Abbott and Costello: A TVCU Quickie

What's a quickie?  See this blog.

Today I'll be quickly covering Abbott and Costello.  Abbott and Costello was one of the most popular and controversial subjects I covered back in 2011, and I've heavily revised the blog several times.  I tried to incorporate Dennis Power's articles on Ollu and Buzla.  Then I tried an approach that removed creative fictional connections but tried to create a generational approach that is the standard now.  The key was to incorporate everything brought in via a valid crossover while maintaining the view that everything happened as seen on screen.

As a kid, I loved Abbott and Costello.  Their films were shown fairly regularly on Saturday afternoons along with Jerry Lewis and Godzilla films.  My dad and I spent many afternoons watching these films together.

Abbott and Costello

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William "Bud" Abbott and Lou Costello (born Louis Francis Cristillo), were an American comedy duo whose work in vaudeville and on stage, radio,film and television made them the most popular comedy team during the 1940s and early 1950s. Their patter routine "Who's on First?" is considered one of the greatest comedy routines of all time and set the framework for many of their best-known comedy bits.

When it comes to Abbott and Costello in the Television Crossover Universe and Multiverse, I focus mostly on television and film appearances, both live action and animated, but I also include radio and video games, as they include voice actors. I also include printed material (books and comics) when there is a relevant crossover connection involved to a television series or film.

The full (but not updated) Abbott and Costello blog can be read here.

Here is a mini-chron, summarizing how I incorporate Abbott and Costello into Television Crossover Universe.

Prehistory--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"In the Soup"--Meanwhile, Zud and Loh, down on their luck after leaving the village (of their free will or banishment?), fight a tiger over a bone for their soup.

Prehistory--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Save a Cave"--Zud and Loh discover the place where dinosaurs and dragons still exist, and find themselves facing an unusual hybrid dragonasaurus.

Circa 1350 BC--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Who Needs Arrest?"--The Zud and Loh of this era (whose names have evolved into Bud and Lou) are Greek soldiers under orders to arrest Heracles, who in fact turns out to not be the real Heracles but simply a poser.

Circa 1040 BC--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Go Go Goliath"--The Bud and Lou of this era live in Israel where Bud convinces Lou to fight Goliath.  Lou does indeed succeed using a sling shot, but the act will later be attributed to David, King of Israel.

100 B.C. to 44 B.C.--G.I. JOE # 50 & 73/YEARBOOK # 3/SERPENTOR'S FILECARD--"The Battle of Springfield/Divided We Fall/My Dinner with Serpentor"--Life of Julius Caesar, whose DNA will be used to create Serpentor.  Julius Caesar has also appeared in THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW, ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN, BEWITCHED, HERCULES:  THE LEGENDARY JOURNEYS, RELIC HUNTER, XENA WARRIOR PRINCESS, and CARMEN SANDIEGO'S GREAT CHASE 

85 AD--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"No Place Like Rome"--This era's Bud and Lou live now in Ancient Rome, where they sell hot dogs outside of the Coliseum.  They sneak into the Coliseum in hope of increasing sales, but Lou ends up facing off against a 30 foot gladiator, whom he defeats thanks to gaining the flying sandals of the god Mercury.

6th Century--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Super Knight"--In Camelot, the Bud and Lou of this era find themselves as court jesters, but Lou ends up having to battle the Black Knight, and gets some assistance from Merlin.

circa 640--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Teen-Weeny Genie"--The Bud and Lou of this era are now living in Ancient Persia, where they are junk dealers.  The accidentally release a baby Genie from a bottle, who wreaks havoc until they finally manage to contain him again.

845--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Turkish Daffy"--The Sultan of Istanbul tasks the Bud and Lou of this era to guard a valuable gem, which THE THIEF OF BAGDAD attempts to steal.

870's--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Vikings"--Bud Abbott, Jr. and Lou Costello, Jr. are thrown back in time from 1967, where they are forced to become vikings until they return home.

870's--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Dragon Along"--In a medieval kingdom, the king offers his daughter to whomever can slay the dragon.  The Bud and Lou who are the sons of the Bud and Lou from "Turkish Daffy" are present in this kingdom, and Bud convinces Lou to fight the dragon, planning on then taking the credit for the slaying himself.

1190--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Merry Misfits"--This story takes place during the events of ROBIN HOOD:  MEN IN TIGHTS, where the two (Lou and Bud the Abbott) try to join the merry men and also fail in an attempt to rescue a captured Robin Hood.

1327--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Galoots in Suits"--The great grandchildren of Lou and Bud the Abbott of the Merry Men are makers of suits of armor, but his Lou finds himself having to fight for the life of a maiden. 

1334--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Fumbled Fable"--So in the "real world" of the TVCU, it seems that the story of Red Riding Hood was actually based on these true events, in which Lou (the same from Galoots in Suits" is bringing the basket to his grandmother, while Bud (great grandson of the Abbott) is the woodsman.

