Topic: Best Abbott & Costello Classics?

[Dunrobin]

Wheeler and Woolsey were shown on TCM fairly recently, and while the films were amusing, they weren't really all that memorable, and (like Pils) I can't remember which ones they were.  It does seem kind of odd that the site's author didn't even mention the Stooges, but on the other hand I don't think W&W's films can really be compared to the Stooges.  The Stooges were a completely different style of comedy, and W&W had a lot more in common with the comedians that he did compare with them.

I don't think Abbott & Costello are overrated— at their funniest, they certainly rank with the best of the 40's-50's comedy teams. However, I do think they put out too much product and stretched themselves too thin, eventually (Bob Hope once remarked, "Abbott & Costello must be sick, they haven't released a movie this week."). For every "Buck Privates" or "Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein," there's a turkey like "Lost In Alaska" or "Abbott & Costello on Mars," which looks like it was shot on a budget of about $18.95.

LOL!  Sill, even Abbott and Costello's worst films were entertaining.  Some of the A&C fims I like the best are ones that don't get aired as much, like The Time of Their Lives and Little Giant.  Interestingly, in both of those films Bud and Lou aren't "partners."   In The Times of Their Lives, Lou is a Revolutionary War ghost, and Bud has dual roles as Cuthbert Greenway (a butler at the time of the Revolution) and Dr. Ralph Greenway, his modern-day descendant.  In Little Giant, Lou is a bumbling wannabe salesman who is tricked into thinking he can reads minds and becomes a super salesman, while Bud again plays to roles: the conniving head of the sales department, and his identical cousin who is manager of a branch office.  (Both films came out in 1946.)

My all-time favorite A&C movie has to be Hold That Ghost (1941), although  very close second is Who Done It? (1942).

Bob Hope wasn't kidding about the amount of films that A&C turned out:  27 films just in the 1940's! 

[Pilsner Panther]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0039037/

You're right, Rob, this is one of their absolute greatest films, and it stands a little outside of the usual Abbott & Costello comedy formula... especially since the two romantic leads are dead from nearly the beginning! I guess you'd have to go all the way forward to the 1990's and "Ghost" to find that concept being used again in a feature film. The whole script is a real gem, along with everyone's acting (Bud plays two Rat Finks, 200 years apart).

Directed by Charlie Barton, who always got the best possible screen performances from Bud and Lou.

 

[Genius In the Lamp]

My experience with A&C is when WGN-TV ran them every Saturday afternoon (unless the Cubs were at home).  I don't ever remember seeing THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES in their regular rotation of movies.  However, I do agree that A&C were at their best in the "scare" comedies such as ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN, WHO DONE IT? and HOLD THAT GHOST.

[xraffle]

I like all of Abbott and Costello's films except for two of them: "Jack And The Beanstalk" and " Abbott And Costello Meet Captain Kidd." Those two films were a major disappointment, in my opinion. They're so bad that I don't even want those films in my Abbott and Costello collection.

[Shemoeley Fine]

For me Lou Costello is a poor man's Curley and he just doesn't float my boat, he and Besser were just too childish. I like Bud Abbot, he had class on the screen.  I give the duo of Abbot and Costello credit for their fine interplay of words in some of their routines. As a lifetime fan of beisbol naturally Who's On First is my favorite A & C moment, no wonder it's in Cooperstown.  After that my next favorite sketch from them is featured in the movie, A & C Join The Navy when Shemp does some mathematical magic dividing, adding and multiplying on the blackboard much to the dismay of Costello. It has been over 30 years since I've seen it but it is still fresh in my memory bank.

Shemoeley

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[BeAStooge]

... my next favorite sketch from them is featured in the movie, A & C Join The Navy when Shemp does some mathematical magic dividing, adding and multiplying on the blackboard much to the dismay of Costello. It has been over 30 years since I've seen it but it is still fresh in my memory bank.

Time to freshen the bank.  Shemp's only role in that sketch is to stand in the background and make occassional facial reactions, as Costello does the math performance for Abbott in the "7 x 13 = 28" routine.

Shemp has a little more to do earlier, when Bud & Lou perform the "2 Tens for a Five" and "Lemon Bit" sketches.  As the third man in the scene, Shemp provides some occassional dialogue as Abbott & Costello carry the comedy.

Shemp gets the most to do during the "Buzzing the Bee" routine, as the ringleader of tars pulling a practical joke on Costello, and enlisting Bud to help them.

[Dunrobin]

I just sumbled on this at http://www.freewebs.com/lfriedma/funny.html and had to share it  

Who's On First for the Next Generation

George: Condi! Nice to see you. What's happening?

Condi: Sir, I have the report here about the new leader of China.

George: Great. Lay it on me.

Condi: Hu is the new leader of China.

George: That's what I want to know.

Condi: That's what I'm telling you.

George: That's what I'm asking you. Who is the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes.

George: I mean the fellow's name.

Condi: Hu.

George: The guy in China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The new leader of China.

Condi: Hu.

George: The Chinaman!

Condi: Hu is leading China.

George: Now whaddya' asking me for?

Condi: I'm telling you Hu is leading China.

George: Well, I'm asking you. Who is leading China?

Condi: That's the man's name.

