US comedy duo. Having formed a successful vaudevillian stage act during the 1930s, Abbott and Costello went on to make a number of films together that showcased their routines between 1940 and 1956.
With Costello as the comedian and Abbott in the role of straight man, the couple proved to be a major box-office attraction. They became well-known for some of their stock routines, such as the baseball sketch
Who's on First?. Their films include
Buck Privates (1941),
Ride 'Em Cowboy (1942),
Lost in a Harem (1944),
Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), and
Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955).
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