Lou Costello

In the Navy

by Tom Raymond
March 24, 2012August 8, 2023

In the Navy (1941) starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Dick Powell, the Andrews Sisters, Claire Dodd

In the Navy - Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, police officer

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello‘s follow up after the amazing success of Buck Privates was In the Navy. Which actually did better than Buck Privates. Like their previous film, Shemp Howard and the Andrews Sisters provide a comic foil and musical interludes, respectively. In a nutshell, Abbott and Costello join the Navy. Then, they get involved in a romantic subplot with Dick Powell. Along the way, they do do some of their most famous routines. These include a version of the con artist shell game using lemons, and Lou demonstrating his clownish math skills by trying to prove that 28 divided by 7 equals 13 — this bit alone is worth the price of admission.

Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection

by Tom Raymond
March 22, 2012October 7, 2023

Abbott and Costello: The Complete Universal Pictures Collection – 15-DVD set

The good news is that is a compilation of all of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello‘s movies made at Universal Pictures, including the newly-released It Ain’t Hay, available for the first time on DVD. Also, unlike the previous collection, each DVD is single-sided, as opposed to having different films recorded on both sides of the DVD. The major ‘if’ with the collection, however, is: if you already own the previous collection, is it worth (at the time of this writing) $90 (U.S. dollars)? Probably not; however, if you don’t already own it, then it’s definitely worth the price — at least if you’re a fan of Abbott and Costello; and I am!

Buck Privates

by Tom Raymond
March 15, 2012February 25, 2024

Abbott and Costello in Buck Privates(1941), starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, the Andrews Sisters, Shemp Howard

Buck Privates, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, is the first movie that starred the comedy duo. In many ways, it is their funniest. In a nutshell, Abbott and Costello are small-time con men who try to escape a police officer …. Only to enlist in the Army by mistake. Who turns out to be their drill instructor? None other than the police officer that they were trying to escape. The film contains some of their funniest moments. Including Lou Costello becoming hopelessly confused during a drill – it must be seen to be appreciated.

Publicity photo from Buck Privates, with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello peeling potatoes under Shemp Howard's supervision

Other characters include Shemp Howard (in a pre-Three Stooges role) and the Andrews Sisters, singing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” among others. A very patriotic film, based in America shortly before the U.S.A. entered World War II (1941). Some of their best routines are found here, such as the classic you’re 40, she’s 10, and Lou Costello explaining to Bud Abbott that 28 divided by 7 is 13 — a hilarious routine, that’s worth its’ weight in gold.

Lou Costello and Bud Abbott in Newsweek 1940

Loan me 50 dollars

by Tom Raymond
March 15, 2012

Abbott and Costello skit – Loan me 50 dollars

One of the classic Abbott and Costello routines, where Bud Abbott takes advantage of a common math mistake that we all make to fleece his pal, Lou Costello, out of all of his money. The skit ends with a simple ‘read my mind’ routine that takes Lou’s last remaining bill. This routine was done many times, both in the movies and their radio show.

Bud Abbott: Do me a favor, loan me $50.
Lou Costello: Bud, I can’t. I can’t loan you $50.
Bud Abbott: Oh, yes, ya can.
Lou Costello: No, I can’t. All I got is $40.
Bud Abbott: All right, give me the $40 and you’ll owe me 10 Read More »Loan me 50 dollars

Two Tens for a Five

by Tom Raymond
March 15, 2012August 12, 2022

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

A classic Abbott and Costello routine, from their first movie, One Night in the Tropics, where Bud Abbott shows that he’s not above running a quick scam on his friend, Lou Costello, in order to make a few dollars.

Bud Abbott: Have you got two tens for a five?

I bet you that you’re not here

by Tom Raymond
March 14, 2012June 9, 2022

I bet you that you’re not here – Abbott and Costello routine

In the movie The Noose Hangs High, there’s a very funny routine, where Abbott and Costello are being guarded by a gangster — and Bud Abbott decides to bet their warden that Bud can prove that the gangster isn’t there! It’s a classic piece of clown logic, that gets even better when the gangster decides to win his money back by making the same bet with Lou Costello — only for Lou to turn the tables on him!

Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd

by Tom Raymond
March 11, 2012April 4, 2023

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's Jack in the Beanstalk

Jack and the Beanstalk

by Tom Raymond
March 11, 2012May 31, 2023

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.

Bagel Street, aka. Susquehannah Hat Company

by Tom Raymond
March 11, 2012March 22, 2021

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].Read More »Bagel Street, aka. Susquehannah Hat Company

Lou Costello - breaking through a drum in Rio Rita

How I fought back – Lou Costello’s account of his recovery from rheumatic fever

by Tom Raymond
March 9, 2012April 19, 2022

Lou Costello, Hollywood’s best-loved comedian, tells how he fought his way back to health through prayer and undying faith.This an exclusive account to Motion Piture’s Readers

I think I’m a pretty lucky guy to be alive to tell this story.

With more than a half a year in bed spent grimly facing the terrifying prospect that I might never walk again, I found myself suddenly projected into a new world. A world that I never knew existed until then. And because I had never before come in contact with sickness and disaster, I suddenly saw a lot of things for the first time – things that before had meant very little to me.

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