Why Abbott and Costello Supported Servicemen During WWII: ‘Loved This Country’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Lou Costello, one half of the famed comedy duo Abbott and Costello, used his Hollywood success to support American servicemen during World War II, his daughter shared.
“My father was very, very patriotic,” Chris Costello explained. “He was a proud patriot. Both my father and Bud [Abbott] loved this country. They wanted to help Uncle Sam and give back. He would do anything for this country.”
She shared that her mother would often come home to strangers hanging out around their home’s pool.
“She didn’t even know who they were,” Chris laughed. “But they’d say, ‘Lou told us to come over and use the pool.’ He was very good to them. He would have pool parties for them and barbecues. And all these troops who were training to go overseas would stop by.”
Chris shared that she has received many letters from former servicemen and their family members who remember Costello fondly.
“It started as letters and gradually into emails from people who either had a relative that served and met my dad, or a serviceman who recalled running into him,” she explained. “There was a story of a serviceman who was in Hollywood with his buddies. They were so excited to visit. So, they treated themselves to a nice dinner at the Brown Derby.”
“Well, my dad happened to be there that night,” Chris continued. “When he noticed them in uniform, he immediately went up to their table, pulled up a chair, sat down and just started talking to them. He was very interested in learning about where they came from, their families. He wound up paying for their meal. But that wasn’t unusual. He and Bud would do that. If a serviceman was in uniform, no questions asked, ‘The meal’s on us.’”
Chris also spoke about the duo’s many visits to hospital wards to cheer up injured soldiers.
“They would sit down with these servicemen, hear their stories, joke with them,” she shared. “Comedy was just one way for them to give back. They realized they were making a lot of money in those days. They thought, ‘Why not give it back to the people who need it?’ They funded a good portion of their tour out of pocket, so they could make themselves available and help.”
There was even a museum exhibit dedicated to Abbott and Costello’s work during the war at Paterson Museum in New Jersey.
“The exhibit focuses on the comic duo’s war bond drive in 1942, a tour that museum officials say included stops in 80 cities in 22 states, raising $85 million for America’s military during World War II,” NorthJersey.com reported.
Costello passed away in 1959, but he is still celebrated by comedy fans across the world, as well as by those living in his hometown of Paterson.
“This great city would not be the city it is without Lou Costello,” Bob Guarasci, President and CEO of the New Jersey Community Development Corporation, said during the city’s celebration of what would have been Costello’s 117th birthday.
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