Lou Costello

1. Early Life

Louis Francis Cristillo was born on March 6, 1906, in Paterson, New Jersey. His father, Sebastiano Cristillo, was an insurance sales agent of Italian descent, hailing from Caserta, Italy. His mother, Helen Rege, was an American with Italian, French, and Irish ancestry; her grandfather, Francesco Rege, was a native of Piedmont, Italy.

Costello attended Public School 15 in Paterson, where he quickly distinguished himself as a gifted athlete. He particularly excelled in basketball and was reportedly twice Paterson's free throw champion. His basketball skills were later showcased in his 1945 film Here Come the Co-Eds, where he performed his own trick shots. Beyond basketball, he also engaged in boxing, fighting professionally under the name Lou King.

2. Career

Lou Costello's career spanned decades, transitioning from early struggles in Hollywood to immense success as part of a legendary comedy duo, and later, a pursuit of solo ventures.

2.2. Partnership with Bud Abbott

The collaboration between Lou Costello and Bud Abbott marked the most significant period of Costello's professional life, leading them to unparalleled fame, enduring personal challenges, and ultimately, an amicable separation.

2.2.1. Formation and Early Success

After formally teaming in 1936, Abbott and Costello were swiftly signed by the prestigious William Morris Agency, which secured them prominent roles and national exposure on The Kate Smith Hour, a highly popular radio variety show, starting in 1938. It was on this show that their signature routine, "Who's on First?", made its radio debut early that year, captivating audiences with its rapid-fire wordplay and classic misunderstandings. Many of the duo's sketches were further refined and polished by John Grant, who was hired shortly after they joined the program. Their burgeoning success on The Kate Smith Hour led to their appearance in the 1939 Broadway musical The Streets of Paris.

In 1940, while hosting a summer replacement series for The Fred Allen Show, Abbott and Costello were signed by Universal Pictures for supporting roles in One Night in the Tropics. Despite their secondary billing, they effectively stole the film with their classic comedy routines, which included a condensed version of "Who's on First?". The full version of the routine would later be performed in their 1945 film The Naughty Nineties. The team's true breakthrough in film came with Buck Privates, released early in 1941. This success was followed by three more films in the same year, solidifying their status as major box-office draws. By the end of 1941, they were voted the No. 3 box-office stars in the industry, a testament to their rapidly ascending popularity. Their radio presence also expanded; that year, they became regulars on Edgar Bergen's The Chase and Sanborn Program. In October 1942, they launched their own dedicated series, The Abbott and Costello Show, on NBC. This highly successful radio program aired on NBC until the spring of 1947, then moved to ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) through the spring of 1949, with episodes often prerecorded.

2.2.2. Fame and Personal Challenges

At the peak of their fame, Abbott and Costello were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world, particularly during World War II. They starred in 36 films between 1940 and 1956, with enduringly popular titles including Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, Who Done It?, Pardon My Sarong, The Time of Their Lives, Buck Privates Come Home, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.

Beyond their prolific film work, the duo made significant contributions to the war effort. In the summer of 1942, Abbott and Costello embarked on an intensive 35-day cross-country tour dedicated to promoting and selling war bonds. The United States Department of the Treasury recognized their extraordinary efforts, crediting them with the sale of 85.00 M USD in bonds, a monumental achievement that greatly supported the nation's wartime finances.

Despite their professional triumphs, serious strains began to emerge in Abbott and Costello's relationship. Reports indicate their first major disagreement surfaced in 1936 over a booking in a minstrel show at the Steel Pier in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Costello was eager to accept the engagement, which was outside their usual burlesque venues, but Abbott initially hesitated. To secure Abbott's participation, Costello offered him a larger portion of their salary, to which Abbott eventually agreed. By the end of 1941, as their financial success grew, Costello insisted on a 60/40 split of their income in his favor, a demand Abbott also conceded to. The personal and professional tensions continued to simmer, reaching a breaking point in 1945 when Costello fired a maid whom Abbott subsequently hired. This incident prompted Costello to declare that he would no longer work with Abbott. Despite their strained relationship, they remained under contract to Universal and were obligated to complete two films in 1946: Little Giant and The Time of Their Lives. During the production of these films, the two men had minimal on-screen interaction and rarely spoke to each other off-camera. In an effort to mend their fractured friendship, Abbott proposed that the foundation they had established for rheumatic fever sufferers be named the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation, a gesture that deeply moved Costello. The youth foundation continues to operate in Los Angeles, serving the community.

