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{{short description|American comedian and actor (1906–1959)}}

{{Infobox Biography

{{about|the subject_nameAmerican actor|the English = footballer|Lou Costello (footballer)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}

| image_name = a&c.jpg

{{Infobox person

| image_size = 170px

| image = Lou Costello in Africa Screams.jpg

| image_caption = Bud Abbott and Lou Costello

| caption = Costello in ''[[Africa Screams]]'' (1949)

| date_of_birth = [[March 6]], [[1906]]

| birth_name = Louis Francis Cristillo

| place_of_birth = [[Paterson, New Jersey|Paterson, NJ]]

| birth_date = {{birth date|1906|3|6|mf=y}}

| date_of_death = [[March 3]], [[1959]]

| birth_place = [[Paterson, New Jersey]], U.S.

| place_of_death = [[East Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles, CA]]

| death_date = {{death date and age|mf=yes|1959|3|3|1906|3|6}}

| occupation = [[Actor]], [[Comedian]]

| death_cause =

| spouse = Anne Battler

| death_place = [[Beverly Hills, California]], U.S.

| parents =

| resting_place = [[Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Calvary Cemetery]], Los Angeles

| children = Patty Costello<br> Carole Costello<br> Lou Costello Jr.<br> Chris Costello

| years_active = 1926–1959

| partner =

| occupation = {{hlist|Comedian|actor|producer}}

| spouse = {{marriage|Anne Battler|1934}}<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article75794179 |title=Star Dust |newspaper=[[The Mirror (Western Australia)|The Mirror]] |volume=32 |issue=1758 |___location=Western Australia |date=February 5, 1955 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=13 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article139910326 |title=Films: LAST OF THE GREAT COMEDY TEAMS |newspaper=[[The World's News]] |issue=2571 |___location=New South Wales, Australia |date=March 31, 1951 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=20 |via=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

| children = 4

| family = [[Pat Costello (actor)|Pat Costello]] (brother)<br/>[[Joe Kirk]] (brother-in-law)

| signature = Costello-Lou-Signature.jpg

}}

'''Lou Costello''', born '''Louis Francis Cristillo''', [[March 6]], [[1906]] - [[March 3]], [[1959]]), was an American [[actor]] and [[comedian]] best known as half of the comedy team of [[Abbott and Costello]], with [[Bud Abbott]].

'''Louis Francis Cristillo''' (March 6, 1906 – March 3, 1959), better known as '''Lou Costello''', was an American comedian, actor and producer. He was best known for his [[Abbott and Costello|double act]] with [[Bud Abbott]] and their routine "[[Who's on First?]]".

==Early years==

Lou Costello was born Louis Francis Cristillo in [[Paterson, New Jersey]] to an [[Italian people|Italian]] father and a mother of French and Irish descent.<ref> http://www.louandbud.com/Lou.htm, accessed January 30, 2007</ref> The family was [[Catholic]]. A gifted athlete, he excelled in basketball and reportedly was once the New Jersey State Foul Shot champion. He also fought as a boxer under the name "Lou King."<ref>Costello, Chris: "Lou's on First", page 7. St. Martin's Press, 1981</ref>

[[Abbott and Costello]], who teamed in burlesque in 1936, were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during [[World War II]]. During a national tour in 1942, they sold $85 million in [[war bond]]s in 35 days. By 1955, their popularity waned from [[Wiktionary:overexpose#English|overexposure]], and their film and television contracts lapsed. Their partnership ended in 1957, after which Costello made numerous solo appearances on TV and starred in one film.

In 1927 he went to Hollywood to become an actor, but could only find work as a laborer or extra at [[MGM]] and [[Warner Brothers]]. His athletic skill led him to occasional work as a stunt man, notably in ''The Trail of '98,'' (1927). He can also be spotted sitting ringside in the [[Laurel and Hardy]] film ''[[The Battle of the Century]]'' (1927).

==Early life==

Louis Francis Cristillo was born on March 6, 1906, in [[Paterson, New Jersey]], the son of Sebastiano Cristillo, an [[insurance]] sales agent, and Helen Rege, a [[Silk weaving|silk weaver]].<ref name=nytobit /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1801932 |title=Abbott and Costello |last=Deutsch |first=James I. |website=American National Biography |year=2000 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1801932 |access-date=August 22, 2022 |quote=He was the son of Sebastian Cristillo, an Italian-born silk weaver and insurance sales agent, and Helen Rege.}}</ref> His father was Italian, from [[Caserta]], [[Campania]],<ref name="ReferenceA">Costello, Chris and Raymond Strait."Lou's On First." New York: St. Martin's Press.</ref> while his mother was an American of [[Italian Americans|Italian]], [[French Americans|French]] and [[Irish Americans|Irish ancestry]], with her grandfather Francesco Rege being a native of [[Piedmont]], Italy.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Costello attended Public School 15<ref name="k12">{{cite web|url=http://www.paterson.k12.nj.us/schools/ps15/|title=Public School #15|publisher=paterson.k12.nj.us|access-date=November 15, 2014|archive-date=November 25, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141125015633/http://www.paterson.k12.nj.us/schools/ps15/|url-status=dead}}</ref> in Paterson and was considered a gifted athlete. He excelled in [[basketball]] and reportedly was twice Paterson's [[free throw|free-throw]] champion{{citation needed|date=November 2020}}. His basketball prowess can be seen in ''[[Here Come the Co-Eds]]'' (1945), in which he performs his own trick basketball shots. In his teens he fought as a boxer under the name of Lou King.<ref name="First, p. 7.">C. Costello (1981), p. 7.</ref>

