British Guy First Time Reaction to "Who's On First - Abbott & Costello"🤣

[@DuYarvish]

This skit is iconic, especially in the baseball world. In 2007, the Dodgers called up Taiwanese player Chin-Lung Hu, and the first time he reached first base, legendary Dodgers broadcaster, Vin Scully, was elated that he could finally say "Hu is on first base" 😂

[@9Ballr]

Who was on first?

[@thebeardedbrony9586]

Naturally.

[@sagemaster6814]

These guys are iconic! They are better than the marx bothers! They do both silent and talkies.

[@jaykaufman9782]

Vin Scully was a national treasure, truly. "Well, fans, I've been waiting my entire career to say this: Hu is on first."

[@chuckhouse5179]

@@sagemaster6814 They're on par with the Marx brothers as a whole, no one is better than Groucho.

[@Umptyscope]

Side note: the guy at 1:10 who says "we got the props for you here" is Mel Blanc, the man who had a 60 year run doing nearly ALL the voices for Looney Toons cartoons.

[@chipclatto8831]

no way...that's awesome!

[@rackinfrackin2883]

No it wasn't. It was Bobby Barber (1894--1976) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Barber

[@blinky705]

@@rackinfrackin2883 Are you sure? I always assumed it was Sid Fields. Hmmm...

[@synthonaplinth5980]

@@blinky705 Too much hair for Sid Fields (too high of a voice) and too little hair for Mel Blanc (also too high of a voice).

[@rackinfrackin2883]

@@blinky705 That's why Lou says "Booby Barber!'

[@sintanan469]

Everyone thinks this is a comedy skit, but they're actual players: David Hu is on 1st, Jason Watt is on 2nd, Joe Aiduno is on 3rd. Thomas Wy covers the left field, Dominic Becaz handles center, Nathan Truli is in the right. Kenji Tamara is pitching while Seth Tudae is catching. Finally, Aidun Givadun is the short stop.

[@d0sitmatr]

🤯🤯🤯

[@mikecabral2420]

Chin-Lung Hu also played first base (for the dodgers) . On his first game when he stepped up to his position the announcer said, "Hu is on first."

[@hkpew]

Hu isn't a first baseman, he plays middle infield. The Vin Scully had to wait until he hit a single to be able to say "Hu's on first!" I believe Hu is still playing for a team in Taiwan. He in addition to the Dodgers, he played in the Met's organization for a while. He was never able to stick with the big league club for either team, amassing less than 120 big league games across 5 seasons, but will always be remembered for having given announcers the opportunity to say Hu's on first.

[@H3ADHUNT3R70]

Nobody's in right

[@bretsheeley4034]

@@H3ADHUNT3R70Likely to be Lou’s spot. I mean, you can’t have Nobody playing right field. He’s a much better pinch hitter.

[@FFVison]

Just want to point out that there is no second take. They went through this with perfect timing in front of a live audience and never missed a beat. THAT is amazing talent and chemistry.

[@wikkedspindl]

80 years later and they are still making people laugh. True comedy geniuses!

[@troyhrabec3157]

amen

[@HenshinFanatic]

And not a single hint of vulgar language. This kind of class is long dead.

[@alanmcentee9457]

This routine is much older than 1940. It was done in variations of "word play" by many artists in vaudeville. While covering several topics, baseball was but one. Most were done in a similar team approach, a couple of vaudeville artists did do this as a solo stand-up. Abbot and Costello teamed in 1936 and started this routine in 1937. They did several variations of it, honing the routine until they copyrighted it in 1944. Even then they often did slight variations. They referred to the routine as the "Baseball" skit. The public referred to it as "Who's on First". A&C did not originate the routine, but did hone it and perform it to this precision.

[@metsfan1873]

Longer than that... the routine was ALREADY a classic when they filmed this version!

[@metsfan1873]

@@HenshinFanatic Sometime the shortstop is "I don't give a damn." At the other extreme, sometimes the shortstop is "I don't care." It all depended on the venue and audience. They were clean in the movies but the convention in live performances was "clean a 8, blue at midnight." "Blue" means no limits on language or subject matter, what you might expect to be called "dirty." THIS kind of class is long dead! Sorry but even in the '40s, the world was still real.

[@dking1836]

This routine is very cleverly crafted. There are loops within loops. Here the skit ran 8 minutes but they literally could do an hour of it as at times they would ad lib a comment just to spice it up. But the clever thing is, when they pause, either one could ask a question or make a comment to get to the next loop, or go to a previous loop. So you see them go with the three infielders (1st, 2nd, and 3rd base), then they do a short version of the outfielders (left, center, and right field). And finally the battery (pitcher and catcher). Then they mix in the battery with the infielders. Not shown, they can also get the outfielders involved with a batted ball and throw to one of the infielders. Toss in a few ad libs and the subject can get crazy. If it gets too far away from the loops, they pause, and start one of the loops over again, but with things like who signs the pay check (which is one of the scripted sub-loops but an extra comment just tossed in like they were on the Actors Retirement Home Team). The punch line is the 9th player, the short stop, who plays between 2nd and 3rd base. So each performance was a combination of scripted and ad lib combined. They did this live for decades in Vaudeville, then live on the radio (which they timed it to fill a show be it 15, 20, 30 minutes or 55 minutes in early TV. Very few shows were ever taped. This 1953 version was one of the first, so we have it today. A variation of it was in one of their movies I believe.