Costello also faced profound personal tragedy and health challenges during this period of intense fame. In March 1943, following a winter tour of army bases, he suffered a debilitating attack of rheumatic fever, rendering him unable to work for six months. On November 4 of that same year, while rehearsing for the team's popular radio show at their NBC studio, Costello received devastating news: his infant son, Lou Jr., had accidentally drowned in the family pool. The baby, just two days shy of his first birthday, had managed to work loose the slats in his playpen and fall into the water, unnoticed by his nanny. Costello had specifically asked his wife to keep Lou Jr. awake to hear his father on the radio for the very first time. In an extraordinary display of professional dedication, rather than canceling the broadcast, Costello stoically declared, "Wherever he is tonight, I want him to hear me," and proceeded with the show. The audience remained unaware of the tragedy until after the broadcast, when Bud Abbott explained the day's sad events, highlighting Costello's embodying of the phrase "the show must go on." Maxene Andrews of The Andrews Sisters, who witnessed Costello's courage, later remarked that his demeanor changed significantly after the loss of his son: "He didn't seem as fun-loving and as warm... He seemed to anger easily... there was a difference in his attitude." This profound loss, coupled with his health issues, placed immense pressure on Costello during a period of immense public scrutiny and professional demand.

In 1951, the duo made their debut on live television, joining a rotating cast of hosts on The Colgate Comedy Hour, alongside other prominent figures such as Eddie Cantor, Martin and Lewis, and Bob Hope. The following year, in 1952, their filmed situation comedy, The Abbott and Costello Show, began running in syndication nationwide. Costello held ownership of the half-hour series, while Abbott worked on a salary basis. The show, which drew loosely from their radio program and film routines, ran for two seasons from 1952 to 1954 and found enduring success in syndicated reruns, exposing their comedy to new generations. In 1954, Costello suffered a relapse of rheumatic fever, forcing both him and Abbott to withdraw from the film Fireman Save My Child. They were subsequently replaced by studio contract players Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett. In 1956, Costello was surprised and honored by Ralph Edwards on NBC's popular biographical program This Is Your Life.

2.2.3. Decline and Dissolution

By the mid-1950s, the once dominant comedy duo of Abbott and Costello no longer held their position among the top box-office stars. Their decline was influenced by factors such as overexposure, with concurrent appearances in films and television diluting their impact. They were also notably eclipsed by the rising popularity of the new comedic sensation, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who achieved a similar level of fame in the 1950s that Abbott and Costello had enjoyed a decade earlier. In 1955, unable to reach a satisfactory contract agreement with Universal Pictures, the team departed the studio after a 15-year partnership that had yielded numerous successful films.

Financial difficulties also contributed to their challenges. In the early 1950s, both Costello and Abbott faced troubles with the Internal Revenue Service, which compelled them to sell their substantial homes and even the rights to some of their films to settle their tax debts. Their final collaborative film, Dance with Me, Henry (1956), proved to be a box-office disappointment and garnered mixed critical reviews, further underscoring their waning appeal. The partnership between Abbott and Costello officially dissolved amicably in early 1957, bringing an end to one of Hollywood's most iconic comedic pairings.

3. Personal Life

On January 30, 1934, Lou Costello married Anne Battler, a burlesque chorus dancer. The couple had four children. Their first child, Patricia "Paddy" Costello, was born in 1936. She was followed by Carole, born on December 23, 1938, and Lou Jr., affectionately nicknamed "Butch," who was born on November 6, 1942. Tragically, Lou Jr. died in a drowning incident approximately a year after his birth. Their youngest child, Christine, was born on August 15, 1947.

Lou's elder brother, Pat Costello, was a talented musician who led his own band before relocating to Hollywood. There, he was frequently employed to perform stunts in Lou's place in the initial ten Abbott and Costello films. Pat later also appeared in a supporting role in the 1948 film Mexican Hayride.

Costello's sister, Marie Katherine Cristillo (1912-1988), was married to actor Joe Kirk, whose birth name was Nat Curcuruto. Joe Kirk became well-known for portraying Mr. Bacciagalupe on the popular Abbott and Costello radio and television shows, and he also appeared in supporting roles in several of the duo's films.