1337--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Glass Reunion"--The same two from "Fumbled Fable".  Lou is a chimney sweep, who is visited by a fairy godfather who takes the form of Bud.  Lou goes to the ball and is wooed by a princess.  Note despite the resemblance of situation, this is not the true events of Cinderella, since A KICK FOR CINDERELLA and HEY CINDERELLA! have crossovers linking them into the TVCU as the official 

1338--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Eighth Dwarf"--During the period of time when Snow White is living with the Dwarves, Snow is captured by a giant and the same Bud and Lou from the previous fairy tale entries rescue her.

1360--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Magic Mix-Up"--The same two "fairy tale era" Bud and Lou rescue the princess known as Sleeping Beauty.  These events take place after the classic fairy tale.

1624--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Two Musketeers"--The great, great, great, great, grandfathers of Bud Abbott Junior and Lou Costello Junior are musketeers who must fight the evil duke.

1628--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Big Canon Caper"--The two musketeers again fight the evil duke to save the queen.

1638--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Drumsticks Along the Mohawk"--After being poor musketeers, the great, great, great, great grandfathers of Bud Jr. and Lou Jr. wind up leaving France, and travelling with the Puritans to America.  They celebrate their first year in the new world by having dinner with the natives.

1698--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET CAPTAIN KIDD--The children of the Musketeer Pilgrims, the great great great grandfathers of Bud Jr. and Lou Jr., are named Oliver and Rocky, and get mixed up with the famous Captain Kidd.

1809--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Mark of the Zap"--The sons of Horatio Primm (named Costello from his mother) and Cuthbert Greenway (having changed his name to Abbott to avoid being confused with his treacherous father), the grandfathers of the comics/con men Lou Costello Junior Bud Abbott Junior, are assistants to El Zorro.

1848--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Frail Whale"--Costello and Abbott (grandfathers of Lou Jr. and Bud Jr.) are crewmembers on Captain Ahab's ship during the events of MOBY DICK.

1850--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Paddle Wheel Pirates"--Costello and Abbott are detectives undercover as Southern gentlemen on a riverboat, trying to investigate the captain, who may be a pirate.

1860--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Phony Express"--Costello and Abbott work for the Pony Express.

1861--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Going Going Gun"--Costello and Abbott end up as Sheriff and Deputy in a western town.

1865--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Cherokee Choo Choo"--Costello and Abbott are running a locomotive and have trouble with attacking Indians.

1869--WISTFUL WIDOW OF WAGON GAP--When Costello appears to have killed a man in a duel, he is sentenced to care for the victim's widow and children.

1883--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE--During the events of the classic story, Bud Abbott Senior and Lou Costello Senior are Americans working for the police in London, and were part of the events in the apprehension of the mad scientist in this previously untold tale. 

1883--SPOOKS!--The trio take a break from the west and head to England.  There they become private detectives and rescue a girl from DOCTOR JEKYLL and his alter ego MISTER HYDE.  (Note that this story takes place during the events of the book THE STRANGE CASE OF DOCTOR JEKYLL AND MISTER HYDE and also during the events of the film ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.)

1885--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"Mole Man Mine"--Bud Sr. and Lou Sr. are prospectors who face a giant mole man. 

March 6, 1906--Birth of Lou Costello Junior.  His father was Lou Costello and his mother was the daughter of Squeezebox McCoy.

1917--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO ANIMATED SERIES--"The Purple Baron"--Lou Costello Senior is a fighter pilot during World War I.

1922--ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE KEYSTONE COPS--Con men and cousins Bud Abbott Junior and Lou Costello Junior work odd jobs and scams, and often change their names to avoid being found by those they've screwed over.  This time they are going by Pierce and Piper.  Having show biz in their blood, they decide that movies are the coming thing, and begin their interest in show biz.

Here are some additional quickly found crossovers:  (From TV Tropes and Wikipedia)

• Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein
• Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man
• Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• In 1948, the comedy film Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein was released. 
• This led to Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. 

You can read Dennis Power's Abbott and Costello articles here.

Check out Abbott and Costello of Toob World here.

The IMDB page for Lou Costello's television and film appearances.

TVCU CREW REVIEW

Here are some of the more recent posts regarding Abbott and Costello in the TVCU discussion forum.

The original idea that evolved into monster squad was to make a movie where the little rascals met the universal monsters, in the style of Abbott and Costello meet frankenstein.

Ever notice how Lou Costello is shown to have the ability to easily hypnotize people in two films? In Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, when imitating Dracula, Lou accidentally puts Bud in a trance, and in Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man, Lou accidentally places a psychiatrist into a trance (when the doctor is trying to put Lou in a trance), then goes and places everybody else in a trance when trying to demonstrate how he accidentally put the doc in a trance. From the TVCU perspective, as Ollu, this is probably due to his eating from the Tree of Knowledge in Year One, and likely why Ollu has such a strong psychic connection to his Looniverse counterpart and how he was able to create several cult groups as explained in my Immortal Befuddled Expanded blog. His being the Chosen One may factor into why the Wolf Man wasn't able to actually attack Ollu.

I just noticed for the first time that Dracula appears in a mirror in Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein.

