Abbott And Costello:
Who’s On First With Frankenstein?
When Universal
Studios informed comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello that their next venture would involve a team-up with Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster, Costello was against the proposal. “No way I’ll do it,” he told the head of the motion picture studio.
“My little girl could write something better than this.” It took a $50,000 advance in salary, and the signing of Costello’s good friend Charles Barton to direct the picture, to convince the comedian to go along with the idea. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein became the highest-grossing movie of their career, and Costello later recalled, “They were right, I was wrong.” Sequels involving the Mummy and the Invisible Man followed.
Today, fans of Abbott and Costello appreciate the numerous motion pictures available commercially on DVD, including the boys’ first film, One Night in the Tropics (1940).Their second film, Buck Privates (1941), grossed an estimated $4 million — not bad when you consider the budget was $180,000.
The duo started in vaudeville and by the fall of 1942, the boys had their own weekly radio program and topped the popularity polls of Radio Daily and Radio Guide.Their popular “Who’s on First?” routine made them a national sensation. In March of 1943, Costello was struck down with rheumatic fever. Abbott refused to perform without his partner, so the duo was temporarily replaced by Jimmy Durante and Garry Moore.Then, on the afternoon of Nov. 4, 1943, during rehearsals for the evening’s broadcast, Costello received a call from home — his son, Lou Junior, had accidentally drowned in the family swimming pool. The comedian rushed home to discover the news was accurate as reported.
Word spread through Hollywood, and numerous radio comedians volunteered to fill in for Costello that evening — Durante, Bob Hope, Red Skelton.To the surprise of everyone in the studio, Costello returned moments before airtime and went before the microphone to deliver his lines as scripted and rehearsed earlier in the day. Guest LanaTurner found it difficult to deliver her lines on the air while Costello pushed back the tears.Toward the end of the broadcast, Costello broke down and Abbott explained to the stunned radio audience the horrible news.
The Abbott and Costello Show ran for seven years until the summer of 1949. By then, filming was completed for Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, and Costello was bedridden for several months due to a relapse of rheumatic fever. His illness prevented ABC from renewing the contract for an additional season on radio.
Soon after Abbott and Costello went to Mars and then faced off against Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in successive 1953 movies, the boys ventured into the television business. Produced by Costello’s brother, Pat, The Abbott and Costello Show lasted two seasons and gave the boys an opportunity to reprise the best comedic sketches and scenarios from their radio scripts.