Bud and Lou

Bud and Lou

98 mins | Drama, TV Movie | Nov. 15, 1978

They were the greatest partners that ever partnered, partner. No, I haven’t lost the ability to write, I’m simply repeating the word repeated ad nauseam in the 1978 television biopic, Bud and Lou. I avoided watching/reviewing this for a while, predominately because I know absolutely nothing about Abbott and Costello, and the duo, embodied by Buddy Hackett and Harvey Korman, instilled a belief this was a cheapo TV movie….which it is. Bud and Lou plays as if the screenwriter read a Sparknotes write-up about the duo and thought it was too long. On top of it all, the characters are bipolar in temperament and horribly miscast. For a movie about two comedians, the only humor derived is in the belief this television movie was a good idea. Bud Abbott (Korman) and Lou Costello (Hackett) struggle to rise up the burlesque ranks, eventually becoming successful comedic actors. However, various problems complicate their fame.

Bud and Lou

98 mins | Drama, TV Movie | Nov. 15, 1978

Bud and Lou
They were the greatest partners that ever partnered, partner. No, I haven’t lost the ability to write, I’m simply repeating the word repeated ad nauseam in the 1978 television biopic, Bud and Lou. I avoided watching/reviewing this for a while, predominately because I know absolutely nothing about Abbott and Costello, and the duo, embodied by Buddy Hackett and Harvey Korman, instilled a belief this was a cheapo TV movie….which it is. Bud and Lou plays as if the screenwriter read a Sparknotes write-up about the duo and thought it was too long. On top of it all, the characters are bipolar in temperament and horribly miscast. For a movie about two comedians, the only humor derived is in the belief this television movie was a good idea. Bud Abbott (Korman) and Lou Costello (Hackett) struggle to rise up the burlesque ranks, eventually becoming successful comedic actors. However, various problems complicate their fame.
IMDb rating 5.5
Producers Bob Banner Associates
Original title Bud and Lou
Directors Robert C. Thompson
Writers Bob Thomas, George Lefferts

Cast

Harvey Korman

as Bud Abbott

Buddy Hackett

as Lou Costello

Michele Lee

as Anne Costello

Arte Johnson

as Eddie Sherman

Robert Reed

as Alan Randall

William Tregoe

as Ted Collins

Danny Dayton

as Gene Duffy