A few years ago in Major League Baseball there was a player named HU. His Name was pronounced Who. He got a Base on Balls and went to First Base, The Announcer said he waited a lifetime but He could Finally say Who was on First.
Taiwanese player named Chin-Lung Hu,and there have been a few players named watt, who Im guessing made it to 2nd base.and if Brandon morrows parents have just named him tom.if you want to be very strict, who is the nickname of the first baseman, not the runner on first.
Usually, I’ll laugh at a comedy routine the first time I hear it, but once the surprise is gone I don’t laugh at it again. This is the one routine that will put me in giggles every time I hear it.
Lou Costello was looking for a new straight man so he was at a club watching stand up acts. In Bud Abbott he saw the best straight man he'd ever seen, but the guy was with a terrible comic. Lou went to see him and ask why, when Bud collapsed in an epileptic seizure. Lou had a relative with epilepsy and knew what to do. He saved Bud's life that night, and the best stand up team of all time was formed. Live shows were a risk, Bud could be hit at any time, but the movies were successful and if Bud was stricken on the set they would just stop and let him recover. Some partnerships go beyond just working together, Abbott and Costello was something special
Being British, you may not know about the Baseball Hall of Fame but, this routine got Abbott & Costello inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. So far, they're the only people who never were associated with baseball (other than this routine) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
There's another version out there about rock bands being booked for a big festival and the promoters are working with "The Who", ""Guess Who", and "Yes" 😸.
Aside from their witty dialogue and how they played off of each other, Costello's facial expressions and body language made everything they did hilarious. They were brilliant. The contrast between Abbott's straight faced serious persona and Costello's baffled and not really bright persona was always amazing. When they started doing movies they added in a skeptical aspect for Abbott and a cowardly aspect for Costello that had my 10 year old nephew laughing so hard he fell off the couch when he watched one of their movies with me. After the movie was over my nephew looked at me in amazement and said the "little fat guy" was so funny and never used a single curse word. He was used to 90's comedians who frequently used bad language and was amazed that someone could be that funny without it.
Been watching this skit for years and it still cracks me up.(I'm 70 years old now) and remember watching this with my dad. He was one of those guys who laughed with his whole being, one of the best memories I have sharing with him. Thanks so much for the great reaction and the trip down memory lane. Peace and love. Jen from Ohio,USA.
They started on stage, and their voices were very similar. Then they moved to radio and people couldn't tell them apart, so Costello started using the higher pitched voice you hear in this clip. The voice stuck when they started in movies and TV.
After many viewings and versions, I finally realized it's Bud Abbot's perfection as straight man that makes it work. Lou is feeding the lines and Bud never misses a response.
@@waltermcgarvin8001 - Not sure if you've ever seen their sit-com series from the '50s, but they replayed all of the old burlesque stuff, and as well, never broke character, altho, perhaps oddly, the 'Fourth Wall', was often broken. If 10% of the population is Gay, and 10% is Left-handed, what are the chancs of being a left-handed gay person? I could go on, but I think that's a start.
This routine plays 24/7 on televisions at The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. It’s the ONLY thing that is playing like this at the hall!
Even though this skit is older than me, I grew up knowing it and loving it. We did not have as many choices as we do today on what we watch and I'm afraid wonderful skits like this will disappear. Thank you for bringing it out of the vault and viewing.
ABBOTT & COSTELLO ....... MAJOR STARS OF STAGE, RADIO, MOVIES & TV......WERE INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME THROUGH THIS BASEBALL SKIT !!! IT IS FAMOUS.......& FUNNY !!! By the way......my husband's ancestors.....originally from Scotland......came to to America from England in the late 1640's.
Glad you gentlemen enjoyed this comedy sketch. In the U.S. this is considered by many to be the greatest standup routine of all time. The timing and perfect clean presentation shows their professionalism which a lot of today’s comedy lacks. Continue with the great reactions. You gentlemen have a blessed day
Two of the funniest comedic genius’s. They were very big during WWII. They did movies like Buck Privates, In The Navy, One Night in The Tropics, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and many more. They even had there own TV show in the 50’s. Both had tragic ending in their lives. But they brought a lot of enjoyment to the troops during the war and very patriotic. Look into it. You won’t be disappointed. Thx
I remember sitting on the floor hugging my dads leg just trembling watching Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I was so scared my mom told me i couldnt watch it. I was 6 and i thought i was watching a scary movie 😂❤ i watched it as an adult and i died laughing at the scene i was so scared of!