[@1079walter]

This 1953 performance by Abbott and Costello has been a classic comedy routine since its inception. It was so popular that the Baseball Hall of Fame, in Cooperstown, NY, shows the video regularly to visitors, and has done so for decades.

[@dpastor6631]

They performed this routine in one of their movies, "The Naughty Nineties", prior to 1953.

[@gunzablazen]

The Baseball Hall of Fame also inducted Abbott and Costello as honorary members.

[@sweetpealee056]

A classic that never gets old! ❤❤❤

[@jamesfalato4305]

@@dpastor6631 The Baseball HOF in Cooperstown plays both the 1953 and the "Naughty Nineties" versions... And they run continuously in one of the display rooms...

[@christianboehlefeld5168]

Fact: This bit is endlessly rewatchable. No matter how many times you watch it it is always fresh and hilarious. Simple word play at its best. During the original run of Animanics there was a Slappy Squirrel segment that imitated this bit but set at Woodstock. It is very close to being as good as this with the benefit of using the names of actual bands from that time instead of having to contrive a set of names.

[@750count]

50+ years of listening/watching this routine, and still laugh just as much . Even though we know exatly what is coming Pure genius

[@robbybevard8034]

Skippy, what’s the name of that group playing on stage? Who. The name of the group. Who. The group on stage! Who! The group playin’ on stage! Who! You’re startin’ to sound like an owl, Skippy. Who is on stage. That’s what I’m asking you. Who is on stage? That’s what I said! You said Who? I sure did. Who is onstage? Yes. Who is? Yes. Oh, so the name of the band is Yes. No, Aunt Slappy, Yes is not even at this concert! Wait. Let’s try this again. Do you see the band on stage? No, I don’t see The Band, that’s a different group entirely! On stage, Skippy! Look, see the band? No I don’t! Get rid of those John Lennon glasses and look! There, there’s the band! No, that’s not The Band! The Band is performing later on. Who is onstage!

[@richg0404]

I remember laughing so hard I wet myself the first time I heard this, when I was 7. The next time I listened to it I was just bored. Every time since then I have been annoyed.

[@rodh1404]

It's mostly wordplay, but things like facial expressions and body language play a part too. Even the simple props of baseball cap and bat add to the performance. And they'd rehearsed the routine so often I think even Lou had some idea what Bud was on about.😆

[@herrzimm]

So iconic because it is simply clean "word play" and nothing else. Just the placement of the player's name changes the entire direction of the conversation, and yet can be switched back to the original topic just by repeating the question to the other person. Pure, simple, and concise word-play skills on full display.

[@kylestubbs8867]

And they did it at audience suggestion, too. We can only guess how much they thought to rehearse it.

[@herrzimm]

@@kylestubbs8867 - Well, it was one of their most known skits, so pretty sure that they didn't need to rehearse it against. Just like their "math skits". Once you learn it, kind of hard to forget it because it more or less is saying the same things over and over within the skit again. So, if you lose your play, pretty much just repeat the last line and you are more or less back on track.

[@Pianomn626]

The genius of this skit is that every time you think Lou is starting to catch on, they throw you (forgive the pun) a curveball and come at the joke from an entirely different direction. It goes just so fast, too.

[@aaronward5612]

13x7=28. Another classic from them. Will have you question your math teacher lol

[@theresamultistan4549]

My son did that skit with his math teacher at a talent show. So funny!

[@canadianraunchycomedies]

HAHA yes the second best one

[@sagemaster6814]

@@aaronward5612 i am already questioning my history teacher! Now?a I gotta question her too?!

[@martinkuliza]

100% that is a classic

[@rotcod2886]

You mean maths. (This dude is British, that's how they say it.)

[@1Adam20]

@8:59 I believe this particular version was done in the early 50's, but the duo was iconic, and had the Abbott and Costello Comedy Hour, and were truly golden ages with Laurel and Hardy, the Three Stooges, among others. On another note, me and my best friend of 40 years memorized this routine when we were 10 and 9. #thatisall

[@revgurley]

An absolute CLASSIC! I wish comedy was still like this. Fast paced, family friendly, and funny to everyone - not putting others down. When you hear how fast they're going, just imagine how many times they practiced, and performed, that skit!