George: That's who's name?

Condi: Yes.

George: Will you or will you not tell me the name of the new leader of China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir? Yassir Arafat is in China? I thought he was in the Middle East.

Condi: That's correct.

George: Then who is in China?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir is in China?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Then who is?

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Yassir?

Condi: No, sir.

George: Look, Condi. I need to know the name of the new leader of China. Get me the Secretary General of the U.N. on the phone.

Condi: Kofi?

George: No, thanks.

Condi: You want Kofi?

George: No.

Condi: You don't want Kofi.

George: No. But now that you mention it, I could use a glass of milk. And then get me the U.N.

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: Not Yassir! The guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi?

George: Milk! Will you please make the call?

Condi: And call who?

George: Who is the guy at the U.N?

Condi: Hu is the guy in China.

George: Will you stay out of China?!

Condi: Yes, sir.

George: And stay out of the Middle East! Just get me the guy at the U.N.

Condi: Kofi.

George: All right! With cream and two sugars. Now get on the phone.

[Pilsner Panther]

That's a hilarious update/parody, Rob. Bud and Lou would be proud (unless they were Republicans, but I have no idea what their politics were).

It's just possible that some people out there have never heard the original, so here it is.



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[BeAStooge]

I just sumbled on this at http://www.freewebs.com/lfriedma/funny.html and had to share it  
Who's On First for the Next Generation

Johnny Carson and his writers first came up with that in the early 1980s, for a TONIGHT SHOW skit with Carson as Reagan (it's available on the DVD collection "The Ultimate Collection Starring Johnny Carson").  Every couple years it shows up again, with a revised script reflecting the times. 

Here's a different one, with another topic for your liking, that started making the rounds a few years ago:

Costello calls to buy a computer from Abbott...

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: Thanks. I'm setting up an office in my den and I'm thinking about buying a computer.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: No, the name's Lou.

ABBOTT: Your computer?

COSTELLO: I don't own a computer. I want to buy one.

ABBOTT: Mac?

COSTELLO: I told you, my name's Lou.

ABBOTT: What about Windows?

COSTELLO: Why? Will it get stuffy in here?

ABBOTT: Do you want a computer with Windows?

COSTELLO: I don't know. What will I see when I look in the windows?

ABBOTT: Wallpaper.

COSTELLO: Never mind the windows. I need a computer and software.

ABBOTT: Software for Windows?

COSTELLO: No. On the computer! I need something I can use to write proposals, track expenses and run my business. What have you got?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yeah, for my office. Can you recommend anything?

ABBOTT: I just did.

COSTELLO: You just did what?

ABBOTT: Recommend something.

COSTELLO: You recommended something?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: For my office?

ABBOTT: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK, what did you recommend for my office?

ABBOTT: Office.

COSTELLO: Yes, for my office!

ABBOTT: I recommend Office with Windows.

COSTELLO: I already have an office with windows! OK, lets just say I'm sitting at my computer and I want to type a proposal. What do I need?

ABBOTT: Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: Word in Office.

COSTELLO: The only word in office is office.

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: Which word in office for windows?

ABBOTT: The Word you get when you click the blue "W".

COSTELLO: I'm going to click your blue "w" if you don't start with some straight answers. OK, forget that. Can I watch movies on the Internet?

ABBOTT: Yes, you want Real One.

COSTELLO: Maybe a real one, maybe a cartoon. What I watch is none of your business. Just tell me what I need!

ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO: If it's a long movie I also want to see reel 2, 3 & 4. Can I watch them?

ABBOTT: Of course.

COSTELLO: Great! With what?

ABBOTT: Real One.

COSTELLO: OK, I'm at my computer and I want to watch a movie. What do I do?

ABBOTT: You click the blue "1".

COSTELLO: I click the blue one what?

ABBOTT: The blue "1".

COSTELLO: Is that different from the blue w?

ABBOTT: The blue "1" is Real One and the blue "W" is Word.

COSTELLO: What word?

ABBOTT: The Word in Office for Windows.

COSTELLO: But there's three words in "office for windows"!

ABBOTT: No, just one. But it's the most popular Word in the world.

COSTELLO: It is?

ABBOTT: Yes, but to be fair, there aren't many other Words left. It pretty much wiped out all the other Words out there.

COSTELLO: And that word is real one?

ABBOTT: Real One has nothing to do with Word. Real One isn't even part of Office.

COSTELLO: STOP! Don't start that again. What about financial bookkeeping? You have anything I can track my money with?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: That's right. What do you have?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: I need money to track my money?

ABBOTT: It comes bundled with your computer.

COSTELLO: What's bundled with my computer?

ABBOTT: Money.

COSTELLO: Money comes with my computer?

ABBOTT: Yes. No extra charge.

COSTELLO: I get a bundle of money with my computer? How much?

ABBOTT: One copy.

COSTELLO: Isn't it illegal to copy money?

ABBOTT: Microsoft gave us a license to copy Money.

COSTELLO: They can give you a license to copy money?

ABBOTT: Why not? THEY OWN IT!

A few days later...

ABBOTT: Super Duper computer store. Can I help you?

COSTELLO: How do I turn my computer off?

ABBOTT: Click on "START".......