Bela Lugosi meets a Brooklyn Gorilla (1952)

This film is one of those So Bad that it's Great offerings. Besides the presence of horror master Lugosi and other familiar B players we have the unique comedy team of Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo doing their Martin & Lewis impersonation. (Petrillo's Jerry is so dead-on that it's scary!). In the 40s, the team of Wally Brown and Alan Carney did a similar take on Abbott and Costello.
The plot (what there is of it) involves entertainers Duke and Sammy stranded on a jungle island encountering friendly natives (the lovely Nona takes a shine to Duke and her hefty sister Luana goes after Sammy) and the evil Dr. Zarnoff (Bela) who is conducting strange experiments and turns Duke into a gorilla when he sees Nona (his lab assistant!) getting too chummy with Duke. It's all good silliness in the tradition of the 3 Stooges, Abbott & Costello and the Bowery Boys.

The film was released by the Realart studio and produced by Jack Broder. The director, William Beaudine was known as "one-shot" for his ability to make a film in record time, quality notwithstanding. He made many low budget affairs for Monogram and American-International.
The screenplay was by veteran actor Tim Ryan who acted in and wrote many Monogram classics.(he and wife Irene-"Granny" of the Beverly Hillbillies had an act similar to Burns and Allen). Also contributing dialog was Leo "Ukie" Sherrin, an actor and writer for many Monogram cheapies. Duke Mitchell got to sing two songs (a la Deano) , the favorite Deed I Do and Too Soon( based on La Paloma).

A bit about the All-Star cast: Bela Lugosi at age 70 was at a low point of his career, beset by years of B movies and drug addiction. He pretty much sleepwalks thru the film, but occasionally raises an eyebrow or does a "take" to show he's getting a kick out of the comics.

Duke Mitchell(1926-81) and Sammy Petrillo (1934-2009) were nightclub entertainers who took advantage of the popularity of Martin and Lewis.(Duke had a bit part in Martin & Lewis' Sailor Beware (1951 ). They worked in and out of the business for years, Petrillo ran a comedy club in Pittsburg called the Nut House. Jerry Lewis threatened the team with a lawsuit and they dropped out of sight. Despite the obvious impersonation, they had good chemistry and Petrillo showed good comic timing.

Charlita (Regis) as the lovely native girl, Nona (complete with college education!) made a career of exotic and jungle type roles. (similar to B favorites Acquanetta and Lita Baron).
Mickey Simpson as Bela's hulking servant, Chula was a former boxer who specialized in tough guys and body guards with the likes of Abbott and Costello, Tarzan, Jungle Jim and the 3 Stooges. (Stooge fans will remember him as strongman Rocky Duggan in Gents in a Jam (1952).
Muriel Landers as Saloma, was a former dance partner of Ray Bolger and played many comic suporting roles in the 50s. She played "Tiny" in Sweet and Hot (1958), one of the worst 3 Stooges shorts.
We can't forget Ramona the Chimp, who Zabor plans to turn into a gorilla. When Duke gets hot with Nona, he turns him into the gorilla instead.

Petrillo's antics get to be a little too much ( of course so were those of the the real Lewis) and Mitchell's singing has a strange mix of Frankie Laine, Billy Daniels and Elvis! They do have good chemistry, it's too bad the Martin and Lewis take-off was so obvious, they could have developed into a good B comedy team ala the Bowery Boys. Likewise, the Mitchell/Charlita romance has a nice, genuine chemistry to it.

Things get sillier and sillier with the Duke gorilla, Romana, Nona all running around the jungle with Zabor after them. Things seem to be getting melodramatic when Zabor shoots at Duke and buddy Sammy takes the bullets for him. But it turns out Sammy was dreaming all of this in his niteclub dressing room! To boot, all the lead players turn out to be employed at the club (with Bela as headwaiter!). The boys put on their tuxes and go into their act with Duke singing and Sammy mugging. (here they look just like the real Martin and Lewis club act). On this upbeat note we end this wild, little film.

Although a real cheapie 50s jungle comedy, this film has it's moments and is always amazing watching the Martin & Lewis takeoff of Duke and Sammy. My DVD copy came from a label called Digiview. I was pleasantly surprised at the exellent quality of the print, it was a pleasure to watch.
Until next time, Keep on Laughing.

Bob Crosby's Bob Cats-Feb. 1940

One of the most unique and musical orchestras of the Big Band era was that of vocalist Bob Crosby (1913-93), younger brother of Bing.
Many bands had gimmicks and styles that made them special, the Crosby band used traditional jazz or dixieland as the basis of it's style. The band brought many jazz classics back into the Big Band repertoire and featured a fantastic array of soloists. The Crosby band also spotlighted an 8-piece "band-within-a band" called the Bobcats. This post will celebrate 5 classic sides recorded for Decca in February of 1940.

The Crosby band grew out of a group of musicians who left the Ben Pollack band (known as the Pollack Orphans)in search of their own identity and dedication to Big Band dixieland. Bob Crosby was chosen as leader on the strength of his personality and talents as a frontman and singer. (He had a lot of Bing's vocal timbre and good humored comedic timing). The band had a great crew of jazzmen including Yank Lawson,trumpet, Matty Matlock,clarinet, Warren Smith,trombone, Bob Haggart,bass, Joe Sullivan,piano and New Orleansians Eddie Miller,tenor, Nappy Lamare,guitar and drummer Ray Bauduc.
Arrangements were spit between Matlock,Haggart and veteran Deane Kincaide(also a band saxophonist). Saxophonist Gil Rodin actually ran the band for Crosby but it was always a co-operative unit in spirit and financial gains.