==Career==

Costello was a great admirer of silent-film comedian [[Charlie Chaplin]]. In 1927, Costello hitchhiked to Hollywood to become an actor, but could only find work as a laborer or extra at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] and [[Hal Roach Studios]]. His athletic skill brought him occasional work as a [[Stunt performer|stunt man]], notably in ''[[The Trail of '98]]'' (1928). He can also be spotted sitting ringside in the [[Laurel and Hardy]] film ''[[The Battle of the Century]]'' (1927).<ref name="laurelandhardyfilms">{{cite web|url=http://laurelandhardyfilms.com/films/the-battle-of-the-century/associated/stills/all#/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120205092854/http://laurelandhardyfilms.com/films/the-battle-of-the-century/associated/stills/all#/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 5, 2012|title=Laurel & Hardy Films &#124; Stills|publisher=laurelandhardyfilms.com|access-date=November 15, 2014}}</ref> He said that he took his professional name from actress [[Helene Costello]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Athletes Once: 100 Famous People Who Were Once Notable Athletes|author=Smith, EW Jr.|date=2009|publisher=Cortero|isbn=9781611790689|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LyBN758OMhMC&pg=PA135}}</ref> although by this time his brother [[Pat Costello (actor)|Anthony]] (Pat) had used the name in his career as a professional musician.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

==Radio=Burlesque and HollywoodBud Abbott===

In 1928, with the advent of [[talking pictures]], Costello headed back east intending to acquire theatrical experience. Stranded in [[St. Joseph, Missouri]], he persuaded a local [[American burlesque|burlesque]] producer to hire him as a "Dutch" comic, a corruption of ''Deutsch,''[[Theodiscus#Semantic development within English| meaning "German"]] in this context. (See also [[Joe Weber (vaudevillian)|Joe Weber and Lew Fields.]]) By the end of 1928, Costello was back in New Jersey. He began working in burlesque on the [[Mutual Burlesque Association|Mutual Burlesque]] wheel in 1929.<ref name="Furmanek 1991">Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo (1991). ''Abbott and Costello in Hollywood''. New York: Perigee Books. {{ISBN|0-399-51605-0}}</ref>

Abbott and Costello signed up with the William Morris Agency, which sought to enlarge their stature by putting them on the radio.

After the Mutual Wheel collapsed during the [[Great Depression]], Costello worked for several stock burlesque impresarios, including the [[Minsky's Burlesque|Minskys]], where he crossed paths with talented producer and [[Double act|straight man]] [[Bud Abbott]].<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/> They did not work together until 1935 at the [[Empire Theatre (42nd Street)|Eltinge Theatre]] on 42nd Street in New York City after Costello's straight man fell ill. They formally teamed in 1936.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

In [[1938]] they received national exposure for the first time by becoming featured performers on "The [[Kate Smith]] Hour," a popular variety show. They were hugely successful, and that ultimately led to their appearance in a Broadway play and signing with [[Universal Studios]] in 1940.

===Radio and Hollywood===

They filled supporting roles in their first film, ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]'' ([[1940]]), but stole the film with their classic routines, including a much shortened version of "[[Who's On First?]]". The duo became famous for that routine, in which Abbott enumerated the names of a mythical baseball team, with names like "What" and Who," confounding Costello. They were, among other things, recognized by, but not made members of, the [[Baseball Hall of Fame]].)<ref> http://www.baseballhalloffame.org/hofers_and_honorees/faq.htm, accessed January 30, 2007. </ref>

{{More citations needed section|date=August 2017}}

Abbott and Costello were signed by the [[William Morris Agency|William Morris]] talent agency, which landed them featured roles and national exposure on ''The [[Kate Smith]] Hour'', a popular radio variety show, in 1938.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/> The team's signature routine, "[[Who's on First?]]", made its radio debut on Smith's show early that year. Many of the team's sketches were further polished by [[John Grant (screenwriter)|John Grant]], an ex-burlesque producer and straight man who was hired soon after the team joined the program.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/> Their success on the Smith show led to their appearance in a Broadway musical in 1939, ''The Streets of Paris''.

Abbott and Costello were hosting a summer replacement series for ''[[The Fred Allen Show]]'' in 1940 when they were signed by [[Universal Pictures]] for supporting roles in ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]'' (1940). They stole the film with their classic routines, including a shortened version of "Who's On First?" (the complete version was performed in ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]'', released in 1945). The team's breakthrough picture was ''[[Buck Privates]]'', released early in 1941. Three more films followed in 1941, and they were voted the No. 3 box-office stars that year.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

The team's breakout picture, however, was ''[[Buck Privates]]'' which was released early in 1941. They immediately became the top-ranking comedy stars in Hollywood and fans looked forward to each of their pictures as a major event. Costello's child-like demeanor was strictly acting, and he aggressively battled with the more easy-going Abbott as well as the studio. Universal upped the duo's salary, but refused Costello's demand to reverse

the billing, saying that it had hired Abbott and Costello, not Costello and Abbott. Most movie-goers had never seen the duo's [[burlesque]] routines, and so their dated but hilarious material seemed fresh. Many of their films cast them as bumbling servicemen such as ''[[In The Navy]]'' and ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]].'' An amusing footnote to this is that the Japanese military showed these films to Japanese soldiers to demonstrate how inept American soldiers were.{{Fact|date=April 2007}}

