Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
Who's on first?, 27 Oct 2006
First published in 1990 as THE OFFICIAL ABBOTT & COSTELLO SCRAPBOOK, this 1997 release of THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY by Stephen Cox and John Lofflin is an affectionate and nostalgic journey through the career of these two comedians. It's everything the Abbott and Costello fan would want to know, and then some.
A majority of the book's thirteen chapters comprise a narrative history of the team's progression through burlesque, radio, film, television, and animation. Additionally, there's one chapter summarizing each of their 36 films (production facts, cast members, plot, and sidelights), plus the one film that Costello did solo, from 1940 to 1959, and one chapter summarizing each of the 52 installments (cast and plot) of their TV show , which aired in 1952-53. Finally, and perhaps over the top for the reader satisfied with less rather than more, there's a chapter of one-paragraph program synopses for the 156 Abbott & Costello cartoons produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions in the late 60s, by which time Lou was dead, though Bud, by then in declining health, managed to provide the voice for his character.
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY includes lots of sidebar stories, the most significant of which is perhaps daughter Chris Costello's defense of her father as he was depicted in the 1978 NBC-TV docudrama "Bud and Lou", a production she loathes to this day.
Cox and Lofflin manage not to be too slavish in their admiration of the pair. The authors don't hesitate to remind the reader of Bud and Lou's addiction to gambling, in which they lost vast sums at cards, Bud's alcoholism and cavalier attention to U.S. tax law, and Lou's borderline sadistic sense of humor when it came to playing on-set pranks on an old pal, Bobby Barber, whom Costello apparently hired for just that purpose. The most amusing negative aside is one noted as coming from character actress Mary Wickes, who appeared in two A&C films ("Who Done It?" and "Dance with Me, Henry"), and who said:
"I didn't care for them. But that's alright. They just had no taste. They were coarse."
THE ABBOTT & COSTELLO STORY is loaded with photos, which might make it a coffee-table book except that, in its paperback format, it wouldn't likely serve as such in a Martha Stewart home. On the other hand, because of its awkward size - 10" x 8" x 3/4" - it doesn't fit easily on a bookshelf nor is it amenable for inclusion in carry-on luggage for reading on a plane. Perhaps the best way to approach it is to leave it at the bedside, enjoy it immensely at your leisure, then pass it on to a friend when finished.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
THE Abbott & Costello reference, 29 Aug 2000
I have to recommend this book. Not only is it well-written and researched, but it displays a balanced approach to its subject. I found it invaluable for background into the duo's history, and it shattered some of the myths which persist (e.g. that they hated each other). The filmography section is excellent, and is a good place to start for someone discovering A&C for the first time. There are also detailed listings of not only all the TV shows, but also all the cartoons! And a chapter looking at some of their best routines (including their "signature" baseball routine 'Who's on First?'). As I say, I HAVE to recommend this book... because there isn't another one! But even if there were, I'd recommend it anyway!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
A warm salute to the boys!, 8 Jun 1999
By A Customer
Nifty bio of the comedy team, with page after page of terrific photos (some in color!) and interesting facts about their careers. Of particular interest for lengthy sections about Bud after the split and the team's tax problems. Overall, a good job, but less adulation would have made book stronger. A&C were terrific comics and solid human beings, the kind of people that we need more of today in Hollywood. This book does a nice job of conveying their humanity in addition to their humor.
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(3 customer reviews)
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