Costello's daughter, Carole, had uncredited baby roles in a few early Abbott and Costello films. As an adult, she pursued a career as a nightclub singer and later worked as a contestant coordinator for the game show Card Sharks. Carole died of a stroke on March 29, 1987, at the age of 48. She was married to Craig Martin, the eldest son of comedian and singer Dean Martin. Carole's daughter, Marki Costello, has followed in her family's footsteps and is an actress, director, and producer in film and television.

Lou Costello's youngest daughter, Christine, penned a biography about her father titled Lou's on First, which was published in 1981, offering a personal insight into his life.

4. Death

Shortly after completing filming for The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock, which was his only starring film role without Bud Abbott, Lou Costello suffered a heart attack. He died at Doctors Hospital in Beverly Hills, California, on March 3, 1959, just three days before what would have been his 53rd birthday.

Accounts differ regarding the precise circumstances of his final hours and last words. According to some reports, Costello remarked that the strawberry ice cream float he had just consumed was "the best I ever tasted" before passing away. However, other contemporaneous obituaries and reports suggest that the ice cream soda exchange occurred earlier in the day. These accounts state that later, after his wife and friends had left, he requested his nurse to adjust his position in bed just before suffering a fatal cardiac arrest.

Following a funeral Mass held at his Catholic parish, St. Francis de Sales, in Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles, Costello was interred at the Calvary Cemetery in East Los Angeles, California, on March 8, 1959. His wife, Anne, tragically passed away nine months later on December 5, 1959, at the age of 47, from what was reported as an apparent heart attack.

5. Legacy and Memorials

The impact of Lou Costello's life and career continues to be felt through various lasting tributes and charitable initiatives.

In 1946, Costello, in collaboration with Bud Abbott, provided funding for the establishment of the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation. This extensive recreational facility, spanning 3.3 acre ^{(3.3 acre)} on Olympic Boulevard in the Boyle Heights district of Los Angeles, featured a baseball field and a swimming pool. Opened on May 3, 1947, the center aimed to provide a positive environment for youth. In 1951, the center was sold to the city of Los Angeles for less than one-third of its original cost and subsequently renamed the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Recreation Center, continuing its mission under municipal management.

On June 26, 1992, the city of Paterson, New Jersey, in cooperation with the Lou Costello Memorial Association, dedicated a statue of Costello in the newly designated Lou Costello Memorial Park, located in the city's historic downtown section. The statue depicts Costello holding a baseball bat, a direct and recognizable reference to the duo's most celebrated routine, "Who's on First?". This memorial has gained further recognition by appearing in two episodes of The Sopranos and in the 2016 film Paterson. In 2005, Madison Street in the Sandy Hill section of Paterson, the very neighborhood where Costello was born, was officially renamed Lou Costello Place, further cementing his connection to his hometown.

The centennial of Costello's birth was commemorated in Paterson in March 2006. Adding to the celebrations, the Fort Lee Film Commission organized a centennial film retrospective at the Fine Arts Theatre in Hollywood from June 24 to 26, 2006. This event included the premiere of a digital film produced by teenagers currently involved with the Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. Also premiered was a restored 1.4 in ^{(35 mm)} print of the 1948 short film 10,000 Kids and a Cop, which Costello himself produced and which was filmed at the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Center in East Los Angeles, highlighting his enduring commitment to youth development.

In 2009, Lou Costello was posthumously inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame, recognizing his significant contributions to entertainment and his home state. While not formal inductees, Abbott and Costello are uniquely memorialized within the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum among the few non-baseball personnel honored there. Since 1956, a plaque and a gold record of their "Who's on First?" sketch have been on permanent display, with a video of the routine continuously looping in the exhibit area, signifying its cultural importance and impact on American humor.

6. Works

Lou Costello's extensive career encompassed a wide array of performances across film, radio, and television, leaving a lasting mark on American entertainment.

7. External links

• [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Lou_Costello Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lou Costello.]
• [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0182579/ Lou Costello at IMDb]
• [https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/39757%7C100687/Lou-Costello Lou Costello at TCM Movie Database]
• [https://www.allmovie.com/artist/p15240 Lou Costello at AllMovie]
• [http://abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info/lou-costello-biography/ Lou Costello] at [http://abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info/ Abbott and Costello - Who's on First]