That year they became regulars on Edgar Bergen's ''[[The Chase and Sanborn Hour|The Chase and Sanborn Program]]'', and in October 1942 launched their own series, ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show (radio program)|The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' on NBC. The show ran on NBC through the spring of 1947, then ABC through the spring of 1949.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/><ref>Sies, Luther F. (2014). ''Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920–1960'', 2nd ed. McFarland & Company, Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-7864-5149-4}}. p. 10.</ref><ref name="dunningota">{{cite book |last=Dunning |first=John |title=On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio |section=The Abbott and Costello Show |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Fi5wPDBiGfMC&dq=%22The+Abbott+and+Costello+Show,+comedy%22&pg=PA2 | publisher=Oxford University Press |___location=New York City |edition=revised |date=1998 |pages=2–3 |access-date=2024-12-27 |isbn=978-0-19-507678-3}}</ref>

== Stardom ==

The duo made 36 films between 1940 and 1956, and were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Among their most popular films are ''[[Buck Privates]]'', ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'', ''[[Who Done It?]]'', ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'', ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]'', ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'', ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' and ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]''.

===Fame and tragedy===

The team also appeared on radio throughout the 1940s. On October 8, 1942 the team launched their own weekly show on NBC sponsored by Camel cigarettes. They moved to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] (the former NBC Blue Network) from 1947-49.

As their careers grew more successful, serious cracks began to appear in Abbott and Costello's relationship. Reportedly their first disagreement occurred in 1936 over a booking in a minstrel show at the [[Steel Pier]] in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Costello wanted to accept the gig, which was outside their usual burlesque venues, but Abbott was hesitant. Costello offered Abbott a larger split of their salary, and Abbott agreed. At the end of 1941, Costello insisted that the team split their income 60/40 in Costello's favor, and Abbott agreed.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

Abbott and Costello appeared in 36 films from 1940 to 1956 and were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Among their most popular films are ''[[Buck Privates]]'', ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'', ''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]'', ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'', ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]'', ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'', ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' and ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]''.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

In [[1951]], the twosome became one of the rotating hosts of ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]'' ([[Eddie Cantor]] and [[Bob Hope]] were among the others) and then, the following year, inaugurated their own situation comedy, ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show.]]'' Costello owned the half-hour series, with Abbott working on salary. The show, which was loosely adapted from their radio program, ran two seasons, from [[1952]] to [[1954]], but found a new life in syndicated rerun broadcast.

In the summer of 1942, Abbott and Costello embarked on a 35-day cross-country tour to promote and sell war bonds. The [[United States Department of the Treasury|Treasury Department]] credited them with the sale of $85 million in bonds.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

==Death of son==

In 1942, Costello had an attack of [[rheumatic fever]] and was unable to work for a year. A tragic event shadowed his comeback. On November 04, 1943, the day Costello returned to the team's popular radio show, his infant son, Lou Jr. (nicknamed Butch) accidentally drowned in the family pool. The baby was only a few days short of his first birthday. Lou had asked his wife to keep Butch up that night so the boy could hear his Dad on the radio for the first time. Rather than cancel the broadcast, Lou said, "Wherever he is tonight, I want him to hear me," and went on with the show. No one in the audience knew of the tragedy until after the show when Bud Abbott explained the events of the day, and how the phrase "The show must go on" had been epitomized by Lou that night. People who knew Lou Costello said that he never recovered from the loss of his son.

In March 1943, after completing a winter tour of army bases, Costello suffered an attack of [[rheumatic fever]] and was unable to work for six months. On November 4 of that year, he returned to the team's popular radio show, but while rehearsing at their NBC studio, Costello received word that his infant son Lou Jr. had accidentally drowned in the family pool.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/> Unnoticed by the nanny, the baby had worked loose the slats in his playpen and fallen into the pool.<ref>Sherman, Eddie (Lou's manager) interviewed on the program ''This is Your Life'', NBC TV, presented by Ralph Edwards, 1956 (16:08), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWpEOXvnOmA, accessed January 20, 2014</ref>

==Split up==

Abbott and Costello split up in July of [[1957]], after troubles with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] that forced both men to sell off their large homes and the rights to some of their films.

The baby was just two days short of his first birthday. Costello had asked his wife to keep Lou Jr. up to hear his father on the radio for the first time. Rather than cancel the broadcast, Costello said, "Wherever he is tonight, I want him to hear me," and proceeded with the show. No one in the audience knew of the death until after the show, when Bud Abbott explained the sad events of the day and how Costello epitomized the phrase "the show must go on" that night. Maxene Andrews of [[the Andrews Sisters]] said that Costello's demeanor changed after the loss of his son: "He didn't seem as fun-loving and as warm... He seemed to anger easily... there was a difference in his attitude."<ref>Sforza, John: ''Swing It! The Andrews Sisters Story''; University Press of Kentucky, 2000; 289 pages.</ref>

