Abbott and Costello

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were the preeminent American comedy duo of the 1940s and early 1950s. Both of them were working in vaudeville when they met in 1935; they formed their partnership a year later and worked together for the next two decades. They specialized in rapid fire dialog, snappy patter, twisty non-sequiturs, and slapstick. Their Who's on First routine is probably their best remembered bit.

In radio, they were frequent guests on other shows, as well as having their own programs. Their first show was a summer replacement for Fred Allen in 1940; that was followed by a half-hour variety show that ran from 1942 through 1949. Their guests included some of the biggest names of the time, such as the Delta Rhythm Boys, Connie Haines, and Mel Blanc.

When television came along, they had a syndicated show in the early 1950s. They also appeared in over 40 movies, one of which, Buck Privates, is represented in the Lux Radio Theater collection at this website. They broke up in 1956.

For more information, see the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Series description provided by Frank Bell.