[@trekkiejunk]

They were definitely great, and their talent with this routine is amazing. So was Keaton, Chaplin, Lloyd, and many others. BUT....your description of modern comedy is very simplistic, flawed, and completely overlooking the incredible talent and artistry that comedy has produced over the last 50 years. You may not like it all, but there has been some amazingly funny, groundbreaking comedy in the 70's, 80's, 90's, 00's, 10's, AND 20's. Open your mind to something different. I'm a guy who sees talent for more than 100 years, not just that narrow little window of nostalgia some like to live in.

[@Ottawajames]

This is definitely not funny to everyone...

[@angrytheclown801]

​@@OttawajamesTrue, some people have no taste.

[@karidrgn]

Check out videos of a ren fair comedy team called Puke and Snot that did similar skits based on things like a pirate ship (id like to buy an eye), bull fighter (magaga). And sure wood Sherwood. Warning, humour a bit more innuendo. Like the captain stands on the "poop" deck.

[@nimawhe]

Yeah uummm…Buddy Hackett came from the same era. He definitely wasn’t family friendly.

[@davidkinsey8657]

This skit is actually the only comedy routine in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Abbott and Costello began their career in Vaudeville and successfully transitioned to radio and the movies. Their most famous movies are a series of films where they encounter the classic monsters, Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman.

[@beckyrinaldi6622]

Abbott and Costello were great comedians and made a bunch of movies as well. Watching this had me laughing so hard. I've heard it a lot of times but I still laugh. Perhaps their funniest movie is Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein. It is a classic.

[@DravenGal]

Great movie! It was even creepy at times!

[@kirbyculp3449]

'Meet the Invisible Man' is more funny, IMO. The boxing match is the best.

[@anonygent]

Africa Screams is better.

[@LulusMom1961]

The ones with Wolfman and Frankenstein and Dracula are so great!

[@JackgarPrime]

It's all about the delivery. Even though I'm sure you know every joke in the bit by now, it still makes you laugh because they deliver it so well.

[@robertklose2140]

American Baby Boomers (born between 1946 & 1964) grew up on Abbott and Costello, who were heavily syndicated on television and made a good number of feature-length movies. I have listened to "Who's on First" countless times, and I still laugh. Abbott and Costello flourished during a more innocent age in America. They would do anything for a laugh. Immortal comedy.

[@bookwormaddict3933]

The thing about this skit is that the night Lou Costello did this skit, his baby boy had drowned in the pool earlier that day, but Costello felt the show must go on. Must have broken his heart to do so.

[@romanhardware]

To shove that emotional moment down and still give a performance like that, he is really a tough actor, I'm sure that those at the retired actors home would understand if he wanted to take some time if they knew about it.

[@azul8811]

Yes and no. THIS TV clip is from circa 1953. Lou, Jr. died on November 4, 1943. The skit you are referring to was performed on radio in 1943. Lou was in rehearsal when he learned of his son's death.

[@davidzenner7040]

That was not this night

[@deeesher]

Weird Al got the news that both his parents died just a short time before he was supposed to go on stage. He did his entire show anyway. Later he was asked why and he said if he can still go on stage and entertain people, maybe it will help him cope with such a big loss as well. I imagine maybe Lou felt the same about his performance.

[@sistertara9730]

@@deeesherYes, dwelling on it definitely doesn’t help.

[@gilballmes9709]

This routine was written about 10 years after baseball became popular. So Abbott and Costello weren't the first to do it, but were the one's who made it so loved. It's so loved, it's run on a loop at the Cooperstown Baseball Museum. Abbott and Costello were one of the first non-baseball players inducted into the museum.

[@Michelle-fh2dp]

Bud Abbot and Lou Costello were a comedy team who began in burlesque and vaudeville. They made quite a few movies in the 1940s and 1959s. My Mom grew up watching them then I in turn watched the movies on TV in the 1960s. I thought Costello (little plump guy) was adorable and loved their movies. They were extremely popular in the US in their day and some of their crazy routines like the one you just played are considered classics in the field of comedy.

[@y00t00b3r]

burlesque and vaudeville.

[@craiglortie8483]

loved them in their "monster" movies!

[@billkeithchannel]

-Bud Abbot is the "plump" guy. Lou Costello is the tall man.- Holy crap. I know this. How the heck did my brain flip this around? "Heyyy Abbot, Abbot!" was one of his catch phrases.

[@y00t00b3r]

@@billkeithchannel precisely backwards

[@billkeithchannel]

@@y00t00b3r 💯

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

Abbott and Costello are one of the biggest comedy duos of all time. This was relatively late in their career, and that was their most popular skit, so by this point they'd performed it thousands of times. Hence the absolutely perfect timing on the delivery. Other notable comedy duos include George and Gracie, Laurel and Hardy, and the Smothers Brothers.

[@poiiiooiiu]

Hence the mayor in Blazing Saddles preparing to offer the new sheriff a laurel and hardy handshake.