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Bonus.  Here are three Abbott and Costello related entries from my upcoming book, the Horror Crossover Universe!

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (FILM)

Release Date:  June 15, 1948 (Contemporary Setting)

Series:  Abbott and Costello (Non-Horror); Frankenstein (Universal)

Horror Crosses:  Dracula (Universal); Wolf Man (Universal); Invisible Man (Universal)

The Story:  Bud and Lou are now working as shipping clerks in La Mirada, FL under the assumed names of Chick Young and Wilber Grey.  Two crates arrive for a wax museum, containing Dracula (in coffin) and Frankenstein’s monster.  But in reality, it is Armand Tesla and Henry Frankenstein’s monster.  Tesla, using the alias Leighos, has come to seek the aid of Doctor Mornay, to get a docile brain put into the monster.  She has the perfect candidate:  Wilber.  Meanwhile, Larry Talbot (the Wolf Man) has arrived in La Mirada in pursuit of this Dracula.  To make matters worse, Wilber and Chick are accused of thievery when the wax models they were supposed to deliver disappear (because they got up and walked away, naturally.)  This brings insurance investigator Joan Raymond to town.  In the end, everyone ends up on the island of Doctor Mornay (really.)  Mornay’s assistant Dr. Stevens realizes his boss is up to no good and joins in on the heroics.  Mornay is turned into a vampire.  Wilber keeps his head.  Apparently Tesla flees when chaos ensues, while the monster and the Wolf Man end up in suspended animation.  The bumblers flee on a boat that just happens to have the Invisible Man Geoffrey Radcliffe in it, who was coming to play but missed all the fun.

HCU Comments:  I know there are entries before this one in this chronology, but from a real world perspective, this is where the Horror Crossover Universe begins.  I know this film is preceded by other films with the three main monsters, but this one has Lugosi as Dracula, adds in the Invisible Man, and has my favorite comedy pair.  This is absolutely one of my all time favorite films.  So lets talk continuity and canon.  Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are always the same characters in everything they do.  But here’s the thing.  They show up four times in this book.  In Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy, we have the best clue that they are the same guys.  First, their characters are Freddie Franklin and Pete Patterson, but when they get flustered they forget and call each other Bud and Lou, and at one point, Lou yells for “Abbooooooott!!!!”  So we need to assume the film titles are accurate, and that we are talking about two characters, not actors, named Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, who are flim flam artists, thus always moving and changing names.  But let’s talk about Abbott and Costello meet Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  That takes place in the 1880s.  No way that could be them.  Well, I propose that it is Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, and that the other films feature Bud Jr. and Lou Jr.  Now for the monsters.  Dracula here is Armand Tesla, from Universal’s Dracula.  (The name comes from the unofficial sequel with Lugosi Return of the Vampire.)  He is not the infamous Count, but it’s likely he is one of the soul clones.  Count Dracula from time to time turns others into vampires.  Some of these he makes his agents while he rests.  He controls them mentally, and grants them a limited amount of his powers, and memories.  Often, because if the imposed personality, these clones begin to think they are the Count, and even reenact his former schemes.  (Many end up in London trying to steal back their “true love”.)  Tesla will later also use the alias of Doctor Leighos, but often refers to himself as Count Dracula. The Frankenstein Monster here is the original creature of Henry Frankenstein from Universal’s Frankenstein.  The Wolf Man is Larry Talbot, from Universal’s Wolf Man.  Geoffrey Radcliffe is the Invisible Man from Universal’s Invisible Man Returns, which is part of Universal’s Invisible Man series.  Another note:  Tesla casts a reflection in this film, while he cast none in previous films.  This may be due to the human blood transfusions he received in his previous appearance.  Also, Talbot’s cure from his previous appearance apparently didn’t take, and neither did Radcliffe’s..  

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET THE INVISIBLE MAN (FILM)

Release Date:  1951 (Contemporary Setting)

Series:  Abbott and Costello; The Invisible Man (Universal)

The Story:  Lou Francis and Bud Alexander have just graduated from detective school and gotten jobs working at a detective agency.  They are hired by Tommy Nelson, a boxer wanted for murder who had ingested Griffin’s invisibility formula provided to him from his girlfriend’s scientist father.  Bud and Lou must help Tommy prove his innocence before Tommy is overcome with the madness side effect of the formula.

HCU Comments:  This is a sequel.  There is references to Griffin’s formula, his notes, and of course the madness effect.  Though they are still using aliases, these must be the same Bud and Lou who also encountered Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, and another Invisible Man.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (FILM)

Release Date:  August 10, 1953  (Setting is 1883 during the events of Stevenson’s original novel)

Series:  Abbott and Costello; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Story:  “Slim” and “Tubby” are cops in London who wind up getting mixed up during the events of Jekyll and Hyde.

HCU Comments:  Through this film, I’ve determined that the Universal version and original novel are likely the same Jekyll and Hyde.  See my comments on Abbott and Costello under the entry for A&C Meet Frankenstein.  This is Bud Abbott Senior and Lou Costello Senior.  They would have sons that would later meet Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf Man, a mummy, and two Invisible Men.