Lou's on First: The Tragic Life of Hollywood's Greatest Clown Warmly Recounted by His Youngest Child

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Overview

This intimate portrait of Lou Costello (1906-1959) offers a rare look at one of the most talented comedians of all time. Starting in the 1930s, Costello attained enormous fame touring the burlesque circuits with straight man Bud Abbott (1895-1974). Their live skits (including "Who's on First?"), radio programs, and films such as One Night in the Tropics, Buck Privates, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and In the Navy made comic history.

Behind the scenes, however, Costello...

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More About This Book

Overview

This intimate portrait of Lou Costello (1906-1959) offers a rare look at one of the most talented comedians of all time. Starting in the 1930s, Costello attained enormous fame touring the burlesque circuits with straight man Bud Abbott (1895-1974). Their live skits (including "Who's on First?"), radio programs, and films such as One Night in the Tropics, Buck Privates, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and In the Navy made comic history.

Behind the scenes, however, Costello faced numerous crises: a bout with rheumatic fever that left him bedridden for months, the drowning death of his young son, and constant haggles with Universal Studios over its reluctance to adequately finance productions of Abbot and Costello films. Lou's on First goes beyond Costello's clownish persona to explore his Pagliacci nature: the private demons behind the happy public face, the heartbreaking moments in an otherwise storybook marriage, the business ventures soured by unscrupulous managers, and the true nature of the breakup of his twenty-one-year partnership with Bud Abbott.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher
" . . . an affectionate look at Lou Costello by the comedian's youngest child . . . more than suds and the underside of Hollywood. It is a warm tale by a loving daughter and has its share of laughter."—Los Angeles Times

"Costello comes to life in these pages."—Baltimore Record

" . . . a loving, deeply felt chronicle of the rotund little comedian who enjoyed a phenomenally successful career, but suffered a tragic personal life . . . [told] with engrossing, touching dedication."—Films in Review

"Lou Costello's daughter is not without objectivity as she relates her father's life, cramming the story full of amusing and poignant anecdotes."—Booklist

" . . . lots of nuggets here for Costello's many fans."—Santa Barbara News-Press

" . . . a tender, intimate, and altogether deserving portrait of a man who had the gift of making people laugh. . . . "—Fresno Bee

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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780312499143
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • Publication date: 12/28/1982
  • Edition number: 1
  • Pages: 276
  • Product dimensions: 5.52 (w) x 8.27 (h) x 0.70 (d)

Meet the Author

Chris Costello is Lou Costello's youngest child. She runs her own public relations firm, Costello & Company.

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Table of Contents

Foreword xi
Chapter I The Formative Years 1
Chapter II Hollywood Failure 10
Chapter III The Comic Takes a Bride 18
Chapter IV Abbott & Costello 27
Chapter V Westward Ho! 41
Chapter VI Buck Privates 52
Chapter VII Movie Stars 62
Chapter VIII The Home Front 76
Chapter IX Rheumatic Fever 87
Chapter X Tragedy 98
Chapter XI Aftermath 107
Chapter XII Dissention 118
Chapter XIII A Memorial, a Death, and a Birth 129
Chapter XIV A Time of Growth 139
Chapter XV Kissing the Forties Good-bye 151
Chapter XVI New Adventures 161
Chapter XVII A Potpourri 170
Chapter XVIII Television 184
Chapter XIX McCarthyism and the Patriot 195
Chapter XX The IRS 204
Chapter XXI A New Home 215
Chapter XXII The Split 227
Chapter XXIII The Final Years 234
Epilog 249
Filmography of Lou Costello 253
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Sort by: Showing all of 2 Customer Reviews

  • Posted June 18, 2009

    I Also Recommend:

    Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes

    Lou's on First

    This book was everything i hoped it would be as I was and always will be a fan.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted September 27, 2006

    Lou's on First!

    What an excellent novel. Looking back on Lou Costello's life you'd think it was all fun and good times, but it's really not. This book showed me the hardships Lou faced while being an aspiring actor, including his conflicts with Abbott and the death of a child.This book also showed the fun Lou had, the pranks he used to pull, and his childhood which led him to his career. Having it read through the perspective of his own child just made the book seem even better and more realistic. This is a must for anyone who likes biographies or plainly just a good story, because that's basically what this is. After reading, you'll never look at Lou the same again. I know I didn't. Now every time I look at him, there's always a smile on my face.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
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