The set arrived safe and sound on Monday (exactly one week after I ordered it). Can't wait to watch some of these classic A&C movies!!!

I think the problem with double-sided discs was mostly with Universal releases, and I think the issue was more that they were double-sided and dual-layer on each side. I think the MGM Midnite Movies were single-layer on each side (as there was only one film on each side, the films were short, and usually there was little in the way of extras), while the Universal discs that folks had problems with held multiple films or TV episodes on each side.

I just rewatched HOLD THAT GHOST!, complete with commentary from the Universal box set, this afternoon..the box set was done nicely all-around.

go to this link
http://archives.museum.tv/
register with email and password and search for the Steve Allen Show and a list of episodes will come up
where Lou Costello was a guest star without Bud Abbott
the screen is small but its free and well worth watching as its the last appearances Costello made before his death in 1959.

Thanks for that information Dr. Xray! Interestingly enough, I was planning on writing something A&C-related today too. I thought of starting a new thread, but this one seems fine for A&C fans to find it.

A couple of years ago a now-deceased co-worker and friend was telling me about a TV movie about Abbott & Costello that he remembered watching years ago. It was "Bud and Lou", and originally originally aired on November 15, 1978 (right around the time that the duo was featured on Saturday evenings on channel 27, as well as on many other local TV stations). It starred Harvey Corman and Buddy Hackett as A&C. I thought it would be nice to be able to see this movie, especialy now that I have the great Universal collection. Of course, being a TV movie from the 70s it's not exactly easy to find. It appears to have been released on both laserdisc and VHS at one time (obviously now long out of print). I tried to check some of the sources online for old TV movies, but they didn't seem to have it. Finally I checked old standby Ebay. Wouldn't you know, ONE seller had a DVD copy of the movie (burned from the laserdisc). I got outbid on it, but the seller puts them up one at a time and I was able to get one soon after for a relatively cheap price.

It was a good movie (considering it's a TV movie from the 70s and all). I thought Korman and Hackett did a great job (especially since they were both well known personalities trying to play the parts of other very well known personalities). Obviously you could tell you were watching Harvey Korman and Buddy Hackett, but there were times when they almost totally pulled off the illusion of being A&C (especially in Hackett's case). While not a "must-have" item, I do think that this is worthwhile watching for A&C fans. If anyone's interested in picking up a copy, here's the Ebay listing. If it has ended just check the seller's other listings and there should be another one listed.

http://cgi.ebay.com/BUD-AND-LOU-the-Abbott-and-Costello-story-on-DVD-rare_W0QQitemZ250505650973QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_DVD_HD_DVD_Blu_ray?hash=item3a534ce31d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

And wouldn't you know (small world and everything) that the one person selling this on all of Ebay just happens to be located in the town next to the one I grew up in?!?


Here's "Bud and Lou" at IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077279/

I just checked out one of the Steve Allen episodes. What a line-up! In addition to Lou the show also featured Tom Poston and Don Knotts! How strange to see Lou doing his schtick alone (with Steve Allen doing the straight man part in the introduction). It's hard to reconcile the break up of A&C with the great memories of watching them together as a kid. I now know that they were real people who were simply working together, but it's just so strange to think that they didn't actually go through life just as their characters did and remain together until the end. The "Bud and Lou" movie obviously centers on the break up of the act (as well as how they came to work together). Seeing this makes what I saw in the movie more real (and sad too). And to think this was only about seven months before Lou died too...

The "This is Your Life" episode with Lou looks interesting. I just started watching that one too and it's sad to see just how old they were getting by 1956 (and to think that Bud lived until 1974!).

I remember watching Bud and Lou when it originally aired. I remember coming away feeling sad and uneasy about that biopic movie. Up until then, I only knew Abbott and Costello through their movies and all the joy they brought me. With this movie, I learned of Bud's struggle with alcohol and epilepsy and how Lou could be a real bastard to work with. I certainly did not like how the movie depicted Bud and Lou not getting along. There was so much tragedy in their lives like Lou losing his baby son, Lou's rumatic fever illness, and their IRS difficulties. Of course, I was what--12 when I watched it? I'd be curious to see the movie now, if only to see Harvey Korman and Buddy Hacket.

Yeah Beastball, I missed the movie when it aired--and I'm kind of glad I did. If I knew it was coming up I probably would have wanted to see it--and it probably would have had a similar depressing effect on me as it did on you. As I stated above I had a very vague but prozaic idea of what A&C's relationship was probably like. Not very realistic, and nothing like the reality. I probably should have mentioned that, while I thought the movie was very good for a TV movie from the 70s, it was also a bit of a downer. The fact that I felt like knew quite a bit more about them after watching the movie when I saw the Lou Costello "This is Your Life" episode really helped me appreciate what was going on there though. It must have been tough for Lou to sit through the portion of the show that dealt with his son's death. Funny how I generally think of "This is Your Life" as being a light-hearted and nostalgic review of a person's life, but didn't realize that they really cover the bad as well as the good.