By 1940 the band had undergone some personell changes, but sounded better than ever. That is where we pick up this session. First a few words about the Bob Cat members heard here:

Billy Butterfield, trumpet(1917-88)- Billy had joined the band in Sept. 1937.(from the Austin Wylie Orch.) When Yank Lawson was hired away by Tommy Dorsey, Billy took over the jazz chair with the Bob Cats. One of the most versatile trumpeters, he could play hot, sweet or lead and his beautiful pure tone was always a joy to hear.

Warren Smith, trombone (1908-75)-"Smitty" joined up in early 1937.(He had been with Abe Lyman) Some of the band members were impressed by his blowing at a jam session. He never quite lived up to that hype, but blew a solid, tailgate and later worked with many west coast dixieland groups.

Irving Fazola, clarinet(1912-49). When Matty Matlock's services were needed more as an arranger,"Faz" came into the band in March 1938. One of the great New Orleans clarinetists with a beautiful,round tone, he shines on this session.

Eddie Miller, tenor sax(1911-91) A charter member of the band and another New Orleans boy.
Eddie played one of the prettiest and swingingiest tenors(and a fine clarinet,too). He would go on to be one of the top tenor men of all time.

Jess Stacy, piano(1904-95). The Crosby band featured some great pianists starting with Joe Sullivan, Bob Zurke and Jess in Sept. 1939. Jess was one of the top piano stylists with a great backround in Chicago jazz. He came over from Benny Goodman's band and must have enjoyed the cozy surroundings of the Crosby Crew. (He had his "moments" working with Benny).

Nappy Lamare, guitar (1907-88). Another charter member and New Orleans native. Nappy played a solid rhythm guitar and contributed fun vocals. He and Ray Bauduc led bands in the postwar years.

Bob Haggart, bass (1914-98). Also Class of 1935 and ace arranger of the band. Bob was a top notch bassist and he and Yank Lawson led many fine bands in the post war years.

Ray Bauduc, drums (1906-88). Another original member and New Orleans born. One of the finest traditional drummers of all time. He took part in many Bob Cat reunions along with his work with Nappy.

And now, on to the music: The session of February 6, 1940 produced 4 classic Bob Cats sides. First up was Isham Jones' Spain, a beautiful but little recorded gem. Faz's gorgeous clarinet sound takes over the first chorus with the horns giving him light backup. Next is a sparkling Stacy solo with Miller's mellow tenor on the bridge, backed by an appropriate tango beat. Bily and the band ride out in grand style with Faz repeating his intro. A wonderful record.

Irving Berlin's All by Myself has a lovely vocal by the band's girl singer, Marian Mann. She phrased well and had a nice feel for jazz. She was highly respected by band members. Billy's pure toned lead, Eddie and Faz splitting a chorus lead to a percussive spot by Warren Smith. He wasn't a subtle player, but could swing in a hard hitting style. The outchorus has the reeds harmonized with Billy (a common Bob Cats device) and makes for a tasty outchorus.

The Tom Delaney favorite Jazz Me Blues is next. Bix Beiderbecke made this a jazz standard and the Bob Cats' rebdition is a winner! Billy leads the band thru the traditional ensemble and breaks and Faz has 2 solid choruses. (One can see where Pete Fountain came from).The riff on the outchorus has become a part of the tune. (like the "dogfight on That's a Plenty). Billy's blowing on the outchorus is as fierce as Yank's -he was so versatile.

A forgotten pop tune, Do you ever think of Me? has become a Bob Cat classic. The neat opening has Eddie playing lead with the other horns below him. (sort of a "hip" Hotel Band sound). Nappy takes a fun vocal followed by more of Faz's great horn and an inventive Stacy solo with neat reharms. Billy and the boys ride out with a nice unison break by clarinet and tenor. (a common Crosby device).

The February 28 session was mainly a feature for Marian Mann, however we have a classic version of Armand Piron's Mama's Gone , Goodbye. I'm sure the New Orleans contingent enjoyed this one. Faz opens the proceedings and Marian gives us a nice chorus backed by Billy's pungent plunger horn.(her vocal has shades of Mildred Bailey) Eddie and Smith split a chorus and the outchorus is tightly voiced, backed by Ray's choke cymbal. Although Butterfield gets no solos on these tunes, his lead, obligattos and drive show what would make him one of the top trumpeters of the century.

There are many Crosby Orchestra and Bob Cats reissues on CD. I recommend a crosscheck at Amazon or World's Records. Also insispensable is John Chilton's Stomp Off, Let's Go (Jazz Book Service-1983). This wonderful bio/discography is long out of print , but worth looking for. There will be many more Bob Cats posts, in the future.


Till then' This is the old Dave Cat saying"Happy Listening".

The Dick Robertson Sessions

One of the most enjoyable but unheralded small-group jazz series of the 30s and early 40s was the Decca series under the direction of vocalist Dick Robertson. Dick was one of the busiest and most popular studio singers from the late 20s to early 40s. He had a clear, pleasant tenor voice, a bit like Eddie Howard and he could also adopt a more jazzy type voice if the occasion warranted it. He sang on many of the wonderful Gene Kardos/Joel Shaw band sides of the early 30s. The rest of his resume is like a Who's Who of jazz and dance bands. It includes Duke Ellington, Clarence Williams, Ben Pollack, Irving Mills, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson, Red Nichols and Freddie Rich to name just a few.