In 1945, when Costello fired a maid and Abbott hired her, Costello announced that he would no longer work with Abbott.<ref name="First, pp. 119-120">C. Costello (1961), pp. 119–120.</ref> They remained under contract to Universal and were required to complete two films in 1946, which became ''[[Little Giant]]'' and ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]''. The two men did not appear together much in either film and rarely spoke to one another off-camera.<ref name="First, p.120">C. Costello (1961), p. 120.</ref>{{citation needed|date=September 2014}} Abbott attempted to heal their relationship by suggesting that the foundation that they had founded for rheumatic fever sufferers be named the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation, which touched Costello deeply. The youth foundation still exists in Los Angeles.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

Their radio program moved to [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], the former NBC Blue Network, from 1947 to 1949 and was prerecorded.{{citation needed|date=October 2017}}

In 1951, the duo began to appear on live television, joining the rotating hosts of ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]].'' [[Eddie Cantor]], [[Martin and Lewis]] and [[Bob Hope]] were among the others. In 1952, their filmed situation comedy ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]'' began running in syndication nationwide. Costello owned the half-hour series, with Abbott working on salary. The show, which was loosely adapted from their radio program and films, ran for two seasons from 1952 to 1954 but found long life in syndicated reruns.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

[[File:Lou Costello This Is Your Life.jpg|thumb|Costello being surprised on ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1956]]

Abbott and Costello were forced to withdraw from ''[[Fireman Save My Child (1954 film)|Fireman Save My Child]]'' in 1954 after Costello suffered a relapse of rheumatic fever. They were replaced by studio contract players [[Hugh O'Brian]] and [[Buddy Hackett]].

Costello was surprised and honored by [[Ralph Edwards]] on [[NBC]]'s ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'' in 1956.<ref>http://www.encyclopedia.com/.../c8v0xBFJMOI-this-is-your-life-lou.aspx {{dead link|date=August 2017}}</ref>

===Abbott and Costello split===

By the mid-1950s, Abbott and Costello no longer ranked among the top box-office stars. They were undermined by overexposure in concurrent film and television appearances, and were eclipsed by [[Martin and Lewis|Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis]], who were as popular in the 1950s as Abbott and Costello had been a decade earlier. In 1955 the team could not reach a contract agreement with Universal and left the studio after 15 years.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

In the early 1950s, troubles with the [[Internal Revenue Service]] forced both men to sell their large homes and the rights to some of their films. Abbott and Costello's final film together, ''[[Dance with Me, Henry]]'' (1956), was a [[box office bomb|box-office disappointment]] and received mixed critical reviews.{{according to whom|date=May 2017}}

Abbott and Costello dissolved their partnership amicably early in 1957.<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press International]] |title=Abbott, Costello Split. Comedy Team Breaks Up to Let Abbott Raise Horses |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1957/07/15/archives/abbott-costello-split-comedy-team-breaks-up-to-let-abbott-raise.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=July 15, 1957}}</ref> Costello worked with other comedians, including Sidney Fields in [[Las Vegas Strip|Las Vegas]], and sought film and television projects. He appeared several times on [[Steve Allen]]'s ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', most often performing his old routines with [[Louis Nye]] or [[Tom Poston]] in the straight-man role. In 1958, he played a dramatic role in the episode "The Tobias Jones Story" of ''[[Wagon Train]]''.<ref name="washburninterview">{{cite web |last=Fitzgerald |first=Mike |title=Beverly Washburn Interview |url=http://www.westernclippings.com/interview/beverlywashburn_interview.shtml |website=Western Clippings.com |publisher=Mike Fitzgerald |access-date=April 26, 2018}}</ref>

==Death==

[[imageFile:LoucostellograveLouisCristillo.JPGjpg|thumb|The cryptcrypts of Lou Costello. and his wife Anne]]

AfterIn makingFebruary one1959, unsuccessfulshortly soloafter film,completing ''[[The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock]]'', Louhis Costelloonly diedfilm ofwithout Abbott, Costello suffered a [[myocardialMyocardial infarction|heart attack]] and was hospitalized at Doctors Hospital in [[Beverly Hills, California|Beverly Hills]]. He died there on March 033, 1959, (three days before his 53rd birthday).<ref Hename=nytobit>{{cite wasnews interred|title=Lou inCostello, the52, [[CalvaryDies Cemetery,on EastCoast. LosComic Angeles|CalvaryHad Cemetery]]Teamed inWith [[EastAbbott. Los'Little Angeles,Guy California]].Trying Histo lastBe wordsa wereBig "ThatShot' wasin theFilms bestand on iceTV-creamPartners sodaBroke IUp everin tasted."<ref>http'57 |url=https://www.corsinetnytimes.com/braincandy1959/dying03/04/archives/lou-costello-52-dies-on-coast-comic-had-teamed-with-abbott-little.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 4, 1959}}</ref>