The whole point of a "patter" routine is speed. Notice how consummate professionals Bud Abbott and Lou Costello immediately set the pace in the opening seconds, alerting the audience that the journey they are about to be taken on will be dizzying! Notice also how, despite the intricacy of the routine, you're laughing at the characters the whole time. This famous and beloved routine, which was inducted in The Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, had its roots on the American Burlesque stage. Others had performed it before and since, but A&C made it shine like a perfect diamond, (no pun intended.) No one else has ever--or will ever--come close. May I also suggest you watch what is hands down considered their funniest feature film: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), also starring Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr. You won't be disappointed!
This is probably the greatest comedy skit ever! Im 73 years old, and i still laugh at this skit. I remember watching it at least 60/65 years ago. Another good one that Abbott and Costello do is 7×13=28. As a subscriber, i enjoy watching your videos and hearing the comments both of you contribute, whether a more serious video or one of comedy, such as this one. Thank you!
Only a few of their radio routines made it to film but these two had dozens of routines they toured the US with and they were loved everywhere. Look up 7 x 13 = 28 You'll like it as much as you did this one.
@@char5533 I did this for a teller at my bank and she loved it so much that she showed her daughter. The daughter then used it in her school talent show. Sometimes people take a few minutes to really get it because you can prove it all 4 ways. 🤣
I’ve loved this sketch since my dad introduced me to it when I was a kid. Even decades later (not willing to admit how many) it still makes me laugh out loud and tears roll down my face! With even a rudimentary knowledge of baseball it’s hilarious just due to their timing and delivery. Classic. Clean. Comedic fun. I had to watch it twice. The first time for myself laughing through the tears and memories. The second time for your reactions. You did not disappoint. Thank You.
Abbott is the straight man on the right; Costello the funny one on the left. The Who's On First routine goes back to the late 1930s when they were on radio after teaming up in burlesque in 1935.
"The Time of Their Lives" (1946) is my favorite Abbott and Costello movie. Costello is a Revolutionary-era ghost and Abbott is a psychiatrist and it's just a really great film
As a kid I enjoyed their movies more than the stand-up routines. A favorite has always been 'Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein'. While in essence a comedy, I find it amazing the original actors reprising the signature roles from Dracula and The Wolfman, including an early appearance by Vincent Price as the Invisible Man. This would be a fun one to watch if interested in their film career.
Wow I was just going to write that I loved their movies best. My favorite was Abbott & Costello Meet the Monster. with Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney and Bella Lugosi. I also loved the one in Alaska Camp Mukaluk and the one with the old gambling house. I was a kid in the 70s watching all the old movies. Those movies are burned in my memory.
@@ursulaabreu9737 I too thought Boris Karloff was in that film, but I doubled checked before committing my comment, and found he was NOT. Yes to being a kid in the 60's myself and having a lot of 'classics' to grow up on.
At that time, their accents and stage personas identified them with two stereotypes of the contemporary American Lower-Middle Class. The little fellow portrayed a working stiff from a rough neighborhood, rather like your East End characters. The tall fellow portrayed a fast-talking huckster attempting to climb socially, rather like your new money characters. By the time they were recorded on film they had performed this act countless times in music halls, what we called vaudeville.
Skits like this one were common in Vaudeville, where Abbot and Costello got their start. Through constant repetition through radio and movies this one became the most well known to the point where if some one hears a similar skit from the same time period they're likely to think it's copying Who's On First.
Actually the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham did a version of this routine with his "Peanut' character which uses passwords instead of ball players. th-cam.com/video/nBOZEVWwtvI/w-d-xo.html
This never gets old. It really holds its own after all these years. It doesn't work without the quickness and the frustration on Costello's face. He was a master of frustration.
Bud and Lou are the only non-baseball players, commentators, managers ....ever inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown. They did movies and a Comedy Hour! This was done Live on tv and in front of a studio audience! They were masters of timing! Makes me laugh every time!!! Abbott & Costello came after Laurel & Hardy! Comedy at its Finest! This routine is not easy to do! They do it and make it look so easy!!! Bud Abbott was having health problems...thats why they retired.