Dick's bio. is a bit sketchy. We know he was of Canadian descent and born in New York in 1903. He played violin, but his success came as a vocalist and he seemed to emerge on the New York recording scene in the late 20s. The series that would feature Dick with a tasty seven or eight piece jazz group had its origins in December of 1935 with a series of sides on the Champion label. Among the sidemen were Bunny Berigan, Al Philburn, trombone (he would be a fixture), Paul Ricci, clarinet, Forrest Crawford, tenor sax and Frank Signorelli, piano (another fixture). Unfortunately these sides weren't available for review. (Hopefully we can do a separate post down the road.) The basic style of the Robertson band was a loose, swinging style of dixieland somewhat like Tommy Dorsey's Clambake 7 and the Wingy Manone recording units. Dick usually sang a chorus and would do a vocal reprieve, but there was plenty of jazz ensemble and solo work to be enjoyed.

By December of 1936, Dick was recording for Decca where he would stay until the recording ban of July 1942. The first Decca sides had some New York studio men such as Andy McKinney, trumpet and Russ Jenner, trombone along with members of Red Norvo's band (with Red on piano). Slats Long on clarinet, Jenner and Norvo are the star soloists. Goodnight, my Love and When my Dreamboat Comes Home are excellent sides. (On Dreamboat there is a Bud Freeman- -like tenor, possibly Slats Long. Herbie Haymer is listed, but it doesn't sound like him.) The band that would work the bulk of the Robertson sides came aboard with the March 24, 1937 session.

This group, with a few personnel changes made numerous sides with Robertson and other Decca artists such as the Andrews Sisters, Lil Armstrong, the Nicholas Bros. Teddy Grace and Louis Armstrong(more on Louis' session later).. They became an "unofficial" Decca house band. Most of the sides had two trumpets along with trombone, clarinet and rhythm section. The two trumpets gave the group it's Band sound. (Occasionally only one was used.) The sound of the band was dixieland with a bit of swing creeping into the later efforts. With Dick's vocals ranging from crooner to balladeer and rhythm man, the group had a wonderfully carefree and swinging approach to pop tunes and old favorites.

The core of the 1937-42 Robertson band were Bobby Hackett and Johnny McGee ,trumpet, Al Philburn and Buddy Morrow, trombone, Don Watt, Sid Trucker and Tony Zimmers, clarinet. Frank Signorelli and Frank Froeba did most of the piano work. Haig Stevens was the bassist on just about every side. Frank Victor and Dave Barbour handled much of the guitar work and Sammy Weiss and Stan King were the resident drummers. All these men were on call for studio dates and some were playing in dance bands of the day. The dixieland ensemble and tasty solo work really put these sides over. While most of the Robertson sides are available only on 78, the Timeless label of Holland put out an excellent CD of the 1937-39 period called Dick Robertson-The New York Session Man. I can thank a good friend and collector, Ed Reynolds, for providing many of the 78s to listen to and share with you.

The sessions really came into their own with the arrival of Bobby Hackett in March of 1937. Bobby was still in his embryonic stage (see our post-Hackett-Bix session) but plays nice rolling, melodic phrases as was his hallmark. Even at this stage of his career, Bobby was a unique and tasty soloist. Most of the sides have a strong lead trumpet-usually Ralph Muzillo or John Carlsen (both lead men with many top dance bands). Al Philburn on trombone was a veteran of the California Ramblers and studio bands, he lent a nice tailgate trombone to the band. (ala T. Dorsey or PeeWee Hunt).He was occaisionly replaced by Buddy Morrow (of Big Band fame), then known as Moe Zudecoff. The clarinet chair went from studio men Paul Ricci to Sid Trucker to Don Watt a veteran of the Ted Weems band, Don stayed on the longest until Tony Zimmers took over. The piano chair was mostly the property of Frank Signorelli (of Memphis 5 and Bix-Venuti fame) and Frank Froeba of New Orleans (the original pianist with the Benny Goodman big band). Signorelli devised a cute piano intro that became the trademark of the group and was heard on most of the sides.

Some of the highlights of the Hackett period include lovely choruses on Little Old Lady, Too Marvelous for Words, You're a Sweetheart and September in the Rain (all 3/24/37). Even a "Cowboy" ballad such as My Little Buckaroo gets a nice treatment with a pretty vocal by Dick. On September, Froeba plays some tasty celesta. Other standouts include Good Mornin' (not the Singin' in the Rain favorite), Gone with the Wind, My Gal Sal and Johnny Mercer's Bob White. The other soloists never disappoint, especially Watt and the pianists. Guitarists Frank Victor and Dave Barbour also get in some tasty licks. I Want you for Christmas (10/19/37) a long-forgotten seasonal song has nice spots by all of the horns. (Bobby is very Bix-like.)

Starting with the 7/21/37 session, Bobby was occasionly replaced by Johnny McGee. McGee was a competent trumpeter who had worked with the popular Richard Himber Orchestra. He played a tasty, rhythmic horn and was a capable replacement for Bobby, if not as inventive. From 1939 on he was the permanent trumpet soloist. The session of 2/28/38 is notable for the presence of the great Jack Teagarden, filling in for Philburn. This session also introduced Tony Zimmers, a fine tenor man with Larry Clinton, who would take over the clarinet duties. His playing on these sides is wonderful and at times he sounds like Jimmy Dorsey or Artie Shaw. He stayed with the Robertson band till the end. (He died tragically in WW2).

The Teagarden session included You Went to my Head (also recorded by Fats Waller), a smooth ballad with Jack playing a Tommy Dorsey-like lead up front then jumping octaves on his solo to navigate the tune's key. (he did this flawlessly, of course). The novelty Drop a Nickel in the Slot gets a fun treatment. Dick always excelled on rhythm tunes and Jack and McGee take spirited choruses. Let's Sail away to Dreamland has nice breaks and solo spots by Jack and the pretty Goodnight Angel has some more of Jack's octave jumping on his solo and a nice spot by McGee. This was one of the best Robertson sessions.