Sources differ on the circumstances of his last day and final words. According to some accounts, he told visitors that the strawberry [[Ice cream float|ice cream soda]] that he had just finished was "the best I ever tasted" and then died.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303054426/http://www.corsinet.com/braincandy/dying.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=March 3, 2000|title=dying words|work=corsinet.com|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> By other reports, including those of several contemporaneous obituaries, the ice-cream soda exchange occurred earlier in the day. Later, after his wife and friends had departed, he asked his nurse to adjust his position in bed just before suffering a fatal heart attack.<ref name=nytobit /><ref name=death>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=79YjAAAAIBAJ&pg=7288,2204190&dq=lou+costello&hl=en|title=Death Takes Lou Costello|date=March 4, 1959|work=The Milwaukee Journal|access-date=June 16, 2012}}{{Dead link|date=May 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="latimesblogs.latimes.com">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/04/1959_0304_times_costello.jpg ''Los Angeles Times'', March 4, 1959.]</ref><ref name="Angeles Evening Mirror News 1959">[http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/04/1959_0304_costello_2.jpg ''Los Angeles Evening Mirror News'', March 4, 1959.]</ref>

After a funeral Mass at his Catholic parish, St. Francis de Sales in [[Sherman Oaks, Los Angeles|Sherman Oaks]],<ref>{{cite news| url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/lou-costello/ | work=Los Angeles Times | title=Lou Costello}}</ref> Costello was interred at the [[Calvary Cemetery (Los Angeles)|Calvary Cemetery]] in [[East Los Angeles, California|East Los Angeles]] on March 8.<ref>{{cite news |title=Costello Rites Held. Comedian Mourned by 400 at Requiem Mass on Coast |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/03/08/archives/costello-rites-held-comedian-mourned-by-400-at-requiem-mass-on.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=March 7, 1959}}</ref> His wife Anne died from an apparent heart attack nine months later on December 5, 1959, at age 47.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_OAyAAAAIBAJ&pg=5141,507263&dq=lou+costello&hl=en|title=Lou Costello's Widow Passes|newspaper=Sunday Herald|date=December 6, 1959|access-date=November 21, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |agency=[[United Press International]] |title=Mrs. Lou Costello, 47. Widow of Movie Comedian is Dead in California |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1959/12/06/archives/mrs-lou-costello-47-widow-of-movie-comedian-is-dead-in-california.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=December 6, 1959}}</ref>

==Family==

On January 30, 1934, Costello married Anne Battler, a [[burlesque]] chorus dancer. Their first child, Patricia "Paddy" Costello, was born in 1936,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article50072299 |title=Lou Costello's Daughter Weds |newspaper=[[The Barrier Miner]] |volume=LXVI |issue=17,558 |___location=New South Wales, Australia |date=November 11, 1953 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=12 |via=National Library of Australia}}, ''...Patricia Anne Costello, 17, daughter of Abbott's comedy partner Lou Costello, after her marriage in California last week to James Cardinet....''</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article138519824 |title=Grandfather |newspaper=[[Cootamundra Herald]] |___location=New South Wales, Australia |date=June 4, 1954 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=1 |via=National Library of Australia}}, ''Santa Monica, Thursday – Film comedian Lou Costello is now a grandfather with the birth of a boy yesterday to his daughter, Patricia Cardinet....''</ref> followed by Carole on December 23, 1938, and Lou Jr. (nicknamed "Butch") on November 6, 1942, who died in a drowning incident a year later.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48773549 |title=Lou Costello Broadcasts After Son's Death |newspaper=[[The Advertiser (Adelaide)|The Advertiser]] |volume=LXXXVI |issue=26549 |___location=Adelaide |date=November 6, 1943 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}}, ''The one-year-old son of comedian Lou Costello fell into the family swimming pool and was drowned this afternoon....''</ref><ref name=stricken>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=VgkrAAAAIBAJ&pg=4428,2487619&dq=lou+costello&hl=en|title=Mrs. Lou Costello Fatally Stricken|date=December 6, 1959|work=Reading Eagle|access-date=November 21, 2012}}</ref> Their last child, Christine, was born on August 15, 1947.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article59466275 |title=Gossip Of Stars |newspaper=[[The Sunday Times (Western Australia)|Sunday Times (Perth)]] |issue=5284 |___location=Western Australia |date=August 31, 1947 |access-date=August 12, 2017 |page=12 (Supplement to the Sunday Times) |via=National Library of Australia}}, ''Mrs. Lou Costello has just given birth to a baby girl. This is her third daughter. It is to be named Christine, after Lou's father....''</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Daughter to Lou Costellos |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1947/08/16/archives/daughter-to-lou-costellos.html |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=August 14, 1947}}</ref>

Costello's elder brother [[Pat Costello (actor)|Pat Costello]] was a musician who led his own band before moving to Hollywood, where he was enlisted to perform stunts in Lou's place in the first ten Abbott and Costello films. He later appeared in a supporting role in ''[[Mexican Hayride]]'' (1948).<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

Costello's sister Marie Katherine Cristillo (1912–1988) was married to actor [[Joe Kirk]] (Nat Curcuruto), who portrayed Mr. Bacciagalupe on the Abbott and Costello radio and television shows <ref>Eder, Bruce. [http://www.allmovie.com/artist/joe-kirk-p38481 "Joe Kirk: Biography"]. [[AllMovie]]. Retrieved February 12, 2015.</ref> and appeared in supporting roles in several of the team's films.<ref name="Furmanek 1991"/>

