Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • “Who’s On First?” radio debut was 85 years ago

    “Who’s On First?” radio debut was 85 years ago

    On March 24, 1938,  Abbott and Costello were finally permitted to perform their signature comedy routine, “Who’s On First?,” on radio for the very first time. It would have been sooner if Ted Collins, Kate Smith’s manager and the producer of her CBS radio show, thought the routine was funny. Today, it’s hard to imagine…

  • ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ never looked better in its life

    ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ never looked better in its life

    The 4k restoration of Bud and Lou’s first color film, Jack and the Beanstalk (1952), was released on Blu-ray on July 18, and reviewers are unanimous: the modest, SuperCineColor fairy tale has never looked or sounded so good. Bob Furmanek and Jack Theakston spearheaded a fastidious reconstruction, transfer and clean up of the orphaned film…

  • Quarterly 74 is now online

    Quarterly 74 is now online

    Abbott and Costello Quarterly #74 is now online in the Current Issues section exclusively for club members. It includes the latest update on the upcoming Blu-ray release of Jack and the Beanstalk (1952), a restoration that was delayed for several reasons. Release is now scheduled for around July 15. Bob Furmanek and his team have…

  • New A&C TV series Blu-ray restoration is a ‘Best of the Year’

    New A&C TV series Blu-ray restoration is a ‘Best of the Year’

    After months of painstaking work cleaning, scanning and restoring nearly 120,000 feet of original 35mm camera negative and fine grain elements, ClassicFlix and the Three-D Archives have released the definitive 4K Blu-ray of the first season of the classic Abbott and Costello TV series. Reviewers have uniformly hailed it as one of the best Blu-ray…

  • A&C TV series coming to Blu-ray

    A&C TV series coming to Blu-ray

    Seventy years ago, on Monday morning, May 21, 1951, cameras rolled on Stage 1 at Hal Roach Studios on what would ultimately become one of the most iconic television shows of all time: The Abbott and Costello Show. Exactly 70 years later, Bob Furmanek, TCA Television Corp., and the Lou Costello Estate have announced that…

  • Quarterly No. 73 is now online

    Quarterly No. 73 is now online

    Abbott and Costello Quarterly No. 73 is now online on the “Current Issue” page. Quarterly 73  reviews the double CD The Andrews Sisters in Hollywood, which is comprised of recordings the trio made for their motion pictures. These include tracks recorded for and used in the 1941 Abbott and Costello hits Buck Privates, In The…

  • New CDs of rare Andrews Sisters movie tracks

    New CDs of rare Andrews Sisters movie tracks

    Sepia Records, an independent label based in England, has released a unique double CD of vocal performances by the Andrews Sisters from the trio’s movie appearances, including all of the actual recordings made for and used in the 1941 Abbott and Costello films Buck Privates, In The Navy, and Hold That Ghost. Bryan Cooper, a…

  • Restored “Jack and The Beanstalk” Blu-ray coming in 2021

    Restored “Jack and The Beanstalk” Blu-ray coming in 2021

    Earlier this year, Bob Furmanek and his 3-D Film Archives team meticulously restored Africa Screams (1949) for a stunning, critically acclaimed Blu-ray release. Now they’re turning their skills to another independent Abbott and Costello film, the 1952 SuperCinecolor production of Jack and the Beanstalk, for Blu-ray and DVD release. Unlike Africa Screams, however, no original…

  • ‘Africa Screams’ Blu-ray is a roaring success

    ‘Africa Screams’ Blu-ray is a roaring success

    The long-awaited Blu-ray of Abbott and Costello’s second independent film, Africa Screams (1949), has been released, and it’s an exemplary lesson to studios big and small (we’re looking at you, Universal) on how to treat vintage product. By all accounts the painstaking restoration and eclectic extras (assiduously produced by Bob Furmanek and issued by ClassicFlix)…

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