Most of the material Dick and the band recorded were pop tunes of the day-some became standards, others disappeared quickly. The band also recorded waltzes (Come Josephine is a good example), one-steps (Oh Mama) and many patriotic songs (especially after 1941). Bobby Hackett was back for the August and September 1939 sessions - Baby Me and I Only Want a Buddy are standout sides. The very underated pianist Nat Jaffe turned up on 6/30/38 and on Who did you meet Last Night? (5/19/39) and I'm Building a Sailboat of Dreams (3/8/39) the pianist sounds a lot like the wonderful Billy Kyle. Billy was doing a lot of sessions for Decca at this time so it's very possible that he sat in on these sessions. The old George Formsby favorite, Mr. Wu( 5/10/38) gets a great treatment by the band with Dick contributing jazzy vocal choruses.

Most of the sessions from Early 1939 on featured McGee, Zimmers, Froeba and Company. Brian Rust lists the personnel as probable from here on. (from his indispensable Jazz Records). Highlights include I'm a Lucky Devil (3/8/39), a nice tune with a tasty buzz mute solo by McGee (sounding a bit like Johnny Austin of the Jan Savitt band) , nice clarinet and perhaps more of Billy Kyle. The old favorite Maybe(4/14/39) gets a pleasant dance treatment with a sweet vocal by Dick and low register clarinet by Zimmers. Comes Love(10/27/39) has nice muted McGee and Are you Havin' any Fun?(same date) has McGee on plunger trumpet and Zimmers shining on clarinet along with the usual dixieland band sound. Lilacs in the Rain(same date) has more celesta, fine solos and a dixie ride out. The novelties Ma and Oh Johnny(Nov.&Dec.1939) have spirited ensembles, fun vocals by Dick including the verses and tasty spots by Philburn, McGee and Froeba.The old favorite I Used to Love You from 1940 is an outstanding side with some swing riffs added to the dixie sound. From 1941, Blues my Naughty Sweetie gives Me has fine singing by Dick and good jazz spots for trumpet and clarinet. A forgotten ballad, My Greenwich Village Sue (Jan. 1941) showcases the band's mellow side.

Many of the band's 1941-2 sessions featured patriotic tunes, with the outbreak of WW2. Even on propaganda material like You're a Sap, Mr. Jap, we get some nice jazz solos. After the recording ban of July 1942, the Robertson band disappeared from the Decca lineup. Dick continued to sing but also got more into composing. His We Three, a big hit for the Ink Spots and Sinatra-Dorsey and Little on the Lonely Side were popular wartime favorites. He made a session for Coral in 1947 but afterward his bio. becomes sketchy again. We know he lived into his eighties. Any more information on Dick will be used as an addendum to this post.

The Dick Robertson sessions deserve greater recognition, they have some of the happiest small group jazz of the late 30s and early 40s and a stellar group of musicians headed up by the always dependable Mr. Robinson.

Along with the Timeless CD, some of these tunes can be heard on YouTube. Hopefully someone will see fit to issue another Robertson CD. Till then, there's always Ebay and yard sales.

Happy Hunting!.

The 3 Stooges-Spook Louder (1943)

Once again we return to the inexhaustible supply of Three Stooges shorts. Being an October post, we revisit one of the team's many spook/scare comedies and one of this writer's favorites. The early 40s period was a golden one for the Stooges as they had become mainstays at the Columbia Shorts Dept. and had gained a huge legion of fans. The boys were in top form and this April 1943 release was a few years before Curly's stroke which affected his energy and comic timing.

Stooge director Ed Bernds pointed out how "surefire" this type of comedy was. Just about every comedian and/or comedy team (including many of the Columbia comics) took a turn or two with a Spook comedy. The Three Stooges were masters of this genre and made numerous scare shorts with Curly and Shemp. (Standouts include We Want Our Mummy, If a Body Meets a Body, Gem of a Jam, Three Pests in a Mess, The Ghost Talks, Who Done It?, Dopey Dicks, Hot Scots, Merry Mavericks and Spooks! ). No other comics could top the Stooges' reactions to ghosts, monsters and creepy foils, complete with their patented "Nnnnaaahhhhh!" when being scared. Some critics have called this entry one of their worst, but I think for pure belly laughs it's one of their funniest outings.

Spook Louder was directed by veteran Del Lord who remade one of his Mack Sennett comedies, The Great Pie Mystery. Fellow comedy veteran Clyde Bruckman handled the screenplay and as usual borrowed many classic gags from earlier comedies (as was his custom).

Several veteran members of the Stooges stock company were aboard including Stanley Blystone as the Spy Leader. Blystone was a busy Columbia supporting player, always good in villainous or authoritative roles. His work went back to silent days and he also appeared in Chaplin's Modern Times. He continued with the Stooges right into the 50s.

Ted Lorch as Graves, the Master Inventor, and Charles Middleton as his butler were real old-timers, both born in 1873. Ted appeared in many Columbias but I think this was Middleton's only Columbia short. He's best remembered as Ming, the Merciless in the Flash Gordon series (Ted was also in the series as the High Priest )and the prosecuting attorney in the Marx Bros. classic, Duck Soup . He had a great theatrical voice and is pretty much wasted here. (In one editing gaffe he seems to disappear from a scene only to pop up later). The Stoogers' favorite dowager, Symona Boniface (akin to Margaret Dumont with the Marx Bros.), has a funny bit early in the film and Lew Kelly who played "creepy" parts in a few Columbias plays Professor J.O. Dunkfeather, who tells the story of the Stooges' breaking of the Great Spy Ring to a young reporter.