I'm not taking anything away from this legendary duo. They are my favorite comedians/comedy team. This was filmed after 16 years of performing this routine, which is why it's so polished. Best routine of all time.
Rule of thumb with American Comedy Duo's, the Straight Man gets top billing (with some exceptions). While the Funny Man gets the laughs, the Straight Man controls the timing, keeps the Funny Man on track and provides reaction for the audience. While often under-appreciated, a good Straight Man was worth his weight in gold. These guys have it down to a science.
I used to use this in a lecture I taught on communication. As brilliant as it is and the performance was always slightly different, I would point out that they had to listen to each other very carefully so that the lines were delivered correctly. So this works on more than one level.
@Jeff S Hi Jeff, that is a very good point, otherwise they would not come in at the right time and the timing would be off Very good point. Thanks for checking out the channel
@@BritPopsReact or the wrong line. They would change up the routine. I have seen several versions and they would move the bits around so you had to be fast on your response.
You mentioned stage, radio and television but they also did 36 movies together. One of my favorites is Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein which co-starred Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.
I used to watch these movies when I was kid. They used to show them all the time, especially on the weekends. Now it’s hard to find them. They were so great.
I'm always amazed that folks who may nothing about baseball get this! It never makes me, as an American who loves the game, fails to be wide-eyed! It's always funny because it is so complicated!~
My understanding is they didn't memorize it and do it by rote, per se, but established the positions and riffed on it. This is probably the best version filmed, but there are others that are subtly different in execution.
Abbot is the straight man on the right, Costello is the buffoon. Like Martin and Lewis. And like Martin and Lewis, they had a lot of trouble getting along and over the years pretty much grew to despise each other. But unlike Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who both had very successful solo careers, when Abbot and Costello split that was pretty much the end of both their careers. That aside, this stands today as one of the greatest comedy routines EVER! And it's timeless in its appeal. I've probably heard it a 100 times, and here I am laughing my ass off. Nice change of pace guys. 😊👍
The obvious brilliance of Who's on First is that you don't need to understand baseball to appreciate how funny this sketch is. Knowing the game, as I do, make you appreciate some of the bits a little more but it is thoroughly unneccessary. This bit transends the game and is funny in it's own right whether you are a fan or not. I grew up on this sketch and have loved it ever since I started following Baseball back in the seventies. I even have a cassette of thier radio program where they perform the sketch.
Great reaction, I've seen this a number of times over the years and just like Del falling through the bar or Andrew Preview with Morecambe and Wise, it is always funny.
One of their best skits. They did have 1/2hour shows back in the day. There is another pretty good skit where Costello tries to prove to their landlord that 13 times 7 equals is 28. Trying to get out of paying their rent. That is a good skit too.
My favorite Abbott and Costello movies are: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Africa Screams, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Abbott and Costello in The Foreign Legion, and Buck Privates. They did a total of 38 movies.
My Dad's favorite comedians, I think I could recite this by the time i was 7 or 8. They have so many great routines. try 7x13=28 Edit: I can't imagine why they aren't as known across the pond I think out of that era they were the funniest. They have some crazy movies as well, was always like Abbott and Costello meet Dracula or the Werewolf. In the 70s that was our Sunday morning Abbot and Costello movies.
Fun fact ”Boobie Barber" was an inside joke. Bobby Barber was an American actor who appeared as a foil in many of Abbot and Costello’s films. He was the guy who brought the props.
This skit was so popular that it made the Baseball Hall of Fame in NY, words and video. Hilarious. 'Who' is in first base, 'What' is on second base, 'I Don't Know' is on third base ... the pitcher is called 'Today' and the catcher's name is 'Tomorrow'. If you think this is funny, here's another skit that will make you laugh as well. It is from the television show The Carol Burnett Show, where there are two actors who are incredible. There is Tim Conway (the short one) and Harvey Korman (the tall one). Now Tim's main goal is to try to make Harvey break character and succeeds everytime. This one is about a patient who has a terrible toothache (Harvey) and goes to a dentist (Tim) but this patient is his first patient. Hilarious. BTW, Tim can't help himself that in every interview he gives, he has to say that Harvey laughed so hard, that he literally peed in his pants. You have to watch it. th-cam.com/video/9IUSM4EKcRI/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
This is from their weekly TV show in the early 50's. They did a lot of their classic routines in that show. There is a statue of Lou Costello in his home town of Paterson, NJ.
