Biography
"It gets so boring at home. After all, how many reruns of Abbott & Costello movies can a guy watch on television?" -- Bud Abbott
Although Bud Abbott achieved his primary fame through radio, film, and television appearances alongside Lou Costello, his professional path both began before and continued after that association. William Alexander Abbott came into the world on October 2, 1895, in Asbury Park, NJ. He was raised in a show-business household, with his parents employed by Barnum & Bailey Circus. Leaving school early, Abbott first took work at Coney Island and later handled the box office at the Casino Theatre in Brooklyn. He married Jenny May Pratt (performing as Betty Smith) in 1918; the couple then appeared together in the vaudeville revue Broadway Flashes and toured the Gus Sun Vaudeville Circuit.
Abbott assumed the straight-man role opposite Smith in a comedy act beginning in 1924. His skill quickly drew attention, leading to pairings with other performers such as Harry Steppe and Harry Evanson. He also played the Minsky's Burlesque circuit throughout the 1930s.
During that decade Abbott met Lou Costello. After occasional joint appearances, the pair formally teamed in 1936 and signed with the William Morris Agency. Over the next four years they worked vaudeville, minstrel shows, and movie houses. Starting in 1938, Abbott & Costello made radio appearances on The Kate Smith Hour; by 1940 they received supporting roles in One Night in the Tropics. Between 1940 and 1956 the duo appeared in 36 films, among them Buck Privates, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. They also hosted their own NBC and later ABC radio program during the 1940s.
After prolonged collaboration, Abbott and Costello’s professional relationship grew strained, prompting their split in July 1957. Commenting on the tensions, Abbott observed, "You never heard of a comedy team that didn't fight, did you?" The same year, tax difficulties produced financial hardship that ended in bankruptcy.
In 1960 Abbott formed a new act with Candy Candido. Although the pairing earned favorable notices, he elected to retire, remarking that "No one could ever live up to Lou." He appeared on the 1961 General Electric Theater episode "The Joke's on Me" and later voiced his own character in the Hannah-Barbera animated series Abbott & Costello. For his body of work in film, radio, and television, Abbott was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Abbott and Betty Smith adopted two children, Bud, Jr., and Vickie. He died of cancer on April 24, 1974, at age 78 in Woodland Hills, CA, after 55 years of marriage to Smith. Abbott was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.
Although Bud Abbott achieved his primary fame through radio, film, and television appearances alongside Lou Costello, his professional path both began before and continued after that association. William Alexander Abbott came into the world on October 2, 1895, in Asbury Park, NJ. He was raised in a show-business household, with his parents employed by Barnum & Bailey Circus. Leaving school early, Abbott first took work at Coney Island and later handled the box office at the Casino Theatre in Brooklyn. He married Jenny May Pratt (performing as Betty Smith) in 1918; the couple then appeared together in the vaudeville revue Broadway Flashes and toured the Gus Sun Vaudeville Circuit.
Abbott assumed the straight-man role opposite Smith in a comedy act beginning in 1924. His skill quickly drew attention, leading to pairings with other performers such as Harry Steppe and Harry Evanson. He also played the Minsky's Burlesque circuit throughout the 1930s.
During that decade Abbott met Lou Costello. After occasional joint appearances, the pair formally teamed in 1936 and signed with the William Morris Agency. Over the next four years they worked vaudeville, minstrel shows, and movie houses. Starting in 1938, Abbott & Costello made radio appearances on The Kate Smith Hour; by 1940 they received supporting roles in One Night in the Tropics. Between 1940 and 1956 the duo appeared in 36 films, among them Buck Privates, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. They also hosted their own NBC and later ABC radio program during the 1940s.
After prolonged collaboration, Abbott and Costello’s professional relationship grew strained, prompting their split in July 1957. Commenting on the tensions, Abbott observed, "You never heard of a comedy team that didn't fight, did you?" The same year, tax difficulties produced financial hardship that ended in bankruptcy.
In 1960 Abbott formed a new act with Candy Candido. Although the pairing earned favorable notices, he elected to retire, remarking that "No one could ever live up to Lou." He appeared on the 1961 General Electric Theater episode "The Joke's on Me" and later voiced his own character in the Hannah-Barbera animated series Abbott & Costello. For his body of work in film, radio, and television, Abbott was awarded three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Abbott and Betty Smith adopted two children, Bud, Jr., and Vickie. He died of cancer on April 24, 1974, at age 78 in Woodland Hills, CA, after 55 years of marriage to Smith. Abbott was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.