The Professor's story tells of three salesmen who happen upon the home of inventor Graves. The boys are selling a weight-reducing machine. (Moe--"It also makes a great cocktail shaker.") The boys are mistaken for caretakers and are entrusted to watch Graves' home while he takes his Death Ray machine to Washington. (Propaganda gags abound in this wartime comedy.) Once the boys are in the house and Blystone and two cohorts show up in scare costumes, the hilarity never stops.

Classic gags abound and every now and then someone gets creamed with a pie by an unknown assailant, followed by fiendish laughter. When the Professor is questioned about the pie thrower, he puts off the identity till the film's climax. Among the many highlights are the Cossack clock that sings a Russian tune on the hour. (Curly--"Let's come back at 12 and hear the whole song.") Then there's the old Morse Code gag. Curly feverishly takes down the message. When Moe asks for its meaning, Curly says, "Eh eh eh eh eh" with a face slap from Moe. When Larry is queried, his response is the same along with a slap. Another cute musical gag has the boys hearing ominous piano music (Curly--" Oh, Rachmaninoff!") which turns out to be a kitten walking up and down the keyboard. (Curly--"Oh, Kitten on the Keys"--a popular piano novelty tune).

Curly and Larry have some great moments. Curly gets a balloon tied to his pants scaring all including himself, then gets wrapped up in a sheet and clobbered by Larry who takes him for a ghost! Curly also is victim to the old boxing glove in the bookcase bit and gets punched out a few times. When Larry opens the front door and finds a "skeleton spy," his hat goes flying high in the air accompanied by the perennial slide whistle effect.

Moe has his moments, too. While cowering in a rocking chair, he spots the "devil spy"in the window, resulting in his hair flying straight up in the air (courtesy of a blower). His response--"The Devil stabbed me with his pitchfork. He had flame coming out of his nose!" These exaggerations were classic Stooge bits. Later Moe brushes up against a stuffed bear and Graves' pet monkey lands on him. Moe's response--"The bear was strangling me. He ripped both my arms off."

After more pie missiles, the boys encounter the spies! Curly saves the day by accidentally lighting a nearby bomb and blowing up the spies! But the boys still get creamed with pies!

When the exasperated reporter asks Dunkfeather the eternal question, he confesses to throwing the pies as he gives out with the manic laugh. The perfect climax has him creamed with a pie as he milks the final take. Case closed!

In the long line of Spook comedies made by the Stooges and Columbia, Spook Louder is right up there with the best of them. It's available on DVD as Vol. 4 of the Sony Three Stooges collection.

Enjoy and watch out for flying pies!

Fats Waller and his Rhythm-An Affectionate Overview

Without a doubt Thomas "Fats" Waller (1904-43) was one of the greatest of jazzmen. His huge talents rivaled his size and included amazing virtuosity on piano and organ. He was a vocalist of great flair and style and an inspired bandleader and composer of some of America's best loved standards and jazz favorites, many written with his longtime lyricist, Andy Razaf. This post will give a personal tribute to the wonderful and prolific series of small band sides known as Fats Waller and his Rhythm. In the future we will visit standout recording sessions. For now we'll highlight the series and its effect on this jazz musician and fan.

In 1934 at age 30, Fats was already a veteran jazzman. His first records were cut in 1922. His credits included solo piano--he was a master of the stride style--organ and band recordings and much freelance work with bands such as Fletcher Henderson, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, Ted Lewis, Jack Teagarden and his mentor, James P. Johnson. He had also become a noted composer of jazz tunes and Harlem revues. By the 30s Fats had become better known through his radio work. His program was on Cincinatti's WLW. It had a very strong signal.

In May of 1934 Fats' manager, Phil Ponce, secured him a contract with Victor records. The format was simple: Fats, his piano, vocals and comic personality backed by a swinging 5-piece combo known as his Rhythm. The series would be one of the most successful in the history of small band jazz. From 1934-42 he produced over 400 sides!

That first session in May 1934 featured some of the core players of the Rhythm including trumpeter Herman Autrey, a fiery sometimes erratic player of the Louis Armstrong school who had many moments of brilliance in Fats' company. Guitarist Al Casey, who Fats had discovered in Cincinatti, would also be a mainstay. His strong rhythm and chord solos were trademarks of the Rhythm sound. Bassist Billy Taylor (a future Ellingtonian) and drummer Harry Dial (formerly with Fate Marable and Louis Armstrong) were solid rhythm mates. Reedman Ben Whittet, a competent player but not a jazzman, was only aboard for the initial session.

The tunes recorded at the first session were James P. Johnson's Porter's Love Song and 3 pop tunes of the day; I Wish that I Were Twins, Do Me a Favor and Armful of Sweetness. Many of these tunes were at best average pops but Fat's swinging piano, vocals and little band combined with his great comic ability--he kidded a lot of the weaker material--made these obscure tunes jazz classics. Many of them have remained in the jazz repertoire as a result of Fats' influence and style. Along with Fats' great presence, Autrey, Casey and the soon-to-arrive Gene Sedric were the primary soloists.

Gene Sedric's arrival in August of '34 gave the group it's missing ingredient. He was a gifted tenor man and clarinetist with experience in the bands of Fate Marable, Sam Wooding and Fletcher Henderson. (He hailed from St.Louis, a great jazz town). Sedric's mellow but full-toned tenor and light, limpid clarinet (with a bit of a New Orleans sound) complemented Autrey and the rest of the band perfectly. Except for a few sabbaticals, he would stay with Fats to the end.