One additional note: They did this bit enough times that by this time, while the outline was the same, it was no longer what you could call scripted. It was at least somewhat different every time.
Hi, this is a classic comedy routine, I ‘think’ it has been retold by others over the years. Another brilliant upload and reaction ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is just TIMELESS. I was already familiar w/ this bit when I saw an excellent parody of this on the Animaniacs. Slappy Squirrel @ Woodstock. Also funny.
A few years ago in Major League Baseball there was a player named HU. His Name was pronounced Who. He got a Base on Balls and went to First Base, The Announcer said he waited a lifetime but He could Finally say Who was on First.
The Legendary announcer was the Dodgers Vin Scully
Most people don’t remember this and when you tell them, they don’t believe you. Love it that someone knows besides me.
Taiwanese player named Chin-Lung Hu,and there have been a few players named watt, who Im guessing made it to 2nd base.and if Brandon morrows parents have just named him tom.if you want to be very strict, who is the nickname of the first baseman, not the runner on first.
Hu was the leader of China between 2002 and 2012.
Vin Scully announcing Hu's on First: th-cam.com/video/PWei5rfeSPA/w-d-xo.html
Usually, I’ll laugh at a comedy routine the first time I hear it, but once the surprise is gone I don’t laugh at it again. This is the one routine that will put me in giggles every time I hear it.
That's because like the pros they are, they perform it as if they're doing it for the first time.
Lou Costello was looking for a new straight man so he was at a club watching stand up acts. In Bud Abbott he saw the best straight man he'd ever seen, but the guy was with a terrible comic. Lou went to see him and ask why, when Bud collapsed in an epileptic seizure. Lou had a relative with epilepsy and knew what to do. He saved Bud's life that night, and the best stand up team of all time was formed. Live shows were a risk, Bud could be hit at any time, but the movies were successful and if Bud was stricken on the set they would just stop and let him recover. Some partnerships go beyond just working together, Abbott and Costello was something special
Being British, you may not know about the Baseball Hall of Fame but, this routine got Abbott & Costello inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. So far, they're the only people who never were associated with baseball (other than this routine) to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Good info!! Thanks
The best thing about this is that it was funny 70 years ago and is still funny.
I am an old guy and this is one of my favorites. Glad to see you guys can appreciate this "old school" humor as well.
Thanks for the comment Mark, yes we enjoyed that! It’s great to see how comedy has evolved and most of the time the old ones are the best!!
There's another version out there about rock bands being booked for a big festival and the promoters are working with "The Who", ""Guess Who", and "Yes" 😸.
Classic. One of the most masterfully written, perfectly timed pieces ever done.
Abbott and Costello are comic geniuses!! This skit is the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Every generation needs to watch this. Great comedy with no harsh subjects or cursing. Absolute classic
Aside from their witty dialogue and how they played off of each other, Costello's facial expressions and body language made everything they did hilarious. They were brilliant. The contrast between Abbott's straight faced serious persona and Costello's baffled and not really bright persona was always amazing. When they started doing movies they added in a skeptical aspect for Abbott and a cowardly aspect for Costello that had my 10 year old nephew laughing so hard he fell off the couch when he watched one of their movies with me.
After the movie was over my nephew looked at me in amazement and said the "little fat guy" was so funny and never used a single curse word. He was used to 90's comedians who frequently used bad language and was amazed that someone could be that funny without it.
Been watching this skit for years and it still cracks me up.(I'm 70 years old now) and remember watching this with my dad. He was one of those guys who laughed with his whole being, one of the best memories I have sharing with him. Thanks so much for the great reaction and the trip down memory lane. Peace and love. Jen from Ohio,USA.
Bless your father!
I know what ya mean, I miss my "Pops" too.
My dad would laugh so hard there would be no sound but a red-faced wheeze. Fantastic memories.
I’m 75 and remember hearing this all my life! They were exceptional!
Abbott and Costello were marketed to Italy as "Gianni e Pinotto".