[@poiiiooiiu]

Don't forget Martin and Lewis.

[@Phoenixphyre001]

I watched them as a kid back in the early 60's and that was classic comedy. They have a series of movies, like Abbott and Costello meet the Wolfman/Dracula/Frankenstein/the invisible man/the Mummy. Those are cult classics that I still watch today. They had financial issues in the 50's but they continued to act until their deaths. I recommend watching, The Three Stooges and the Marx Brothers. You will love both acts.

[@BalokLives]

Abbott and Costello, The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby "Road to" Movies. Like "The Road to Zanzibar" and the "Road to Morocco". The Marx Brothers were especially funny. Groucho Marx was hilarious. Talk about rapid fire, you really had to pay attention.

[@KaptainKhronic420]

I recommend "Vagabond Loafers" from the "Three Stooges" one of the best episodes.

[@BalokLives]

@@KaptainKhronic420 "Disorder in the Court" is a good one too.

[@sebastianmineo1313]

So many classics. Mad,Mad, Mad World. Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles which were required for my kids, as well as 3 Stooges and A&C.

[@LA_HA]

​@@BalokLivesI remember being introduced to The Road movies by my older family members as a kid and loved them. I thought The 3 Stooges were okay, but for some reason, I really liked The Marx Brothers. Danny Kaye movies were great, too. Three of my brothers' favorite Stooges episode was about Moe , Larry, and Curly trying to hook up with this one woman, who was dating all three of them behind the other two's backs. And one day, they all showed up at her place one after the other. And when each stooge showed up, she'd tell him, "I knew you were coming so I baked you a cake." My brothers Loved that one

[@dianedeck]

Loves Abbott and Costello. . They were on reruns every Sunday morning back in the 70s. Along with Shirley Temple movies.

[@vbs4257]

This just shows how great this material is - it still makes later generations laugh. As a New Jersey resident, I'm so proud to claim both of these gentlemen as NJ natives. Bud Abbott was from Asbury Park, and Lou Costello was from Paterson.

[@WuznMe]

"Is this Eminem's grandfather?" The shit you say got me rollin' 😆😆😆

[@chrisswinerton9603]

Think about this, almost 100 years ago who's on first came out and it is still relevant and funny today. That just tells you what geniuses Abbot and Costello were. You have to check out Dice and 7x13=28

[@DaDitka]

"Two tens for a five" is a GREAT skit as well. If you haven't seen that one, do so.

[@thinkingofsnakes]

Awesome one as well!

[@VinnieBartilucci]

" Lend me twenty dollars" "I can't, I've only got ten" "OK, give me the ten, and you can owe me the other ten".

[@debbieholoquist2059]

This skit left an impression on me a long time ago. So much that when a conversation gets confused, I've been known to just say "Who's on first".

[@wyattstevens8574]

Good one to keep around- it's a classic for a reason!

[@sistertara9730]

😂 Yep

[@debra7105]

The Carol Burnett show "The Dentist " is a great one, too.

[@seantodd8875]

OMG The Carol Burnett Show is just hilarious. Period. Every episode. The comedic timing of Tim Conway was spectacular.

[@pampietro8980]

Hope you're feeling better sweetie. ❤ You really should check out The Carol Burnett show "The Dentist"

[@LaShumbraBatesAuDHD]

That and the elephant story are my two favorites 😂😂

[@thatcat8442]

Yep, all the different versions of the elephant story.

[@cindyhamill8405]

Yes 💯

[@tedclouse379]

I love how Adam started yelling at them, as if they could hear him. Just like fans watching a game on television. Priceless!

[@tinahairston6383]

Adam, you yelling at the screen because you get it is HILARIOUS!!

[@MichaelKlineJr]

Been laughing over this for years. When I first saw this as a young teen, my eyes were literally sore red from laughing till I cried throughout the whole skit. My red hair looked brown from how red my face was from laughing so hard. I've loved word twist comedy ever since.

[@seantodd8875]

Adam discovering some real old school American comedy duos is amazing! Abbot and Costello are so classic, there are Bugs Bunny cartoons which reference them.

[@BNuts]

Everything references them. Who doesn't have a 'Who's On First?' skit?

[@billkeithchannel]

A comment here said it was Mel Blanc that handed them the baseball props from the audience.

[@cyberwolf_1013]

Best thing about this was that it's live and always a bit unscripted. That way if one of them missteps they can adjust the lines immediately without missing a beat. These guys are amazing to watch back and forth like that.

[@greggwilliamson]

All the great comedy duos got started in "Vaudeville". Live traveling variety shows. The best moved on to radio and film. Abbott & Costello, Laurel & Hardy, Burns & Allen, etc. George Burns was doing stand up and films into his 80s and lived to be 100. One that earned sequels was "Oh God" in '77.