Before the personnel settled in for a long stretch, some interesting "guest" musicians came aboard. Chicagoans Floyd O'Brien (trombone) and Mezz Mezzrow (clarinet) livened up the session of Sept. 28,1934, which featured such classics as Serenade to a Wealthy Widow, Mandy and Fats' own How Can You Face Me? The sessions of 11/7/34 and 1/5/35 had the wonderful trumpeter Bill Coleman filling in for Autrey who would soon move to Paris. His light, airy and melodic take on Louis are featured on such landmark sides as Baby Brown, Dream Man, Breakin' the Ice and I Believe in Miracles. Fats also played some organ on these sides. He was a virtouso on the instrument. Victor also started issuing non-vocal takes for domestic issue and it's interesting to hear the band's instrumental side. Another musical plus was Fats' interludes on celeste, a lovely change of pace.

From March through August 1935 veteran reedman Rudy Powell filled in for Sedric, formerly with Elmer Snowden, Sam Wooding and Rex Stewart. He possessed a dirty, raspy clarinet sound but played very pretty on alto. On one of his clarinet spots Fats exhorted, "Make that thing sweat!" Guitarist James Smith pinch hit on some sides for Casey and in Jan. 1935 Charlie Turner took over bass duties. The musical drum chair went from Dial to Arnold Bolden to Yank Porter before Slick Jones came in for a long stay. From time to time Fats fronted big bands usually including the Rhythm fleshed out with extra horns. A Dec. 1935 date featured one of these units including Autrey, Sidney de Paris, Benny Morton, Don Redman, Sedric, Powell, Bob Carroll and Emmett Matthews on soprano, who did some live dates with Fats. A great version of I Got Rhythm recreates a stage routine with Fats dueling band pianist Hank Duncan (himself a fine stride man). There is also some high flying soprano by Matthews.(Don Redman was probably musical director for this session since there were quite a few of his men aboard).

The 1935-6 edition of the Rhythm produced many classic sides: Lulu's Back in Town, Somebody Stole My Gal, I'm Crazy' bout My Baby, Rosetta, Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, "S'posin' and Until the Real Thing Comes Along. Some additional non-vocal takes were recorded. Two sides stand out to this musician: My Very Good Friend the Milkman and When Somebody Thinks You're Wonderful. These tunes have been part of my repertoire for years. (The latter is my theme song.)

The format by now was pretty much set with Fats' effervescent stride and vocals followed by solos by the Rhythm and a swinging band or vocal ride out, and, of course, Fats kept things loose with his comic touches. Fats could also sing a mean ballad (try Then I'll be Tired of You) No matter how banal the material, Fats and the boys always rose to the occasion with their joyous sounds and Fats' musical and comic energy led the way. Louis Armstrong was also a master of this art.

Two personal favorites from this golden period are 12th St. Rag and Have a Little Dream on Me. Here are some reasons why they are so representative of the early Fats and Rhythm. Have a Little Dream (8/17/34) by Phil Baxter and Billy Rose is a charming little tune that probably wouldn't have gone far were it not for Fats' lovely rendering. Fats opens with some pretty piano including his trademark clusters, waterfall-like runs that enhance the solo. (Billy Taylor's slap bass is also very effective.) Fats' vocal is tame but has a few cute asides. Autrey enters with some Cootie Williams-ish plunger work. (He was very adept at the style.) Sedric gives us some rhapsodic tenor. He also plays nice backgrounds that make the group sound larger with Fats singing us home. A simple but very tasty version of a typical pop tune, Fats put just as much effort into these ditties as he did the jazz classics.

On to the wild side and 12th St. Rag.(6/24/35). The old Euday Bowman favorite gets a swinging, hilarious ride from Fats and the boys. Starting with Fats' awesome striding,(not once is the traditional melody played) , a light hearted vocal and Rudy Powell's dirty clarinet. Fats keeps the running comrntary going as Autrey plays a very Louis-ish solo leaving lots of spaces for the rhythm.(this was one of his specialties). The rideout has Autrey popping off single high notes (again the Louis influence) against Powell's clarinet and Fats' exhuberant YEHs. Fats gives us an operatic coda and the horns play a 3 Stooges lick with one last YEH from Fats. An amazing performance combining great swing and comedy. These two short examples show how much joy and jazz are to be found in the amazing recorded legacy of Fats and the band.

The period of 1936-8 saw the group rolling along with more classics such as Us on a Bus, Lounging at the Waldorf, Sin to tell a Lie, Boo Hoo, Joint is Jumpin', Fractious Fingering, I'm sorry I Made you Cry, Honey on the Moon and Fat's own Crazy 'bout my Baby and the Waller-Autrey Yacht Club Swing (for a time the group's theme). There were more non-vocal takes and two extended 10" 78s of Honeysuckle Rose and Blue Turning Grey (Apr/June 1937). These versions let Fats and the boys stretch out. Slick Jones even gets in a chorus on vibes on Honeysuckle. Slick Jones (mid 1936) and bassist Cedric Wallace (early 1938) solidified the group till the end. One noticeable difference was Autrey's use of the muted horn. . He still played great open horn, but seemed to be fascinated with the muted sound, especially buzz-mute. but seemed to be fascinated with the muted sound, especially the buzz-mute.

Another big band session in April, 1938 produces some exellent sides by Fats' working big band (including all the rhythm and future trumpeter John Hamilton). In the Gloaming, Sheik of Araby and Fats' Hold my Hand are standouts.
Fats' piano and personality were so strong that he carried two Rhythm sessions with different players and the results were exellent. A December 1937 session in Hollywood included Paul Campbell,trumpet-Caughey Roberts,reeds and Lee Young (brother of Lester) on drums. The standout track is Every Day's a Holiday with Louis-ish trumpet by Campbell.
While on tour of England in August of 1938 Fats recorded for HMV with some of England's finest players. Released as Fats and his Continental Rhythm the band featured Dave Wilkins, trumpet, George Chisolm, trombone, Ian Sheppard and Alfie Kahn,reeds. (all top men in British dance bands). Ain't Misbehavin', Flat Foot Floogie and Music, Maestro, Please are standouts and Fats' English colleagues swing along with him in grand style.

