Lou Costello
Personal Profile
Lou Costello
Birth Name:
Louis Francis CristilloDate of Birth:
March 6, 1906Zodiac Sign:
PiscesPlace of Birth:
Paterson, New JerseyPlace of Death:
Sherman Oaks, CaliforniaDate of Death:
March 3, 1959Cause of Death:
Heart AttackHeight:
5' 5"Sex:
MaleNationality:
American
Family
Lou Costello
Brother:
Pat CostelloSpouse:
Anne BattlerSon:
Carole Costello, Chris Costello, Paddy Costello-Humphreys, and Lou Costello Jr.
Career
Lou Costello
Trivia
Lou Costello
Quotes
Lou Costello
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Biography
Lou Costello
Last Updated: Saturday, August 08, 2009Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey (a city he invariably mentioned in almost all his movies and TV shows), Lou Costello dropped out of high school and headed west to break into the movies. He got a job as a carpenter at MGM and Warners. He went from there to stuntman and then to vaudeville as a comic.
In 1931, while working in Brooklyn, his straight man became ill and the theater cashier, Bud Abbott, filled in for him. The two formed their famous comedy team and, through the 1930s, they worked burlesque, minstrel shows, vaudeville and movie houses.
In 1938 they got national exposure through the Kate Smith Hour radio show, and signed with Universal Pictures the next year. They debuted in One Night in the Tropics (1940). Their scene-stealing performances in that film landed them their own picture the next year, Buck Privates (1941), with The Andrews Sisters. It was a runaway hit, grossing what was then a company record $10 million on a $180,000 budget.
In 1942 they topped a poll of Hollywood stars. They had their own radio show (ABC, 1941-46, NBC, 1946-49) and TV show ("The Abbott and Costello Show" (1952)). After the war their movies shifted formula to one in which they met various monsters or found themselves in exotic locations.
The team split up in 1957, with both winding up completely out of money after troubles with the Internal Revenue Service. After that Lou appeared in a few television shows and the movie The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), released a few months after he died.
Filmography
Lou Costello
- The Century: America's Time Friday, January 01, 1999
- The Century: America's Time Friday, January 01, 1999
- Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed Friday, January 01, 1999
- Ed Sullivan All-Star Comedy Special Sunday, January 01, 1995
- Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld Saturday, January 01, 1994
- Baseball Saturday, January 01, 1994
- Television's Christmas Classics Saturday, January 01, 1994
- The Three Stooges 60th Anniversary Special Monday, January 01, 1990
- Baseball Wednesday, January 01, 1986
- The Great Standups Sunday, January 01, 1984
- Hey, Abbott! Sunday, January 01, 1978
- Funny Business Sunday, January 01, 1978
- Abbott Costello Saturday, January 01, 1966
- Costello Saturday, January 01, 1966
- Dance with Me Henry Sunday, January 01, 1956
- Champs of the Chase Friday, January 01, 1954
- Champs of the Chase Friday, January 01, 1954
- Gobs in a Mess Thursday, January 01, 1953
- News of the Day Tuesday, January 01, 1952
- Fun on the Run Saturday, January 01, 1949