[@MikeytheGeek7711]

In America before radio and television, they had Vaudeville. Vaudeville companies were traveling variety stage shows that were very popular, and I'm pretty sure that's where Abbott and Costello got started and first developed their routines. By the time this was filmed, they probably performed that bit countless times, but before radio and television, most people they performed it for were seeing it for the first time.

[@joshz7712]

Their jokes are incredibly smart. I've loved this skit since I was a kid (born in thr 80s). My dad loved then.

[@nudnick]

They didn’t write this skit

[@RedDawnRocker]

Adam, the funniest fact I have that still blows me away to this day is that the Little Guy (Lou Costello) had a decent career as a pro boxer and one as a movie stuntman before getting into comedy. He also had a lovable singing voice and could put on some of the best, most emotional dramatic performances fans had ever seen. He was talented on soooooo many levels. He and Bud Abbott (the thin guy with a moustache) were thrown together as a team and despite often clashing did 38 movies and 2 TV shows together as well as having a weekly radio show for years and performed live on stage in Vaudeville (early stand-up variety). There was even a TV cartoon and tons and tons of merch (comics, lunchboxes, pez dispensers, etc). That said, you may want to check out their 7x13=28, Loafing and Dice skits. They're all just as much fun. 7X13=28 is my favorite to this day, 50+ years after seeing it for the first time.

[@kathleenhayes9320]

Love these guys growing up in the 60s we love watching Abbott and costello on Saturday rainy afternoons. Made quite a few good movies. Oh you brought me back. Thanks.

[@chrisanderson5974]

Those old clips, are to fun to watch, and great to watch, and see someone appreciating them!

[@DoyleRichards-v1l]

Abbot and Costello were a famous comedy duo from vaudeville where they honed their craft for many years. Later they were featured on radio where they reprised all their most famous bits, and then went on to Hollywood films where they fit their most famous bits into their movies. Later in life they again preformed the same bits on TV - But no they were not the first to "Stand-Up"comedians - They were just the lucky comedians that had their performances recorded for posterity. There are a handful of earlier comedians that were recorded for the gramophone those recordings were never reissued.

[@majkus]

There's a David Montgomery and Fred Stone comedy routine on a gramophone cylinder that was included on a CD of early cylinders and disks related to 'Oz'-Montgomery and Stone were the Tin Man and Scarecrow in the 1902 Wizard of Oz stage musical.

[@dirusj4006]

What is really impressive is this skit had a few slightly different versions. Yet they could pull it off at that speed with no breaks and no mistakes each time. I still laugh everytime. Cant image how they could stay in character like that

[@Foxxtronix]

That facepalm at the four minute mark was terrific!

[@davidbartholomew7812]

Who’s On First was performed in Vaudeville (1915-1929) by many comedy teams. Each one bought the performance license for the region (pre-radio). As Vaudeville died, A&C were performing in NYC, and was asked to do the show on radio. Costello (the comic) went to all of the other teams and bought the rights from them.

[@revgurley]

By the way, I had to show this video to my 84yo father. He grew up with this comedy. I believe it morphed from Vaudeville acts (live on stage). A current example of "vaudevillian acts" are skit or late-night comedy shows like Graham Norton or Johnny Carson. If you want to see a short clip that'll have you falling out of your chair, check out when Ed Ames teaches Johnny Carson how to throw an axe at a target on live tv. You don't have to know anything about either to bust a gut laughing at the skit.

[@johnmcgowan3559]

This bit never gets old. I'm 62 and I die ever time😅. Adam I love your reaction. They also have some funny movies like Abbott and Costello meet Frankenstein

[@TallGuy_TJ]

As a kid in the early 70’s I grew up watching reruns of Abbot and Costello along with all their movies they were great

[@toodlescae]

My nephew who was about at the time watched an Abbott & Costello movie with me. He laughed so hard he fell off the couch. After the movie he said he couldn't believe that the little fat guy (Costello) was so funny and never used a single curse word. His words not mine and back in the 90's when people weren't so sensitive. That Christmas he was shopping with my mom when he saw a 5 pack vhs set of their movies. He told her she HAD to buy those for me because I really liked them.

[@mikemickypeterdavy]

I have a Who's on First t shirt with the routine on the back of the shirt and the boys on the front. The only curse word, if you want to call it that, is the shortstop is I Don't Give A Damn. 🤣

[@jeremyshattuck1572]

Absolute classic skit. One of the all time funniest. Adam, keep doing what you're doing bro. Love your videos.

[@jeremyshattuck1572]

If you enjoyed this, you should check out and react to Victor Borge. Either his inflationary language skit or phonetic puntuation skit.

[@danny_the_K]

I’m sitting here laughing my butt off, and I’ve even performed it with a buddy for an event… we couldn’t keep a straight face the whole time. Their great acting is being fully invested in the argument.

