Long acknowledged as one of the best "straight men" in the business, Bud Abbott was born William Alexander Abbott in Asbury Park, New Jersey, to Rae , in the 1960s and set off on a national tour, including Las Vegas, but the act failed. In 1966 he voiced his character in a cartoon version of their television show. His health deteriorated badly in the late 1960s, he had always suffered from epilepsy, and he died in 1974.
He was cremated and his ashes scattered in the Pacific Ocean
His mother was a bareback rider for the Ringling Bothers Circus.
Pictured on one of five 29 US commemorative postage stamps celebrating famous comedians, issued in booklet form 29 August 1991. He is shown with his partner Lou Costello. The stamp designs were drawn by caricaturist Al Hirschfeld. The other comedians honored in the set are Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy ; Edgar Bergen (with alter ego Charlie McCarthy); Jack Benny ; and Fanny Brice.
At Lou Costello s insistance, the monies earned from the their act were split 60/40, favoring Abbott. Costellos reasoning was that "comics are a dime a dozen. Good straight men are hard to find."
Father of actor Bud Abbott Jr.
Abbott and Costello are known in Italy as "Gianni and Pinotto", Abbott being Gianni and Costello being Pinotto.
With Lou Costello , starred on ABC (1941-1946) and NBC (1946-1949) Radios "The Abbott and Costello Show."
A lifelong epileptic, he died of prostate cancer following two strokes.
Biography in: "Whos Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith; pg. 1-3. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387
March 1959: When his former partner Lou Costello died, a nationally run news photo showed him reading a newspaper article covering his former partners death.
He wore a front toupee for many of his early films.
1940: He made his film debut in One Night in the Tropics , which was also his first film pairing with his partner Lou Costello. It wasnt Costellos film debut, however, as he had been in several movies in the late 1920s as an extra and stuntman before he teamed up with Abbott.
His twin sister, Olive Victoria Abbott, was also in vaudeville and lived to be 101 years old, dying on 8/8/1997.
His father, Harry, was a publicity advance man for Barnum and Bailey Circus.
Soon after former partner Lou Costello s death, the Internal Revenue Service demanded Bud pay over $750,000 in back taxes. He was forced to sell his estate in Encino, California (at a loss), as well as his 200-acre ranch. His wife sold her jewelry and furs and they relinquished their remaining share of profits from the old lucrative Universal movies. He said hed have to start all over and begged for donations from Abbott & Costello fans, with little results.
September, 2003: Montclair State University in New Jersey dedicated a building in their new residence hall complex as "Abbott and Costello Center", after Bud and his partner Lou Costello.
He and his professional partner Lou Costello were nominated for the 2007 inaugural New Jersey Hall of Fame for their services to entertainment.
1942: His salary was $393,314, making him one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood.
Uncle of TV producer Norman Abbott.
An avid gun collector, he once owned one of Adolf Hitler s shotguns and some of Tom Mix s pearl-handled pistols.
1960: He tried to form a new duo, this time with veteran comic/instrumentalist Candy Candido. Abbott quipped during an interview that he and Candy would star in "Space Privates", a futuristic version of his and Lou Costello s Buck Privates classic. "Space Privates" never materialized and the teaming was short-lived. They werent attracting an audience, and Abbott was forced to leave after experiencing an epileptic attack while traveling to one of their personal appearances.
He and his professional partner, Lou Costello , were elected into the 2008 New Jersey Hall of Fame for their services to arts and entertainment.
He has three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio (6333 Hollywood Boulevard); Motion Pictures (1611 Vine Street) and Television (6740 Hollywood Boulevard); in Hollywood, California.
The performance of "Whos on First?" in the film The Naughty Nineties is considered the quintessential version of the routine, and the clip is enshrined in a looped video at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Uncle of Norman Abbott.
Uncle of Betty A. Griffin.
The comedy teams 1941 salary was $291,905.
His father had English and German ancestry. His maternal grandparents, Fredericka (Buxbaum) and Alexander "Aleck" Fisher, were immigrants from Germany to Maryland.
Buds twin sister Olive confirmed in an interview conducted by Chris Costello for the latters book "Lous on First" that she and her brother were actually born in Reading, Pennsylvania, only moving to Asbury Park at the age of 2 or 3.
He married Betty Smith in 1918. They adopted two children.
Abbott and Costello are known in France as "Les Deux Nigauds" ("The Two Simpletons").
On their own dime, Abbott and Costello toured 78 cities in 34 days, with the proceeds funding Uncle Sams war bonds and stamps. They raised $85 million for the US government. Less than 20 years later, that same government (IRS) forced Bud Abbott (Lou passed away during this travesty, but also sold off his belongings) to sell off most of his belongings to pay off a debt he couldnt afford. Around $750,000. Bud never recovered financially. Talk about gratitude.
