History Creator / AbbottAndCostello

William Alexander "Bud" Abbott (October 2, 1897 – April 24, 1974) and Louis Francis "Lou" Costello (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959) were an American ComedyDuo who worked together from 1935 to 1957, starting out in {{burlesque}} theatre and expanding into radio, television and films. They're best known for their signature routine, [[WhosOnFirst in which Abbott attempts to tell Costello about a baseball team whose players have confusing nicknames like "Who" and "What"]]. ("[[TropeNamers Who's on first?]]" "[[MathematiciansAnswer Yes.]]")

In 1940, they appeared together in a supporting role in the film ''Film/OneNightInTheTropics'', and stole the show. The following year, they had their first star vehicle, ''Film/BuckPrivates''. They went on to make over 30 films, remaining top-10 box office draws for the next decade. This later included the duo joining the Franchise/UniversalHorror SharedUniverse with the pair encountering all sorts of monsters and equally fantastic situations, an artistic merger that worked surprisingly well with each franchise allowed to play to their strengths.

They also starred in ''[[TheEponymousShow The Abbott and Costello Show]]'', a weekly sitcom-cum-sketch show that aired on radio from 1942-49 and on syndicated TV from 1952-54.

[[caption-width-right:305:Bud Abbott (left) and Lou Costello (right). Behind them, on first base: {{Who|sonfirst}}.]]

* InsaneTrollLogic: The basis of the sketch where [[https://youtu.be/lzxVyO6cpos Costello proves that 7 x 13 = 28!]]

-->'''Abbott:''' You should really go on a diet. You know what a diet is, don't you?
-->'''Costello:''' Sure, that's where you can eat all you want of everything you don't like.

-->'''Abbott:''' Go ahead, just order something small.
-->'''Costello:''' I'll have a small steak.

--> '''Costello:''' ''You know–-you know, [[ButtMonkey they have hit me with everything but the kitchen sink]]''
--> '''Abbott:''' ''Oh, well–-we can fix that.''.
--> ''(Pulls the sink out of the wall, breaks it over Costello’s head.)''

--> '''Lou Costello:''' Comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find.

--> '''Costello:''' This one's gonna be a pip...\\

''Abbott:'' Well now, wait a minute while I finish!\\
''Costello:'' Now, I'm goin' around with a ten-year-old girl.\\
''Abbott:'' Well now, wait a minute.\\
''Costello:'' I got a good idea where I'm gonna wind up...

* In one ''ComicBook/SpiderMan'' comic, Black Cat burgles a place guarded by two inept guards named "Bud" and "Lou".
* ''WesternAnimation/{{Animaniacs}}'' had "Who's on Stage?" in "Woodstock Slappy", ironically using the ''real names'' of various 60's rock bands.

* In one ''Franchise/SpiderMan'' comic, Black Cat burgles a place guarded by two inept guards named "Bud" and "Lou".

->''"Hey, Abboooooooott!"''

''Costello:'' No, I'm goin' out with a ten-year-old girl.\\

* ''[[Film/WhoDoneIt Who Done It?]]'' (1942)

* ''[[Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetTheKillerBorisKarloff Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]'' (1949)

* ''[[Film/KeepEmFlying Keep 'Em Flying]]''
* ''[[Film/RideEmCowboy Ride 'Em Cowboy]]''

* ''[[Film/WhoDoneIt Who Done It?]]''

* ''[[Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetTheKillerBorisKarloff Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]''

* DynamiteCandle: The killer slips Costello one during the climax of ''Abbott and Costello Meet The Killer''.

* EndearinglyDorky: Often used in their movies: Costello's goofy, bumbling, buffoonish charm generally makes the women he meets fall for how adorable he is - despite being a goof Costello always gets the girl in situations where the two are involved in romance.

%%* TheGayNineties: ''The Naughty Nineties''

* HereWeGoAgain: In ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer'' after have getting rid of one of the many PeekaBooCorpse before getting blamed for the murder, Costello believes he can finally relax and go to bed, but once he open the closet he sees another dead body. His reaction; sighs to himself, calmly walks out to get the laundry cart that were used to remove the previous body and place it by the closet and proceeds to scream at the top of his lungs after Abbott.

* HomeAloneAntics: In ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer'', Costello rigs his hotel room with various booby traps to prevent the killer from murdering him or planting any more dead bodies in there.

* HowWouldYouLikeToDie: In ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer''.

