Dr. Elliott and Peggy are being held in a remote cabin by the robbers…

Hit the Ice