They started on stage, and their voices were very similar. Then they moved to radio and people couldn't tell them apart, so Costello started using the higher pitched voice you hear in this clip. The voice stuck when they started in movies and TV.
The real genius is the rhythm and timing at top speed here.
Exactly. Once they get started, it doesn't feel like they're doing a bit.
After many viewings and versions, I finally realized it's Bud Abbot's perfection as straight man that makes it work. Lou is feeding the lines and Bud never misses a response.
Twenty years of practice on the skit, never identical.
Bobby Barber handed them the props.
Just think how complicated this routine is and they didn't miss a beat. Perfect faces and no laffing! Amazing job!
They became the characters and never broke when they did this skit.
@@waltermcgarvin8001 - Not sure if you've ever seen their sit-com series from the '50s, but they replayed all of the old burlesque stuff, and as well, never broke character, altho, perhaps oddly, the 'Fourth Wall', was often broken.
If 10% of the population is Gay, and 10% is Left-handed, what are the chancs of being a left-handed gay person? I could go on, but I think that's a start.
This routine plays 24/7 on televisions at The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. It’s the ONLY thing that is playing like this at the hall!
Even though this skit is older than me, I grew up knowing it and loving it. We did not have as many choices as we do today on what we watch and I'm afraid wonderful skits like this will disappear. Thank you for bringing it out of the vault and viewing.
ABBOTT & COSTELLO ....... MAJOR STARS OF STAGE, RADIO, MOVIES & TV......WERE INDUCTED INTO THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME THROUGH THIS BASEBALL SKIT !!! IT IS FAMOUS.......& FUNNY !!!
By the way......my husband's ancestors.....originally from Scotland......came to to America from England in the late 1640's.
as an American, this is funny as hell! keep them coming!
Glad you gentlemen enjoyed this comedy sketch. In the U.S. this is considered by many to be the greatest standup routine of all time. The timing and perfect clean presentation shows their professionalism which a lot of today’s comedy lacks. Continue with the great reactions. You gentlemen have a blessed day
OOOOO CHIIIIIICKKKKKK
I'm old enough to have watched these two on TV. I have seen this numerous times and it still makes me laugh out loud.
Two of the funniest comedic genius’s. They were very big during WWII. They did movies like Buck Privates, In The Navy, One Night in The Tropics, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and many more. They even had there own TV show in the 50’s. Both had tragic ending in their lives. But they brought a lot of enjoyment to the troops during the war and very patriotic. Look into it. You won’t be disappointed. Thx
And this particular rendition of the routine was from that TV show.
I remember sitting on the floor hugging my dads leg just trembling watching Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein. I was so scared my mom told me i couldnt watch it. I was 6 and i thought i was watching a scary movie 😂❤ i watched it as an adult and i died laughing at the scene i was so scared of!
The whole point of a "patter" routine is speed. Notice how consummate professionals Bud Abbott and Lou Costello immediately set the pace in the opening seconds, alerting the audience that the journey they are about to be taken on will be dizzying! Notice also how, despite the intricacy of the routine, you're laughing at the characters the whole time.
This famous and beloved routine, which was inducted in The Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame, had its roots on the American Burlesque stage. Others had performed it before and since, but A&C made it shine like a perfect diamond, (no pun intended.)
No one else has ever--or will ever--come close.
May I also suggest you watch what is hands down considered their funniest feature film: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), also starring Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr. You won't be disappointed!
This is probably the greatest comedy skit ever! Im 73 years old, and i still laugh at this skit. I remember watching it at least 60/65 years ago. Another good one that Abbott and Costello do is 7×13=28. As a subscriber, i enjoy watching your videos and hearing the comments both of you contribute, whether a more serious video or one of comedy, such as this one. Thank you!
😂 I had forgotten about the 7x13 skit. Thx for the reminder.
Only a few of their radio routines made it to film but these two had dozens of routines they toured the US with and they were loved everywhere. Look up 7 x 13 = 28 You'll like it as much as you did this one.
They started as a warm-up act in burlesque.
I agree 7 x 13= 28..it is great also
@@char5533 I did this for a teller at my bank and she loved it so much that she showed her daughter. The daughter then used it in her school talent show. Sometimes people take a few minutes to really get it because you can prove it all 4 ways. 🤣
@@davidkessinger1581 That's hilarious!
