ABBOTT AND COSTELLO LEAD NEW FILM COMEDY TREND

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 229, 27 September 1941, Page 17

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO LEAD NEW FILM COMEDY TREND

JETARLY one morning last September two male members of Hollywood's vast array of unknowns stood at the main gate of Universal attempting to effect an entrance in the face of stern opposition from the studio guard. "We're working in a picture here," insisted the tall, slender one who did all the arguing. 'Signed up yesterday and supposed to start this morning." "Yeh. maybe," said the tough gateman. "But this pass ain't countersigned, see? Wait a minute."

By Harold Heffernan

Their latest release is "Hold that : Ghost," which promises to pass both its predecessors. And another, • "Ride 'em Cowboy," is already be- : fore the cameras. Universal is let- . ting no grass grow under Abbott and ■ Costello! Strangest slant of all on the Abbott and Costello success story is the . means the two have used to scamper \ to the top of the popularity ladder. It's described in -one four-letter word: "Corn." While farmers continue to shout that there's no profit in corn, these celluloid "zanies," entirely.lacking in \ knowledge of things agricultural, are waxing wealthy dispensing that very product. Quickest way to start a

The cop turned to his nearby booth, picked up the phone and called the sound stage, where a modest "B" picture titled "One Night in the Tropics" was getting unaer way. He talked a moment with the company manager. The cop hung up the receiver, grunted an "Okay, buddy!" swung open the gate, and without a second glance let the two men inside. This describes the entrance into motion pictures of two men who today, a year later, let's again remind you, are the hottest box office bets in the whole business—Mickey Rooney, Clark Gable and all notwithstanding! If the tall, thin man had screamed, "We're Abbott and Costello," the gateman wouldn't have been impressed. Neither would we. Neither would you. And neither would Universal. That was a year ago—and a lot of things can and do happen to Hollj r wood unknowns in the short space of 12 months. Abbott and Costello walked through the gate that morning and played a small comedy part in "One Night in the Tropics." The picture was a flop in America, but for some reason the fans began raving about the funny antics of those two unknowns.

Then an executive at Universal got a million dollar idea. Taking advantage of all the draft talk and action, Abbott and Costello were shoved into a cheap little comedy about a pair of numbskulls shunted into the new army. It was titled "Buck Privates." What happened? Nothing except "Buck Privates," costing approximately £41,000 (about one-fifth the price of the average feature) went out to gross £550,000. Next came "In the Navy," another cheapy, which in the U.S. has already returned more than £670,000. But, if movie figures don't mean anj'thing to you, let's put it this way: The Abbott and Costello pictures are playing to more business than the Deanna Durbins! Now do you believe in Santa Claus?

fight with the average comic—try it on Bob Hope or Jack Benny—is to tell him he's corny. Not so Abbott and Costello. They even boast

: They're the whackiest duo ever to zoom to silversheet stardom. Their ; comedy antics are based on the oldest . and most obvious material imagin- ; able. They rattle off puns that wore '. beards in Hostetter's Almanac. They stick fingers in each other's eyes. '. They toss pies and they take prat- • falls by the dozen.' But they're terrific! The box office says so—and who can argue with that? Abbott and Costello write one of the most amazing chapters in movie . history—and that's going some, if you recall how Hollywood is per-

»--—•--------------«_._.___..__..__..____._..______ Costello.

petually pulling personalities out of hats, and old hats at that. Even before "A. and C." teamed up nine years ago, each was holding out bait, hopeful of bagging an offer from Hollywood, but without results. They tried crashing filmtown later as a partnership, but it was no go. Team Earns £100,000 Yearly In 1938 they were playing burlesque theatres at a joint salary of £33 a week. To-day their income is approximately £100,000 a year—and Universal is kept busy tearing up old contracts and fixing up new and better ones as company auditors report word of the team's increasing

conquests. Lou Costello (he's the fat, rotund one) first knocked at movie gates in 1926 when, after toiling as a hat

New Jersey, he saved enough money to make the trip across the continent by bus. Unable to get a start as an extra, he turned to stunt work, making a hend-to-mouth living until 1927, when he was injured while doubling for Dolores Del Rio. Making his way back to Jersey, he landed with a burlesque outfit playing at St. Joseph, Montana. That was the start of his histrionic career. Bud Abbott (he's the straight man or feeder) was born in Atlantic City and reared in Brooklyn. He came to Los Angeles in 1929 as a burlesque actor, but was less fortunate than

He didn't even get inside

a film lot. Most of the wiseacres were saying "low comedy" was dead, in so far as the talkies were concerned, at the time Universal bagged Abbott 'and Costello. Hadn't Hal Roach just dropped Laurel and Hardy? And hadn't others been turning deaf ears to any mention of slapstick? Now Laurel and Hardy have been hauled out of retirement, M.G.M. is starring a newcomer, Red Skelton in similar "corn," and every studio is on the hunt for individuals or combinations who can play comedy that is right down next to a snail's nose.