* ItWasHereISwear: A standard bit, appearing in ''Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetFrankenstein'' and ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer'' among others.

* OpenMouthInsertFoot: In ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer'', Lou accidentally admits that he hid two dead bodies in an elevator, essentially confessing to the murders he's been wrongfully suspected of.

** Happens several times in the murder mystery films, like ''Who Done It?'' and ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer''. Of course, when Costello alerts Abbott or the authorities, the body is nowhere to be found.

* SelfDeprecation / TakeThatUs: In ''Who Done It?'' the duo win a radio, and they turn it on, only to hear their infamous "WhosOnFirst" gag. They immediately turn it off because they don't find it funny.

* ThisIsGonnaSuck: Costello's reaction when Abbott asks him to imagine a scenario where he's a forty-year-old man in love with a ten-year-old girl ().

%%* WithFriendsLikeThese

* SmartJerkAndNiceMoron: Bud Abbott's character is always portrayed as more intelligent than Lou Costello's, and often talked down to him and complained about him as well as slapping him. Lou Costello was almost always nice and friendly, but not very bright.

* StraightMan: Abbott. Generally regarded as one of the greatest, if not ''the'' greatest, straight men in the history of show business. He was so important to the team, that Costello originally insisted he get 60% of their pay.
--> '''Lou Costello''': Comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find.
* StraightManAndWiseGuy: Abbott and Costello
* TemptingFate: From ''Hit the Ice:'' "If I ever fall in love with another girl, I hope they hang me". Cue Costello seeing a pretty girl and [[spoiler:the mail hook of a train catching him by the neck.]]

* WithFriendsLikeThese

* HurricaneOfPuns - the basis of most of their humor.

[[caption-width-right:305:Bud Abbott (left) and Lou Costello (right). Behind them, on first base: [[WhosOnFirst Who]].]]

* DisproportionateRetribution: [[DiscussedTrope Discussed]] ([[PlayedForLaughs for laughs]], natch):

[[NamesTheSame Not to be confused]] with Tony Abbott and Peter Costello, a pair of [[UsefulNotes/AustralianPolitics Australian politicians]] who served together as ministers under Prime Minister John Howard. Abbott was later the Prime Minister of UsefulNotes/{{Australia}}.

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* ''The Time of Their Lives'' (1946)

* HydeAndSeek: In ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', during a struggle, Jekyll's serum needle is dropped into a couch cushion, which Tubby (Costello) accidentally falls onto, transforming him also into a Hyde-like monster. A mad-cap chase ensues, with Bruce chasing Jekyll's monster and Slim (Abbott) pursuing Tubby's monster (both believing they are after Jekyll).

* ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy'' (1955)

* ''Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'' (1953)

* ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man'' (1951)

* * ''[[Film/AbbottAndCostelloMeetTheKillerBorisKarloff Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]''

* ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff'' (1949)

* TookALevelInJerkass: Abbott's selfishness and cruelty to Costello is taken UpToEleven in ''Africa Screams'', where is is nearly driven insane by greed upon discovering diamonds in the African jungle. He ends up being a victim of LaserGuidedKarma at the end when [[spoiler:a friendly gorilla gives Costello the diamonds and makes him filthy rich, and Abbott ends up working as his elevator operator]].

* NiceHat:
** One of Costello's trademarks across his appearances was a nice derby hat. Over time, he definitely has a habit of trying on various hats throughout his movies.
*** At one point, in ''Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy'', he sees a panhandler carrying a basket and asking for money and tries to buy the ''basket'' as a hat, but gives it back after it turns out it's too big for him to wear.

* RedOniBlueOni

In 1940, they appeared together in a supporting role in the film ''One Night in the Tropics'', and stole the show. The following year, they had their first star vehicle, ''Buck Privates''. They went on to make over 30 films, remaining top-10 box office draws for the next decade. This later included the duo joining the Franchise/UniversalHorror SharedUniverse with the pair encountering all sorts of monsters and equally fantastic situations, an artistic merger that worked surprisingly well with each franchise allowed to play to their strengths.

[[NamesTheSame Not to be confused]] with Tony Abbott and Peter Costello, a pair of [[UsefulNotes/AustralianPolitics Australian politicians]] who served together as ministers under Prime Minister John Howard. Abbott was later the Prime Minister of Australia.

* ''Rio Rita'' (1942)

* ''Who Done It?'' (1942)

* ''Pardon My Sarong'' (1942)