So brilliant. And they did this live.
"I don't even know what I am talking about!" Love it.
I’ve loved this sketch since my dad introduced me to it when I was a kid. Even decades later (not willing to admit how many) it still makes me laugh out loud and tears roll down my face! With even a rudimentary knowledge of baseball it’s hilarious just due to their timing and delivery. Classic. Clean. Comedic fun. I had to watch it twice. The first time for myself laughing through the tears and memories. The second time for your reactions. You did not disappoint. Thank You.
Abbott is the straight man on the right; Costello the funny one on the left. The Who's On First routine goes back to the late 1930s when they were on radio after teaming up in burlesque in 1935.
Bud Abbott (taller guy on the right) and Lou Costello (guy with the hat on the left).
The routine goes further back to vaudeville, and they didn’t write it nor the first to perform it.
It was done by many vaudevillian comedy teams.
I must have watched this hundreds of times and it still cracks me up. Just one of the greatest comedy duos ever.
The only thing I've seen that came close to this was the short-lived "Police Squad" series. The first episode is worth your attention.
abbott and Costello were frkn huge. These dudes are hilarious
"The Time of Their Lives" (1946) is my favorite Abbott and Costello movie. Costello is a Revolutionary-era ghost and Abbott is a psychiatrist and it's just a really great film
I absolutely love that movie with a passion! No one I have met have ever heard of the movie.
Love that movie.
As a kid I enjoyed their movies more than the stand-up routines. A favorite has always been 'Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein'. While in essence a comedy, I find it amazing the original actors reprising the signature roles from Dracula and The Wolfman, including an early appearance by Vincent Price as the Invisible Man. This would be a fun one to watch if interested in their film career.
Wow I was just going to write that I loved their movies best. My favorite was Abbott & Costello Meet the Monster. with Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney and Bella Lugosi. I also loved the one in Alaska Camp Mukaluk and the one with the old gambling house. I was a kid in the 70s watching all the old movies. Those movies are burned in my memory.
@@ursulaabreu9737 I too thought Boris Karloff was in that film, but I doubled checked before committing my comment, and found he was NOT. Yes to being a kid in the 60's myself and having a lot of 'classics' to grow up on.
me 2 🇬🇧
Yeah, it was Glenn Strange as Big Frankie.
I agree with others..check out their routine "7x13=28". Really clever! You'll get a kick out of it.
Warm regards from Kentucky U.S.💙☮
Completely agree this is another wonderful skit they performed. Great reaction video!
Comic genius. Pure and simple.
One of the all time classics.
And totally clean, no profanity needed.
Today's so-called comedians could learn some big lessons from this. Take away their swearing and drug references and they have nothing.
At that time, their accents and stage personas identified them with two stereotypes of the contemporary American Lower-Middle Class. The little fellow portrayed a working stiff from a rough neighborhood, rather like your East End characters. The tall fellow portrayed a fast-talking huckster attempting to climb socially, rather like your new money characters.
By the time they were recorded on film they had performed this act countless times in music halls, what we called vaudeville.
Skits like this one were common in Vaudeville, where Abbot and Costello got their start. Through constant repetition through radio and movies this one became the most well known to the point where if some one hears a similar skit from the same time period they're likely to think it's copying Who's On First.
Actually the ventriloquist Jeff Dunham did a version of this routine with his "Peanut' character which uses passwords instead of ball players.
th-cam.com/video/nBOZEVWwtvI/w-d-xo.html
This never gets old. It really holds its own after all these years. It doesn't work without the quickness and the frustration on Costello's face. He was a master of frustration.
I remember being a little girl in the 70s just howling with laughter and 40 years later I still laugh.
Yeah, back in the seventies the indie UHF stations showed old movies and whatever other content they could get cheap.
Me too
I love to see younger generations discover and enjoy the actors etc I grew up with!
In England they do the Dr Who"s on first routine.
Bud and Lou are the only non-baseball players, commentators, managers ....ever inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in Cooperstown. They did movies and a Comedy Hour! This was done Live on tv and in front of a studio audience! They were masters of timing! Makes me laugh every time!!! Abbott & Costello came after Laurel & Hardy! Comedy at its Finest! This routine is not easy to do! They do it and make it look so easy!!! Bud Abbott was having health problems...thats why they retired.
