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 Navy, and Hold That Ghost. Our exclusive online “Bonus Features” section includes the track “Gimme Some Skin, My Friend” from In The Navy (courtesy of Sepia Records).

The issue’s Feature is the second installment of “Lou Costello: The Early Years,” which fills in gaps and adds a lot of surprising new information.

This latest installment picks up where Part I left off, with Lou leaving Hollywood in 1928 and ending up in St. Joseph, Missouri, where he made his burlesque debut. We trace Lou’s rise on the famed Mutual burlesque wheel; his transition to stock burlesque during the Depression with the infamous Minskys; his brief return to Hollywood in another burlesque show; and early encounters with his future partner, Bud Abbott.

The article concludes with his courtship and marriage to dancer Anne Battler in 1934. Along the way, we also read reviews of Lou’s early act which, along with classic sketches, included singing and dancing. (A popular song Lou performed in burlesque shows in 1930 and 1931 is included in our online “Bonus Features.”) The article also introduces us to some of his co-comics and straight men, including John Grant. More surprises lay ahead!

Part 3 (to be published in Quarterly #74) will trace Lou’s burlesque work from 1934 up to and including his teaming with Bud in 1936. Bud’s early life was covered in previous issues of the Quarterly.

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