Costello's daughter Carole appeared in uncredited baby roles in a few Abbott and Costello films. She would later become a contestant coordinator for the game show ''[[Card Sharks]]'' as well as a [[Nightclub act|nightclub singer]]. She died of a [[stroke]] on March&nbsp;29, 1987, aged 48, while married to Craig Martin, eldest son of [[Dean Martin]].<ref>{{cite news |agency=[[Associated Press]] |title=Carole Costello, 48, Comic's Daughter, Dies|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-04-03-mn-2409-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=April 3, 1987 |access-date=March 27, 2016}}</ref> Carole's daughter Marki Costello is an actress, director and producer in film and television.<ref>{{cite web |title=Marki Costello |url=https://www.metacritic.com/person/marki-costello |website=[[Metacritic]] |access-date=August 3, 2020}}</ref>

Costello's daughter Chris published a biography titled ''Lou's on First'' in 1981.<ref name=First>Costello, C. ''Lou's on First: A Biography: The tragic life of Hollywood's greatest clown warmly recounted by his youngest child.'' St. Martin's Press (1981). {{ISBN|0312499132}}</ref>

==Memorials==

[[File:Costello2.JPG|thumb|The Lou Costello statue in Paterson, New Jersey]]

On June 26th, 1992, the city of [[Paterson, New Jersey]] in conjunction with the Lou Costello Memorial Association erected a statue of Lou Costello in the newly named Lou Costello Memorial Park in the city's historic downtown section. The statue has had two brief appearances in [[Sopranos]] episodes, which aired [[February 13]], [[2000]] and [[May 21]], [[2006]]

In 1946, Costello was joined by Abbott to fund the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation, a 3.3-acre recreation center on [[Olympic Boulevard (Los Angeles)|Olympic Blvd.]] in the [[Boyle Heights]] district of Los Angeles. Opened on May 3, 1947, it included a baseball field and swimming pool. In 1951 the center was sold to the city for less than one-third of its cost, and the name was changed to the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Recreation Center.<ref>{{cite web |last=Krell |first=David |title=Lou Costello |url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/lou-costello |website=Society for American Baseball Research |publisher=ASU Cronkite School of Journalism |access-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lou Costello Recreation and Senior Center (Los Angeles, California) |url=http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=34.021097&lon=-118.211507&z=18&m=w&show=/40269276 |website=Wikimapia |access-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref>

On June 26, 1992, the city of [[Paterson, New Jersey]], in conjunction with the Lou Costello Memorial Association, erected a statue of Costello in the newly named Lou Costello Memorial Park in the city's historic downtown section. It shows Costello holding a baseball bat, a reference to the team's most famous routine, "Who's on First?". The statue has been shown in two episodes of ''[[The Sopranos]]'' and in the film ''[[Paterson (film)|Paterson]]'' (2016). In 2005, Madison Street, in the [[Sandy Hill, Paterson|Sandy Hill section of Paterson]] where Costello was born,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lenox |first1=Steve |title=Work Underway at Autism Friendly Lou Costello Park |url=https://www.tapinto.net/towns/paterson/sections/green/articles/work-underway-at-autism-friendly-lou-costello-park |website=Tap into Paterson |access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref> was renamed Lou Costello Place.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Domino |first1=David |title=Lou's On First |url=https://www.lagazzettaitaliana.com/people/9577-lou-s-on-first |website=La Gazzetta Italiana |access-date=January 31, 2022}}</ref>

In 2005, Madison Street, in the [[Sandy Hill section of Paterson]], where Costello was born, was renamed Lou Costello's Place.

The centennial of Costello's birth was celebrated in Paterson in March 2006. From June 24 to 26, 2006, the [[Fort Lee, New Jersey|Fort Lee]] Film Commission held a centennial film retrospective at the Fine Arts Theatre in Hollywood. Films screened included the premiere of a digital film produced by the teenagers of the present-day Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. Also premiered was a [[35mm movie film|35&nbsp;mm]] restored print of the Costello-produced 1948 short film ''[[10,000 Kids and a Cop]]'', which was shot at the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Center in East Los Angeles.<ref name=stricken />

The centennial of Costello's birth was celebrated in Paterson on the first weekend in March, 2006.

In 2009, Costello was inducted into the [[New Jersey Hall of Fame]].<ref>[http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/bon_jovi_shaq_abbott_and_coste.html Bon Jovi, Shaq, Abbott and Costello make N.J. Hall of Fame], ''The Star-Ledger'', February 2, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2020.</ref>

On June 24-26 the Fort Lee Film Commission of Lou Costello's native state of New Jersey held a centennial film retrospective at the Fine Arts Theatre in Hollywood - films screened included the premiere of a digital film made by the teenagers of the present day Lou Costello Jr. Recreation Center in East Los Angeles. Also premiered was the 35mm restored print of the Lou Costello produced 1948 short film "10,000 Kids and a Cop" shot at the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Center in East Los Angeles.