[@SuperDave71176k]

They did that live in one take too.Its so impressive they run it at the baseball hall of fame too.They have some old comedy movies they did too but I don't know if they are on YT.They also have a skit about conning their landlord too

[@harriettedaisy2233]

7 X 13 = 28

[@kebasor]

Yup. When you are up on stage, there is no 'retake'. They did all this from memory.

[@Rystefn]

@@kebasor Well, a mix of memory and improv. A number of the core jokes are memorized and they improv around them, mixing and connecting them in different ways and different orders. Basically, they had a really solid and well-honed framework that they could riff on for more or less whatever time window they were working with.

[@joeday4293]

Ah, "Who's On First." This is one of the all time most revered, most legendary, most well-known, most reenacted, and just plain funniest comedy routines in the history of the American spoken word. It is probably still performed year in and year out at high school talent shows. I could hardly name a more beloved, more American piece of art than this. The thing to remember about a comedy team like Abbott and Costello and material like this is that they were a creative team for decades and decades, and a routine like this would evolve over time. While much of this is written or scripted, a lot of it is improvised and ad-libbed around source material, and they had such great chemistry, so much experience with each other, and so much pure wit and talent between them, they would do basically the routine they had written, but they would do it whatever way occurred to them on the stage they happened to be standing on that night. It's not unlike music that way - if you see a jazz group or a rock group once a year for 10 years, you won't hear them play the same song the same way 10 times.

[@paulgallant3456]

Sometimes Who’s wife comes and collects it. Who’s wife? Yes. My favorite lines in this skit. :)

[@mishmashmedley]

this is such a great bit. I did this in high school on stage. I was Lou Costello's part. It helps if you don't like the other person, its easier to get mad when you're asking "Who's on first!?" and you really wanna yell "WHO THE F*CK IS ON F*CKING FIRST GOODDAMN BASE, MOTHERF*CKER!?"

[@netdragon256]

They were a radio show. American city dwellers used to talk really fast back then, especially New York and Chicago, and especially in entertainment. Lou clearly sounds like a New York or Chicago accent from the time.

[@emilyb5307]

He was born in New Jersey, so that definitely tracks.

[@MonkWithoutACause]

Abbott & Costello have roots going all the way back to the 1930s, but were active in TV & film all the way up until the 1960s. They starred in dozens of their own hit comedy films, and were the first people allowed to use Frankenstein, Dracula, the Mummy & the Wolfman in comedy movies!!

[@stephanginther9051]

These guys effected the comedy world for decades. They were really funny guys, they even did some voice acting for cartoons back in the day.

[@stevensauer8539]

What's truly amazing about this entire routine is that it is live. Amazingly talented people, two of the best who ever did it.

[@darrinlindsey]

Adam, you love to laugh, and we love it when you laugh. For heaven sake there is a combination of two videos that you need to react to. One is possibly the funniest moment, ever on TV. The other is one of the people in the scene, several years later, being interviewed, and asked about how the scene came about. I'll give you this much info, to help set up the scene. The Carol Burnett Show was a variety show back in the 70s. They did comedy skits. One of the actors was named Tim Conway. He always had a goal of getting his fellow actors to break character by doing something funny, that wasn't necessarily in the script. This particular skit was of this dysfunctional Southern family. It was a reoccurring series of skits, that eventually led to its own tv series. The first video that you must watch first, is titled Elephant Story Explained. The second one, that is the Elephant Story, is title The Carol Burnett Show - Tim Conway's Elephant Story. As Vicki Lawrence says in the explanation video... Good Luck.

[@WildNorWester]

It says something about the writing of this skit that it still stands up today, approximately 8 decades later. A single, simple idea executed well.

[@johncollorafi257]

Abbott as straight man made it possible. Imagine the difficulty of keeping a straight face and deadpan delivery through all that.

[@LanceStoddard]

They did that routine thousands of times. They did short versions, medium versions, and that was the long version. Radio, live, in front of troops, parties, movies, bond drives whatever. When they did it on stage they would intentionally screw up to get the other one to laugh. They would improv in front of a crowd to vary the routine, because many people had it memorized so they would have to change it from time to time.

[@WarwickLady]

Check out their math skit “13x7=27”

[@aaronhusk]

I think you mean 28

[@PuppetDungeon]

This is widely regarded as the best written and performed sketch of the time. It transcends everything. Simple. Word. Play. Taken to an unbelievably creative extreme.

