Abbott and Costello

Abbott and Costello (kŏstĕl`ō), American comedy team of William Alexander "Bud" Abbott, 1895–1974, b. Asbury Park, N.J., and Lou Costello, 1906–59, b. Paterson, N.J., as Louis Francis Cristillo. From 1931 to 1957 the tall, elegant Abbott played "straight man" to the short, roly-poly Costello in various stage, film, radio, and television routines. Extremely popular in the 1940s, they were well known for their series of successful movies including Buck Privates (1941) and Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948). The duo was also famous for their "Who's on first?" skit.

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Abbott and Costello

U.S. comedic duo that was regarded as the archetypal team of burlesque comedy. Bud Abbott (orig. William Alexander Abbott; b. Oct. 2, 1895, Asbury Park, N.J., U.S.—d. April 24, 1974, Woodland Hills, Calif.) and Lou Costello (orig. Louis Francis Cristillo; b. March 6, 1906, Paterson, N.J., U.S.—d. March 3, 1959, East Los Angeles, Calif.) began performing together in vaudeville in the early 1930s, and in 1938 the pair made their radio debut. Their first successful film, Buck Privates (1941), was followed by more than 30 other slapstick comedies, with Abbott playing a bullying straight man to Costello's childlike buffoon. Their famous routine “Who's on First?” was first performed in the film The Naughty Nineties (1945). Their collaboration ended in 1957.