Abbott and Costello are among the few non-baseball personnel to be memorialized in the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]], although they are not formal inductees. A plaque and a gold record of the "Who's on First?" sketch have been on permanent display there since 1956, and a video of the routine loops endlessly in the exhibit area.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Francis |first1=Bill |title=Who's On First Joined the Hall 60 Years Ago |url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/short-stops/whos-on-first |website=National Baseball Hall of Fame |date=June 2, 2016 |access-date=April 1, 2025}}</ref>

==Filmography==

==Radio==

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

| 1938–1940

! Year !! Movie !! Lou Costello Role !! Notes

| ''The Kate Smith Hour''

| rowspan="3"|Costello

|

|-

| 1940–1949

| [[1926 in film|1926]] || ''Bardleys The Magnificent'' || || Extra

| ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show (radio program)|The Abbott and Costello Show]]''

|

|-

| 1947–1949

| [[1927 in film|1927]] || ''[[The Battle of the Century]]'' || || Extra

| ''The Abbott and Costello Children's Show''

|-

|

| [[1927 in film|1927]] || ''The Taxi Dance'' || || Extra

|- }

| [[1927 in film|1927]] || ''The Fair Co-Ed'' || || Extra

==Filmography==

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

|rowspan=3|1927

| [[1928 in film|1928]] || ''Rose-Marie'' || || Extra

| ''[[The Battle of the Century]]''

|

| Ringside Extra<ref name="laurelandhardyfilms" />

|-

| ''[[The Taxi Dancer]]''

| [[1928 in film|1928]] || ''Circus Rookies'' || || Extra

|

| Extra{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

|-

| ''[[The Fair Co-Ed]]''

| [[1928 in film|1928]] || ''The Cossacks'' || || Extra

|-

| Extra{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

| [[1928 in film|1928]] || ''Trail of '98'' || || Stunt Double

|-

|rowspan=4|1928

| [[1940 in film|1940]] || ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]'' || Costello || Film Debut of Abbott and Costello

| ''[[Rose-Marie (1928 film)|Rose-Marie]]''

|-

|

| [[1941 in film|1941]] || ''[[Buck Privates]]'' || Herbie Brown ||

| '''Lost''' film <br /> Extra{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

|-

| [[1941 in film|1941]] || ''[[In The Navy (film)|In the Navy]]'' || Pomeroy Watson ||

|-

| [[1941 in film|1941]] || ''[[Hold That Ghost]]'' || Ferdinand Jones ||

|-

| [[1941 in film|1941]] || ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]]'' || Heathcliffe ||

|-

| [[1942 in film|1942]] || ''[[Ride 'Em Cowboy]]'' || Willoughby ||

|-

| [[1942 in film|1942]] || ''[[Rio Rita (1942 film)|Rio Rita]]'' || Wishy Dunn ||

|-

| [[1942 in film|1942]] || ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]'' || Wellington Phlug ||

|-

| [[1942 in film|1942]] || ''[[Who Done It? (film)|Who Done It?]]'' || Mervyn Milgrim ||

|-

| [[1943 in film|1943]] || ''[[It Ain't Hay]]'' || Wilbur Hoolihan ||

|-

| [[1943 in film|1943]] || ''[[Hit the Ice (film)|Hit The Ice]]'' || Tubby McCoy ||

|-

| [[1944 in film|1944]] || ''[[In Society]]'' || Albert Mansfield ||

|-

| [[1944 in film|1944]] || ''[[Lost in a Harem]]'' || Harvey Garvey ||

|-

| [[1945 in film|1945]] || ''[[Here Come The Co-Eds]]'' || Oliver Quackenbush ||

|-

| [[1945 in film|1945]] || ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]'' || Sebastian Dinwiddie||

|-

| [[1945 in film|1945]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello in Hollywood]]'' || Abercrombie ||

|-

| [[1946 in film|1946]] || ''[[Little Giant]]'' || Benny Miller ||

|-

| [[1946 in film|1946]] || ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]'' || Horatio Prim ||

|-

| ''[[Circus Rookies]]''

| [[1947 in film|1947]] || ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]'' || Herbie Brown || Sequel to [[Buck Privates]]

|

| '''Lost''' film <br /> Extra{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

|-

| ''[[The Cossacks (1928 film)|The Cossacks]]''

| [[1947 in film|1947]] || ''[[The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap]]'' || Chester Wooley ||

|

| Extra{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}

|-

| ''[[The Trail of '98]]''

| [[1948 in film|1948]] || ''[[The Noose Hangs High]]'' || Tommy Hinchcliffe ||

|

| Stunt Double and Extra<ref>Furmanek, Bob and Ron Palumbo. "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood." Perigee, 1990.</ref>

|-

| 1940

| [[1948 in film|1948]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]'' || Wilbur Gray ||

| ''[[One Night in the Tropics]]''

| Costello

| Film debut of Abbott and Costello

|-

|rowspan=4|1941

| [[1948 in film|1948]] || ''[[Mexican Hayride]]'' || Joe Bascom/Humphrey Fish ||

| ''[[Buck Privates]]''

| Herbie Brown

|

|-

| ''[[1949In inthe Navy (film)|1949]]In || ''[[Africathe ScreamsNavy]]'' || Stanley Livington ||

| Pomeroy Watson

|

|-

| ''[[Hold That Ghost]]''

| [[1949 in film|1949]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]'' || Freddie Phillips ||

| Ferdinand Jones

|

|-

| ''[[Keep 'Em Flying]]''

| [[1950 in film|1950]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]'' || Lou Hotchkiss ||

| Heathcliffe

|

|-

|rowspan=4|1942

| [[1951 in film|1951]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]'' || Lou Francis ||

| ''[[Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942 film)|Ride 'Em Cowboy]]''

| Willoughby

|

|-

| ''[[Rio Rita (1942 film)|Rio Rita]]''

| [[1951 in film|1951]] || ''[[Comin' Round The Mountain]]'' || Wilbert ||

| Wishy Dunn

|

|-

| ''[[Pardon My Sarong]]''

| [[1952 in film|1952]] || ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)|Jack and the Beanstalk]]'' || Jack ||

| Wellington Phlug

|-

|

| [[1952 in film|1952]] || ''[[Lost in Alaska]]'' || George Bell ||

|-

| ''[[Who Done It? (1942 film)|Who Done It?]]''

