Who's on first?: Verbal and visual gems from the films of Abbott & Costello [Hardcover]

Richard J Anobile (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Darien House; distributed by Norton; First Edition edition (1972)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039308535X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393085358
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 8.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,691,665 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best abbott and costello book out there, July 9, 2001

By 

mike (chicago, il usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Who's on First?: Abbott and Costello (Hardcover)

this book is for all abbott and costello fans out there that love thier routines. With classic routins such as "sesquahana hat company' and "who's on first". The routines along with pictures are taken right from thier movies such as "Buck privates" "Hit the ice" "Keep 'em flyin" and many many more. The pictures bring just as much laughs as the routines.This book really captures thier personality in thier movies. I gladly give this book 5 stars

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It captures the comedy of Abbott and Costello as well as print media ever could, January 26, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Abbott and Costello were a comedy team for their times but their brand of humor has not worn well over the ages. Much of what they did was based on wordplay and puns and modern comedy has a much harsher tone. Slapstick was also a fundamental component of their routines and that brand of humor has also gone out of favor.
Using still photos and captions from their movies, this book is designed to capture the essence of the unique humor of Abbott and Costello. It is hard to capture the complete experience in a sequence of stills, so it is a weak substitute. Their routines relied on timing, facial expressions, body movements and voice inflection, which obviously cannot be delivered in this manner. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Abbott and Costello, you will enjoy the book as you can see some of the comedic personalities and genius of both men.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It captures the comedy of Abbott and Costello as well as print media ever could, January 26, 2008

By 

Charles Ashbacher (Marion, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

Abbott and Costello were a comedy team for their times but their brand of humor has not worn well over the ages. Much of what they did was based on wordplay and puns and modern comedy has a much harsher tone. Slapstick was also a fundamental component of their routines and that brand of humor has also gone out of favor.
Using still photos and captions from their movies, this book is designed to capture the essence of the unique humor of Abbott and Costello. It is hard to capture the complete experience in a sequence of stills, so it is a weak substitute. Their routines relied on timing, facial expressions, body movements and voice inflection, which obviously cannot be delivered in this manner. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Abbott and Costello, you will enjoy the book as you can see some of the comedic personalities and genius of both men.