Biography of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, one of the greatest comedy teams of all time.

This intimate portrait of Lou Costello (1906-1959) offers a rare look at one of the most talented comedians of all time. Starting in the 1930s, Costello attained enormous fame touring the burlesque circuits with straight man Bud Abbott (1895-1974). Their live skits (including "Who's on First?"), radio programs, and films such as One Night in the Tropics, Buck Privates, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, and In the Navy made comic history. Behind the scenes, however, Costello faced numerous crises: a bout with rheumatic fever that left him bedridden for months, the drowning death of his young son, and constant haggles with Universal Studios over its reluctance to adequately finance productions of Abbott and Costello films. Lou's on First goes beyond Costello's clownish persona to explore his Pagliacci nature: the private demons behind the happy public face, the heartbreaking moments in an otherwise storybook marriage, the business ventures soured by unscrupulous managers, and the true nature of the breakup of his twenty-one-year partnership with Bud Abbott.

Goes with Form #09.070. For reasons why NONE of our materials may legally be censored and violate NO Google policies, see: https://sedm.org/why-our-materials-cannot-legally-be-censored/

BACK IN PRINT AND BESSER THAN EVER! For more than six decades, Joe Besser brought gales of laughter to millions—in vaudeville, on Broadway, on radio, in motion pictures, and on television. From his days working as a bumbling assistant to the world-famous Thurston the Magician, he carved out success with his own act—that of a childlike sissy who brandished his foils with a flick of the wrist and such hilarious verbal assaults as “Ooh, you crazy you!” and “Not so f-a-s-t!” From stage to film and television screens, the famed roly-poly comedian left an indelible mark–from starring in his own feature films and short-subject series for Columbia Pictures, to dishing out huge laughs on scores of popular programs of the day, most notably as the malevolent brat “Stinky” on The Abbott and Costello Show, to stepping in to replace Shemp Howard after his death as a member of Three Stooges comedy team. Followed by countless more laugh out-loud performances in movies and on television, from playing the frustrated superintendent, Jillson, on The Joey Bishop Show to voicing Saturday morning cartoons, his legacy still lives on today, thanks to reruns of his classic work. Illustrating a passing age of American humor, ONCE A STOOGE, ALWAYS A STOOGE tells the whole story. Jam-packed with timeless remembrances, Besser vividly recounts it all–the personal ups and downs, the classic skits and routines that became his hallmark, and behind-the-scenes stories of show business icons who enriched his life and career, including Abbott and Costello, Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., Jerry Lewis, Olsen and Johnson, and many others. Previously unpublished anecdotes incorporated throughout, plus hundreds of new, many rare and one-of-a-kind illustrations and extensive appendices of the legendary funnyman’s stage, film, radio and TV appearances, round out this charming and thoughtfully written memoir. PRAISE FOR THE ORIGINAL EDITION: “An affectionate, thoroughly enjoyable remembrance of a lifetime spent on the road and on the screen.” -- LOS ANGELES TIMES “A fascinating look at the development of American entertainment from a person who managed to experience it all . . .” --PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER

Do you remember the first movie you ever owned? It was probably a product of Castle Films. Before home video, Castle Films made every living room a screening room. For four decades the 16mm and 8mm film products of Castle Films were sold in every department store and hobby shop. Castle had big-screen movies for everybody: comedies with Abbott & Costello, The Marx Brothers, and W. C. Fields...monster movies with Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman...cartoons with Woody Woodpecker, Chilly Willy, and Mighty Mouse...westerns with Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and James Stewart...travelogues of the world's picturesque places...newsreels of major headline stories...musicals with top singers and bandleaders. Collectors have always wanted a reference book detailing the total output of Castle Films. Here it is. Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide is a complete filmography of every title printed between 1937 and 1977. For handy reference, there are separate indexes by title, subject, and serial number, a listing of Castle's color film releases, and a special section "decoding" Castle's various pseudonym titles and disclosing the "true identities" of many films. Castle Films: A Hobbyist's Guide is a fascinating, nostalgic look at one of the pioneers of home entertainment.

Burlesque was one of America's most popular forms of live entertainment in the first half of the 20th century. Gaudy, bawdy, and spectacular, the shows entertained thousands of paying customers every night of the week. And yet the legacy of burlesque

The authoritative, hands-on guide to advanced MySQL programming and administration techniques for high performance is here. MySQL Database Design and Tuning is the only guide with coverage of both the basics and advanced topics, including reliability, performance, optimization and tuning for MySQL. This clear, concise and unique source for the most reliable MySQL performance information will show you how to: Deploy the right MySQL product for your performance needs. Set up a performance management and monitoring environment using tools from MySQL. Implement the right indexing strategy Apply good performance strategy when developing software to work with the MySQL database. Configure dozens of variable to correctly tune the MySQL engine. If you deal with the intricacies and challenges of advanced MySQL functionality on a daily basis, you will be able to build on your knowledge with author Robert Schneider's real-world experiences in MySQL Database Design and Tuning.

Abbott and Costello were the most popular comedians of the 1940s, with burlesque-inspired routines that enthralled audiences on both radio and television. Oddly, their films have not received the same level of attention from critics and writers as those of other comedy teams. This book is a scene-by-scene, film-by-film guide to their movies, making a compelling case for their inclusion at the very top of comic artists. Featuring new research and some surprising revelations, the book introduces newcomers to the delights of this uproarious team and provides confirmed fans with the ultimate companion to their work. Also included is a foreword by John Landis, the celebrated director and Abbott and Costello devotee.

Few inventions evoke such nostalgia, such deeply personal and vivid memories as radio—from Amos ’n’ Andy and Edward R. Murrow to Wolfman Jack and Howard Stern. Listening In is the first in-depth history of how radio culture and content have kneaded and expanded the American psyche. But Listening In is more than a history. It is also a reconsideration of what listening to radio has done to American culture in the twentieth century and how it has brought a completely new auditory dimension to our lives. Susan Douglas explores how listening has altered our day-to-day experiences and our own generational identities, cultivating different modes of listening in different eras; how radio has shaped our views of race, gender roles, ethnic barriers, family dynamics, leadership, and the generation gap. With her trademark wit, Douglas has created an eminently readable cultural history of radio.