| [[1952 in film|1952]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]'' || Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson ||

| Mervyn Milgrim

|-

|

| [[1953 in film|1953]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]'' || Orville ||

|-

|rowspan=2|1943

| [[1953 in film|1953]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]'' || Tubby ||

| ''[[It Ain't Hay]]''

|-

| Wilbur Hoolihan

| [[1955 in film|1955]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops]]'' || Willie Piper ||

|-

|-

| [[1955 in film|1955]] || ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy]]'' || Freddie Franklin ||

| ''[[Hit the Ice (film)|Hit The Ice]]''

|-

| Tubby McCoy

| [[1956 in film|1956]] || ''[[Dance With Me Henry]]'' ||Lou Henry ||

|-

|-

| [[1959 in film|1959]] || ''[[The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock]]'' || Artie Pinsetter ||

|rowspan=2|1944

|-

| ''[[In Society]]''

| [[1965 in film|1965]] || ''[[The World of Abbott and Costello]]'' || - || Compilation Film

| Albert Mansfield

|

|-

| ''[[Lost in a Harem]]''

| Harvey Garvey

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1945

| ''[[Here Come the Co-Eds]]''

| Oliver Quackenbush

|

|-

| ''[[The Naughty Nineties]]''

| Sebastian Dinwiddie

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello in Hollywood]]''

| Abercrombie

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1946

| ''[[Little Giant]]''

| Benny Miller

|

|-

| ''[[The Time of Their Lives]]''

| Horatio Prim

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1947

| ''[[Buck Privates Come Home]]''

| Herbie Brown

| Sequel to ''[[Buck Privates]]''

|-

| ''[[The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap]]''

| Chester Wooley

|

|-

|rowspan=4|1948

| ''[[The Noose Hangs High]]''

| Tommy Hinchcliffe

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein]]''

| [[Chick Young & Wilbur Grey|Wilbur Grey]]

|

|-

| ''[[Mexican Hayride]]''

| Joe Bascom/Humphrey Fish

|

|-

| ''[[10,000 Kids and a Cop]]''

| Himself

| Documentary short

|-

|rowspan=2|1949

| ''[[Africa Screams]]''

| Stanley Livingston

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff]]''

| Freddie Phillips

|

|-

| 1950

| ''[[Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion]]''

| Lou Hotchkiss

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1951

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man]]''

| Lou Francis

|

|-

| ''[[Comin' Round the Mountain]]''

| Wilbert Smith

|

|-

|rowspan=3|1952

| ''[[Jack and the Beanstalk (1952 film)|Jack and the Beanstalk]]''

| Jack

| In color; producer

|-

| ''[[Lost in Alaska]]''

| George Bell

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd]]''

| Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson

| In color

|-

|rowspan=2|1953

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Go to Mars]]''

| Orville

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde]]''

| Tubby

|

|-

|rowspan=2|1955

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops]]''

| Willie Piper

|

|-

| ''[[Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy]]''

| Freddie Franklin

|

|-

| 1956

| ''[[Dance with Me, Henry]]''

| Lou Henry

|

|-

| 1959

| ''[[The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock]]''

| Artie Pinsetter

| Only starring film without Abbott

|-

| 1965

| ''[[The World of Abbott and Costello]]''

| –

| Compilation film

|}

==NotesTelevision==

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"

*Despite the common spelling of their public names, Lou Costello was no relation to Italian-American mobster [[Frank Costello]], whose birth surname was Castiglia.

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Year

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Title

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Role

! style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Notes

|-

| 1951–1955

| ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]''

| rowspan="2"|Costello

| Rotating hosts

|-

| 1952–1954

| ''[[The Abbott and Costello Show]]''

| 52 episodes

|-

| 1956–1958

| ''[[The Steve Allen Show]]''

| rowspan="3"|Himself

| 7 episodes

|-

| 1956

| ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]''

|

|-

| 1957

| ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''

|

|-

| rowspan="2"|1958

| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''

| Neal Andrews

| episode: ''Blaze of Glory''

|-

| ''[[Wagon Train]]''

| Tobias Jones

| episode: ''The Tobias Jones Story''

|}

==References==

{{reflist|2}}

<references/>

==External links==

{{Commons category}}

*{{imdb name|id=0182579|name=Lou Costello}}

* {{IMDb name|182579}}

* {{Tcmdb name|39757{{!}}100687}}

* [http://abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info/lou-costello-biography/ Lou Costello] at [http://abbott-and-costello-whos-on-first.info/ Abbott and Costello – Who's on First]

{{Abbott and Costello}}

[[Category:American comedians|Costello, Lou]]

{{Portal bar|Biography}}

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[[Category:American television actors|Costello, Lou]]

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[[Category:1906 births|Costello, Lou]]

[[Category:1959 deaths|Costello, Lou]]

[[Category:Deaths by myocardial infarction|Costello, Lou]]

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