The early part of 1939 continued on a high note with sides such as Good Man is Hard to Find, Hold Tight, Undecided and 'Taint what cha Do. An interesting session of June 1939 had Chauncey Graham filling in on tenor and Larry Hinton on drums. Graham is a very able replacement for Sedric and takes great tenor solos. Autrey had one of his best sessions with nice muted and open horn. Fats' piano and vocals shine on I Used to Love You and You meet the Nicest People( a great little tune). One of Fats' lesser known originals Honey Hush also gets a nice rendition. John Smith, a fine rhythm guitarist pinch hit for Casey until April 1940. (He did some nice work with Wibur DeParis later in his career).

In August of 1939, Fats and the band made some wonderful transcription sides including Sheik of Araby, Bflat Blues, Nagasaki and Sweet Sue. These sides along with earlier transcriptions are all on CD.(The Definitive Fats-JZCL 5004) This session introduced John "Bugs"Hamilton on trumpet, he would take Autrey's place for the next two years. From St.Louis, a great trumpet town, Hamilton was a fine trumpeter with a clean sound, nice ideas and swing. He fitted perfectly into the Rhythm sound. By this time the band hit a high for musicality and sound. They didn't have the earthy charm of the earlier sides but swung just as hard. Fats hadn't let up with his great comedy-Victor was giving him some terrible novelties to record. The band did get to record some nice instrumentals including The Moon is Low, Clarinet Marmalade, Scram!, Pantin' in the Panther Room, Buck Jumpin' (featuring Al Casey) and Fats' own Mamacita and Bond Street(from his London Suite).

This later period including many great vocal sides such as I can't give you Anything but Love with his protege, pianist/vocalist Una Mae Carlisle (she deserves a future post) , Everybody Loves my Baby, Let's get away from it All, 24 Robbers and a charming rendition of Little Curly Hair in a Highchair(this could have been a disaster in anybody else's hands). Fats also played Hammond organ on some of these sides.
The big band was back for sessions on July 1941 and March 1942. Two instrumentals Chant of the Groove and Fats' lovely Jitterbug Waltz(with Fats on organ) stand out. Herman Autry was in on these big band sessions and returned to the Rhythm for the session of Dec. 1941 Arthur Trappier had taken over on drums. (Wallace, Casey and Sedric still held forth). A lovely seasonal tune, Winter Weather was waxed. Hamilton was back for the final Rhythm session of July 1942. A nifty Fats-Razaf tune, Up Jumped You with Love is a highlight. The tune has all the hallmarks of the Rhythm-great piano solo and humorous vocal, a nifty riff with solo spots for the horns and Casey and Fats riding home on the vocal. Fats and the boys also appeared in some film soundies at this time.

A special version of the Rhythm appeared with Fats in the film Stormy Weather. The band included Benny Carter on trumpet, Zutty Singleton,drums, Gene Porter,reeds and Slam Stewart,bass. In the film they played a great version of Ain't Misbehavin'. The cut Moppin' and Boppin' featuring Zutty is heard briefly. Both these sides came out on Victor. Fats had always been a notorious drinker and party person. On December 15, 1943 while on a train out of Kansas City, Fats left us, much too early. The cause of death was pneumonia just lived to hard during his 39 years on earth. Thankfully we have this immense legacy of music to enjoy and as long as people can enjoy great,swinging music and a good laugh, Fats will always be with us.

On a personal note, I've had a wonderful and interesting odyssey collecting these wonderful Rhythm sides in the Boston area. Starting with two wonderful Victor lps-One Never Knows,Do One? and Handful of Keys. These featured many of the Rhythm classics plus a couple of Fats' piano solos. Victor also added Ain't Misbehavin' (with many of the hit standards) and a Camden lp, The Real Fats Waller (more Rhythm and some of the transcriptions).(I purchased many of these at the Concord Music Shop, where I later worked) In the 60s, Victors' Vintage Series issued 5 great lps of Rhythm sides with a few piano solos to boot. In the late 60s, French RCA issued two 5lp Memorial sets with many Rhythm classics and piano/organ solos. Finally they issued single lps that covered the entire Waller output for Victor! I got most of these at the Harvard Coop in Cambridge from a fellow musical colleague Mark Pucci, who was working in the record dept.

The CD era has given us the Classics series of Complete Fats and the Bluebird Complete set on 6 volumes of CD boxes. If Fats had lived longer, I'm sure he would have continued with the Rhythm and expanded his great composing gifts. Fats is still swingin' and singin' in the 21st Century and will for many more to come.

As Fats would say-My, My, Latch On!

Louis and the Angels (1957)

In the course of Louis Armstrong's illustrious career he made many sessions for the Decca label. The sessions of 1949-58 with studio groups led by Gordon Jenkins and Sy Oliver have been lopped into the "commercial" category (or what used to be labeled Popular at record stores). Commercial yes, because they are pop tunes with strings, voices and saxes but Louis never played anything without the pulse of pure jazz and these sides show more of his unflagging genius. The Decca album, Louis and the Angels, is a personal favorite.

Concept or theme albums were very popular in the 1950s and 60s. Many singers and bands made albums featuring songs with girl or boy names, geographic titles, college songs, composer tributes and songs of certain decades. In this case Louis sings and plays songs with "angel" or "heaven" as a common theme with the assistance of the great arranger Sy Oliver and his studio orchestra and chorus. (Pete Fountain made a similar album in the 60s).