[@timbaker6540]

Top Comics and Box office draw during the 40s and 50s Abbot & Costello meet Frankenstein is a classic

[@christopherdouglass9434]

Growing up in the 70s, we watched Abbott and Costello movies every Sunday morning. I also remember there was an Abbott and Costello animated series too

[@H2G2Stp]

This is the kind of comedy I watch with my coffee far away so I don't laugh and get coffee everywhere

[@thomasmayk]

This golden work of genius ranks as THE funniest routine in history among professional comedians the world over, but especially Americans. Abbott and Costello performed it in vaudeville, on radio, in the movie The Naughty Nineties and on television. It was so good it was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown. When you listen to its sheer brilliance, you're going to miss a lot of it because of the sound of your own laughter. But if you manage to hear the whole thing, you should notice how superb the writing is, how demanding the intricacy of its rhythms, how flawless the performance, and how musical the timing. One can only guess at the number of rehearsals that were necessary for these two to get it exactly right. Lou Costello's frustration is hilarious but one cannot overstate the contribution of Bud Abbott. It is mind-boggling how he could keep a straight face throughout. His delivery is phenomenal. Costello died in 1959, Abbott in 1974. If "Who's on First?" were their only achievement, it would be enough to guarantee them Comedy God status. No routine comes close, although Woody Allen's "I Shot a Moose" gives it a run for the money. If you want to know if anybody has a sense of humor, play "Who's on First?" for them. If they don't laugh, they are dead inside.

[@herrzimm]

Should also check out "Tim Conway" doing the "Dentist Skit" and "Elephant Story skit" from the Carrol Bernett show. Both are outrageously funny on a verbal or physical level.

[@vigo2669]

This is such a classic. Still makes me laugh almost 30 years since I first heard it.

[@SassyIndian]

When we were kids (all under 13) my grandma rented "Cheech and Chong Up in Smoke." We start to watch the movie and my mom shouts, "WHAT DID YOU RENT!" My grandma says, "I thought it was a comedy like Abbott and Costello." My mom busts out laughing 😂

[@caveman3461]

I remember first time actually hearing about Abbott and Costello was just a few years ago, I laughed so hard! Looked into their stuff and all of it was great, knocks me dead laughing every time!

[@wormholewilly3037]

I think the thing that i always find amazing about this is just how fast the interactions between them are. No real pauses. Such good chemistry.

[@stevendimmock4791]

When I was a kid in the 60's I loved Abbot and Costello. My Mum and Dad and Sister hated them and so I rarely got to see them. But if no one was paying attention and the duo were on the other channel, I'd turn over. They made little me roar with laughter!

[@THOMMGB]

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) has held up really well and is well worth your time. It has most of the classic Universal Studios movie monsters on full display. It’s in black and white and is still very funny. This movie was very big when it came out, so Abbott and Costello did a few more of this type.

[@markh5600]

During the 2007 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers added an infielder named Chin-Lung Hu. After Hu singled in his third at bat in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks on September 23, Dodgers announcer Vin Scully said, "OK everybody, all together... Hu's on first!" At that pointvin Scully had been the Dodger's play-by-play annoucer for 58 years. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hojImmiom8qGhqM

[@profjohn9629]

Their impeccable quick timing is what makes this skit so funny. I once saw in a documentary about them that they spent more than 8 hours every day for two weeks not just memorizing the routine, but getting the timing down

[@TopcatsLair]

This comedy skit was a viral meme before viral memes existed. Absolute classic. The timing and quick back and forth still holds up today.

[@jenNjuice]

This is one of the bits that will have me belly laughing out loud no matter how many times I’ve seen it. You need to watch the Niagara Falls skit as well, The Three Stooges has the best one for that, but the Abbot and Costello Niagara Falls can hold its own, too.

[@jandecoleman1]

This skit is so classic and will always stand the test of time. I have watched this skit at least 100 times, and I still laugh just as hard the first time.

[@deltonkillen8024]

This is the penultimate routine from the end of the vaudeville era. The complexity of timing is extraordinary. And such a long routine. The real surprise is that years later it was revealed that Bud Abbott was an epileptic and how he could get through the whole routine is amazing.

[@mikemickypeterdavy]

I'm 49 years old now. My father got me an Abbott and Costello cassette with Who's on First when I was about 9. I didn't quite get it at first. It took a few listens before it sunk in. But I still laugh at this classic routine today and I always will.

[@johnkacin1500]

They were a mainstay of Saturday and Sunday mornings back in late 70's and early 80's. Along with Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and the occasional Marx Brothers movie. They had a line of movies where it was Abbott and Costelo meets... "Frankenstein" ..."The Invisible Man" ..."Dracula". There was another one where Lou died and was a ghost a from the Revolutionary War, but I forget the name of it.

[@blindleader42]

3:47 "Why doesn't he just say his name..." You already know it's because then you wouldn't have a comedy bit, Persistent obtuseness has been the basis for much of comedy forever, and the template of this particular bit is the ultimate refinement of bits from the vaudeville era. I have to believe that The Two Ronnies' "Four Candles" bit was inspired by Abbott & Costello.

[@jp9095]

It's mindboggling they did this for 7 - 8 minutes straight.

[@BryanFaught]

That skit has been done numerous times, by many different acts, and it never took off for anyone. Abbott and Costello, are the only act that did this skit to perfection, and the skit finally took off, and became the classic hit that we know and love, today!