I'm not taking anything away from this legendary duo. They are my favorite comedians/comedy team. This was filmed after 16 years of performing this routine, which is why it's so polished. Best routine of all time.
Rule of thumb with American Comedy Duo's, the Straight Man gets top billing (with some exceptions). While the Funny Man gets the laughs, the Straight Man controls the timing, keeps the Funny Man on track and provides reaction for the audience. While often under-appreciated, a good Straight Man was worth his weight in gold. These guys have it down to a science.
This has been voted the best comedy skit of all time, several times by several different organizations.
This remains very entertaining after all these years. I remember as a kid in the 1970s, my Dad showing me Abbot & Costello skits and movies.
I used to use this in a lecture I taught on communication. As brilliant as it is and the performance was always slightly different, I would point out that they had to listen to each other very carefully so that the lines were delivered correctly. So this works on more than one level.
@Jeff S
Hi Jeff, that is a very good point, otherwise they would not come in at the right time and the timing would be off
Very good point.
Thanks for checking out the channel
@@BritPopsReact or the wrong line. They would change up the routine. I have seen several versions and they would move the bits around so you had to be fast on your response.
You mentioned stage, radio and television but they also did 36 movies together. One of my favorites is Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein which co-starred Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr.
Love the movies!!! Have you seen "Hold That Ghost"!?? Hilarious!!!
I used to watch these movies when I was kid. They used to show them all the time, especially on the weekends. Now it’s hard to find them. They were so great.
I have loved these two for 70 years! My folks bought me their stuff when it was on vinyl! My folks loved to hear me laugh!
Brilliant...timeless what more can you say thank you...Really enjoyed that cheers.....
A simple joke, but one played with by two masters with nearly unmatched chemistry on stage.
I've heard this dozens of times and I'm still laughing out loud with you.
You should see "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein".
Absolutely!
Abbott and Costello‘s, “Who’s On First” is in the baseball Hall of Fame.
Too be able to make people laugh without using curse words is pure comic genius.
If we don't tolerate our modern-day comedy, it would probably go back to these wholesome and truly funny comedy ideas as before.
@@Bi0Dr01d I agree with you 100 percent.
Damn is being used on the Armed Forces perfomance.
Also the only one in Color.
The best comedy is ALWAYS timeless!
This is THE classic comedy sketch of all time!
This is Classic as can be.
I'm always amazed that folks who may nothing about baseball get this!
It never makes me, as an American who loves the game, fails to be wide-eyed!
It's always funny because it is so complicated!~
My understanding is they didn't memorize it and do it by rote, per se, but established the positions and riffed on it. This is probably the best version filmed, but there are others that are subtly different in execution.
I prefer the version with less time spent on the money part.
Abbot is the straight man on the right, Costello is the buffoon. Like Martin and Lewis. And like Martin and Lewis, they had a lot of trouble getting along and over the years pretty much grew to despise each other. But unlike Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who both had very successful solo careers, when Abbot and Costello split that was pretty much the end of both their careers. That aside, this stands today as one of the greatest comedy routines EVER! And it's timeless in its appeal. I've probably heard it a 100 times, and here I am laughing my ass off. Nice change of pace guys. 😊👍
They were AWSOME comedians. Plain and simple.
They did movies too, but this is their most memorable performance.
The obvious brilliance of Who's on First is that you don't need to understand baseball to appreciate how funny this sketch is. Knowing the game, as I do, make you appreciate some of the bits a little more but it is thoroughly unneccessary. This bit transends the game and is funny in it's own right whether you are a fan or not.
I grew up on this sketch and have loved it ever since I started following Baseball back in the seventies. I even have a cassette of thier radio program where they perform the sketch.
Great reaction, I've seen this a number of times over the years and just like Del falling through the bar or Andrew Preview with Morecambe and Wise, it is always funny.
I really enjoyed this sketch guys just so so funny, comedy at its best.
This is the most famous American humour bits of all time, no question. It's not even my time and we can clearly see why it's still around.
