why did it go off the air?
why did it go off the air?
shareThe first season was basically a compilation of routines earlier seen in their films. However, these were pretty much exhausted. So the second season was more of a standard sitcom and fell flat, which is probably why it was cancelled.
shareSad but true. The second season was a poor follow-up to the first. This series was like an old friend when I was growing up in the 50's and 60's.
Back then network TV in NY (WOR and WPIX especially) aired their movies pretty regularly as well. You always had Bud and Lou to get you laughing.
As a kid I liked the Three Stooges, but as the years go by it is Abbott & Costello and The Marx Brothers that stand the test of time.
~LjM
Step on it! And don't spare the atoms!
Interesting bit of worthless info: Lou (or his production company) owned the show outright. It was also one of the very few independently produced and syndicated shows back then.
shareCostello did own the show and Abbott worked for Lou on that TV show. After they broke up Abbott sued Costello for I think $150,000 that he said he was owed. I don't know if it was ever settled. I'd like to think that Lou's family got some money from that show after him and his wife died so young.
I think I may be beginning to disappear. Away From Her
Yep, I'd like to know the outcome of that as well. Lou's brother Pat was listed as a producer (guess by then he was too old and fat to continue as Lou's stuntman!)
shareI think Pat was born in 1903 so he was only a couple of years older than Lou. When that show was on he would have only been in his late 40s-middle aged but certainly not old. I thought there was a guy named Vic Parker (not sure) who was Lou's double? If you have The Films of A&C (a great book) there's a picture of them together.
I think I may be beginning to disappear. Away From Her
Well Pat was at the very least a body double as he was rolly polly like Lou. In Chris Costello's book she tells a story about how he treated her side of the family (her sisters and mother) very poorly after Lou died. It's a shame the way that some families get torn apart over the distribution of estates, guess I'm fortunate in that respect.
shareWow. That's awful to hear. I just assumed that Pat would have raised Lou's family after his wife died. I think all of Costello's daughters would have been teens when their parents died. You'd think Pat would have stepped up considering how Lou employed him. I never did read Chris Costello's book. I know Lou had a dark side and could act like a diva (like a lot of celebrities)but he had a pretty sad life the more I learn about it.
I think I may be beginning to disappear. Away From Her
My take on it is that Lou became morose after his son's death, compounded by his tax problems...and sadly he never recovered after that double whammy.
shareYou know as far as getting paid for the shows did Mr. Abbott as the "straight man" get more than Mr.Costello? Thx ahead.
shareI think Robert Osborne said it on TCM that Bud Abbott received 60%, while Lou received 40%. This was supposedly done at Lou's insistance because he felt the job of straight man was more difficult and his job was easier. And also...and I'm paraphrasing here...it was something like.."It's hard to find a good straight man". I didn't know about the other things mentioned here, like Bud suing Lou and the estate problems after Lou's death. Greed surely brings out the worst in people.
"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all reported miracles grow"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Yes, I heard that as well. I was surprised but I wasn't familiar with the business of comedy. As far as being a straight-man, just taking a look at the shows shows how good he was in timing with Costello. Of course, timing is everything in comedy and these two greats really pulled it off. Costello sure knew what he was doing when he had Abbott making more...now I wasn't aware of Abbott's suit!....
shareDeeveed--
I totally agree. My favorite A&C film was "A&C Meet Frankenstein". They were at their BEST (IMHO) there. I enjoyed the TV show as a kid, but haven't seen it in eons, too bad none of gazillions of TV stations we have today would ever think of airing it. :(
"Self-sacrifice is the real miracle out of which all reported miracles grow"
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pat C. had a part in "Mexican Hayride" .....the resemblance is interesting...and he even made inside jokes with Lou about their relationship (@ 00:12:00):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GRVgPZW5Eo
I remember WPIX also running the series to fill up time when the Yankee games ran short. I used to root, root, root for the home team so they would drop the bottom of the 9th and show Bud and Lou.
shareah a New yawk guy, eh?...Yes, PIX had their shows on for a while. I don't know what it is but i seem to "get" their zany comedy. I mean if you hink about the plots!.i.e...Costello going to Bacciagalup (sp) to pick up a record so Abbott can play it behind a piano that Costello fakes playing so he can get in good with Hilary and Hilary's father....alright!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! alright Abbott!!!......alright!!......like I said zany!
shareAbbott did indeed sue Costello in 1958 for not paying the entire amount of his salary owed him for his role as straight man. However, Lou probably died before the case was ever heard, so it's unlikely Bud got any money....
shareIt's been a while since I read Lou's daughter's book but was there any rapprochment in their later lives between the two after the bust ups?
share