[@boki1693]

Abbott and Costello were huge in the 40's and 50's. They had their own tv show that was still in reruns in the 70's. They did a bunch of movies. Most famously with several of the famous monsters of the day. Frankenstein. Darcula. The Werewolf. The Mummy. And a few war movies during WW2. The two big comedy acts before them were Laurel and Hardy and The Marx Brothers. And the Three Stooges were about the same time as them.

[@NinjaMatt2201]

Abbott and Costello were the first performers on one of the first two variety shows on TV ever. Both shows aired their first episode around the same time. They started on vaudeville, a type of travelling stage show popular before television. They opened the show with Who's on First, they were given a script before filming, they took one look at it and threw it away, then went on stage and improvised their version of this old vaudeville routine. Soon it was officially their show, hosting and doing skits with special guests and performers. Also, since you are interested, Milton Berle was the first stand up comedian. I forget who stole the show in the other first variety show, but that's also important, so feel free to look that up. One of them started as the Colgate Variety Hour. The Honeymooners, which pioneered the sitcom format, started in a variety show, it was a skit with recurring characters that spun off into it's own show. The 30 minute sitcom format was basically modeled after comedy movie shorts from acts like the 3 Stooges and Laurel and Hardy. I also recommend watching the flower bag fight scene with Buster Keaton and Fatty Arbuckle, a silent era movie scene.

[@HBHaga]

Abbott and Costello are absolute comedy icons. They're not the first, of course, with stage comics going back to the late 1800's. They come from the same burlesque and Vaudeville tradition that brought us W.C. Fields, Laurel & Hardy, the Three Stooges, and many more. They truly did it all from stage to radio to movies to television.

[@DavidConnors-k8y]

Abbott and Costello were naturals. They worked on stage, in films, did TV appearances, and their delivery and timing were PERFECT. You could see it in their performance here. Flawless execution.

[@josealmeida2842]

Abbot and Costello made a lot of movies together.But my all time favorite is when they meet Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolfman all in the same movie! It was the one and only time Bella Lugosi reprised his role as Lord of the Vampires on film!

[@MichaelCitrak]

In the late 1960s dad bought a Victoria (old old record player) and a bunch of records (78 RPMs), and one of the records was an Abbot and Costello comedy records of song and jokes....it's on KZbin, there's some history notes at the beginning. Bud Abbott & Lou Costello: " Laugh, Laugh, Laugh (Hey Abbott! Hey Costello!)" (1941) kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6S8f4uDrdamiac

[@saltyk9869]

Every performance of this routine can be different in small ways. They actually have small loops and can get into them to get back on the same page. There’s actually a moment in this one where Abbot is trying to get to the paycheck part and Costello isn’t catching on but they go back to the loop and then get on the same page. Most people won’t recognize this but when you know the ins and outs of this routine you can spot it. And this is so tightly written and performed it only makes it more amazing to watch.

[@ElkayEQ]

One of the best comedy duo's who ever walked the planet and this was one of their best. Nice react.

[@fgrady1]

Look up the Mathematics bit from Abbott and Costello. Lou’s trying to NOT pay the landlord total amount of rent with math tricks! Classic!!

[@happymonk4206]

This classic never gets old. No profanity, no innuendos.. it's brilliant

[@JJfromPhilly67]

I love this skit. Bud Abbott and Lou Costello were a great team and have many funny and thoroughly enjoyable movies for all ages, particularly Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (plus Dracula and the Wolfman). Thanks for reacting to this Adam. I have watched this so many times and I still laugh, great laughing with you Mate.

[@Sabbathtage]

In the sci-fi movie Arrival, the Amercan team named heptopod aliens "Abbott & Costello" because their biggest bit, "Who's on First?" was about difficulty communicating.

[@samaahammam3126]

I haven't heard that skit for about 50 years, iconic

[@frankisfunny2007]

There is a former MLB pitcher called Rick Monday. So the Abbott & Costello skit could continue of "what's the pitcher's name?", "Monday". By the way, Monday pitched for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, Chicago Cubs & Los Angeles Dodgers. He had a career that went from 1966 to 1984. He was a 2-time All-Star, and a member of the 1981 Dodgers that won the World Series. But what most baseball fans remember him by was him saving the American flag from being burned up by a protester. This was on April 25th, 1976. He was with the Cubs then, and it was against his future team, the Dodgers. He was in the Marines, so he kinda restented that. Sorry for the long ramble, just wanted to give you a bit on Rick Monday's background.

[@Alex-di7mb]

He was not a pitcher he played the outfield.

[@mikewatts1533]

Ah, the classics. Always good for a good laugh! I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as we do.

[@antonnym214]

The trick is in the timing. They were just perfect. I don't think something like that could ever be repeated, and even so, it wouldn't have the charm of the original.