One of their best skits. They did have 1/2hour shows back in the day. There is another pretty good skit where Costello tries to prove to their landlord that 13 times 7 equals is 28. Trying to get out of paying their rent. That is a good skit too.
My favorite Abbott and Costello movies are: Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Africa Screams, Abbott and Costello Go to Mars, Abbott and Costello in The Foreign Legion, and Buck Privates. They did a total of 38 movies.
They are in the Baseball Hall of Fame for this routine!
Check out Abbott & Costello's "Two Tens For A Five" routine. It's Hilarious!
My Dad's favorite comedians, I think I could recite this by the time i was 7 or 8. They have so many great routines. try 7x13=28
Edit: I can't imagine why they aren't as known across the pond I think out of that era they were the funniest. They have some crazy movies as well, was always like Abbott and Costello meet Dracula or the Werewolf. In the 70s that was our Sunday morning Abbot and Costello movies.
Another one dealt with a rent-a-car company named Hertz-Udrive. (Pronounced hurts you drive).
Fun fact ”Boobie Barber" was an inside joke. Bobby Barber was an American actor who appeared as a foil in many of Abbot and Costello’s films. He was the guy who brought the props.
This skit was so popular that it made the Baseball Hall of Fame in NY, words and video. Hilarious. 'Who' is in first base, 'What' is on second base, 'I Don't Know' is on third base ... the pitcher is called 'Today' and the catcher's name is 'Tomorrow'.
If you think this is funny, here's another skit that will make you laugh as well. It is from the television show The Carol Burnett Show, where there are two actors who are incredible. There is Tim Conway (the short one) and Harvey Korman (the tall one). Now Tim's main goal is to try to make Harvey break character and succeeds everytime. This one is about a patient who has a terrible toothache (Harvey) and goes to a dentist (Tim) but this patient is his first patient. Hilarious. BTW, Tim can't help himself that in every interview he gives, he has to say that Harvey laughed so hard, that he literally peed in his pants. You have to watch it. th-cam.com/video/9IUSM4EKcRI/w-d-xo.html Enjoy!
Glad to see that humor I've loved for so many years is still appreciated. They were to me the greatest comedy duo of all time.
And I believe you're absolutely correct in that assessment. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were the best comedy duo ever.
The. Best. Ever.
Absolute classic.
I used to watch these old reruns when I was a little girl. So funny.
This is from their weekly TV show in the early 50's. They did a lot of their classic routines in that show. There is a statue of Lou Costello in his home town of Paterson, NJ.
Great reaction! Classic good, clean humor.
I always loved this sketch. Love your reaction. From California USA
Classic. Never gets old.
Thank you for sharing your time with us. ☮️
There are no words! This is a classic!
One additional note: They did this bit enough times that by this time, while the outline was the same, it was no longer what you could call scripted. It was at least somewhat different every time.
Good job, guys - that was fun.
I used to watch them in the "60"s as a kid !! Still funny today as back then😂😂😂😂😂
Hi, this is a classic comedy routine, I ‘think’ it has been retold by others over the years. Another brilliant upload and reaction ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Lots of fun Abbott and Costello movies and short episodes
The best comedy routine of all time, bar none. I will hear no dissent on this :)
Can you imagine how many times they did this to get the timing down perfectly.
I'm 65yo and still have tears of laughter watching this. No one has ever matched this skit, and with no cussing, like Bill Cosby.
Early comedy teams many times had a "sraight-man" and a stooge. Martin & Lewis, Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello.
this skit was inducted into the baseball hall of fame.
I've been watching this skit for years now. It's nice to see it being replayed on TH-cam. My sentiments exactly -- brilliant!!
There have been several parodies of this. Check out Johnny Carson as Ronald Reagan asking about the ambassador from China
This is just TIMELESS. I was already familiar w/ this bit when I saw an excellent parody of this on the Animaniacs. Slappy Squirrel @ Woodstock. Also funny.
Thanks for this reaction. Like your research and discussion of the sketch.
This is one of those skits that you don't want to stop and interrupt. The way it rolls down the hill of comedy is legendary!
One of the 6 best comedy pieces of all time. This will be funny in the year 4369. Greatness is timeless
This is a classic from when I was a kid and now I'm old but can still laugh today. They did this in vaudeville before the telly.
“Heeeyyy Abbbooootttt!”