Despite the angelic voices, flutes, harps and cute orchestral interludes, Pops scats and swings thru these evergreens with the same artistry of his Hot 5 and 7s. The sessions of January 29/30, 1957 came on the heels of Louis' immense Autobiography collection (see our earlier post) and Pops was at the top of his game and his great comic gifts are a plus to this fun set.

Sy Oliver, the great arranger of Jimmie Lunceford and Tommy Dorsey fame (and a fine trumpeter himself) did much of the Autobiography arranging, especially the "big band" sides of 1929-34. He worked extremely well with Louis and contributes some wonderful charts to the album. He also does a nice job of varying the order of Louis' vocal and horn work with the choir. We also get the bonus of two Louis trumpet features. Several of the studio musicians worked on the Autobiography, including saxists George Dorsey, Dave McRae and Lucky Thompson. Guitarist Everett Barksdale worked many of Louis' sessions into the late 60s and Louis' regular pianist Billy Kyle is aboard. Lillian Clark, the lead female voice was Sy's wife and sang with the Sentimentalists (alias Clark Sisters) in the Dorsey days. Another bonus of the album is hearing Louis play many great standards that were not part of his All-Stars book.

Here's the playlist:

When did you Leave Heaven?-A nice Richard Whiting tune recorded by Mel Powell in the 40s.(with Benny Goodman sitting in as "Shoeless Joe Jackson!). Pops opens with a lovely muted chorus. The strings take the bridge with trumpet obligatto. The choir vamps as Louis comes to the mike for a lovely chorus playing off the choir. Pops closes with one of his classic horn-like vocal cadenzas.

You're a Heavenly Thing- Written by vocalist/bandleader Little Jack Little and featured at a memorable Benny Goodman Orch. date of 1935 with Jack Teagarden filling in. Louis gives us a nice muted horn intro over band chords. The choir takes the lead with Pops' scat replies. On the bridge Pops and the singers swap leads. A tangy muted solo follows with a cute Louis break by the strings and Pops takes the bridge home. The strings do the coda with Pops adding a Big YEH!.

I Married an Angel- A lovely Richard Rodgers standard. Chet Baker and Zoot Sims made a beautiful rendition in the 50s. Pops sings it in with the choir doing the bridge. (Sy's handoffs of the lead between Pops and Choir are neat). Pops' trumpet solo is mellow with subtle variations. (the choir joins him with light melody). The coda is classic Louis ending up high. (This chart is reminicent of some of Sy's Autobiography work).

A Sinner Kissed an Angel- Frank Sinatra introduced this Mack Gordon tune in 1941 with Tommy Dorsey as did Dick Haymes with Harry James. Louis' opening trumpet has that behind the beat feel that only Pops could navigate and swing. A nice Alto break leads us into a delightful Pops vocal. The choir has the bridge with Pops scatting. Louis rides us out vocally. A nice rendition of a tune deserving more plays.

Angela Mia- The first of two trumpet features and a nice change of pace. The tune is quite obscure but pretty. Louis' opening expose of the melody is wonderful and the choir takes the bridge (Pops backs them up)with Louis finishing. The choir gives us some of the lyrics with Pops' lovely obligatto then it's open horn out. The closing solo over stop time takes us back to the Hot 5 days and the operatic coda is Pure Pops. Lovely stuff!

Angel Child.- Another relative obscurity but a cute tune. Reggie Phillips, a wonderful Boston stride pianist used to play this tune a lot. Pops gives us a bright opening vocal chorus in G then trades leads with the choir. Billy Kyle takes the break into Dflat and Pops is wailing the melody up high. His last 6 repeated notes up to a shaken high Dflat are awesome. Those high note shakes never fail to thrill.

And the Angels Sing- A big hit for Benny Goodman in 1939, written and played by trumpet great Ziggy Elman (with lyrics by Johnny Mercer). Louis gets to salute another horn man on his other trumpet feature. Pops plays Ziggy's melody fairly straight (the voices echo some of the Goodman licks as do the strings). Billy Kyle picks up Pops' chorus with some of his tasty keyboard work. Pops returns echoing the voices and uncorks a great break, finishing up high with some of Ziggy's original lines. Ziggy was still alive and well in 1957, I'm sure he was thrilled with Pops' rendition.

Fools Rush In-A great standard by Rube Bloom(with more lyrics from Mr.Mercer). Frank and Dorsey introduced it and Ricky Nelson had a revival hit in the 50s. The voices lead off with an original intro (hear the song of a fool...) and Pops sings a chorus with a nice scat break. The strings pick up the lead and on the second chorus Pops' gives us more muted obligatto followed by a lovely solo. The choir and Louis split the finale with Louis returning to the vocal intro. A nice Oliver chart.

I'll String along with You- Another standard, this time by Harry Warren and Al Dubin. No trumpet but plenty of great vocalizing by Pops. The voices bring Louis in for a chorus and he trades scats and leads with them on the second chorus. Pops rides things home with the choir handling the coda.

Angel-A cute but rather obscure tune from 1940 (comp. Peter DeRose and Mitchell Parish) and recorded that year by Georgie Auld and the Artie Shaw refugees (Artie had junked the band). The voices lead off in Dflat with nice muted fills by Pops. A modulation to F has more trumpet backed by rocking saxes and another killer break leading to more Billy Kyle piano. We move to back to Dflat for Louis' vocal. (the girls have a cute response to his opening line). Sy's Jimmie Lunceford style is very evident here.

The Prisoner's Song- One of the highlights of the album. The old folk song made famous by Vernon Dalhart and later by Bunny Berigan in the swing era gets a swinging ride by Pops and Sy. Sy's chart with the rocking saxes is very reminicent of his You Rascal ,You chart on Autobiography.
Like on Rascal, Pops goes back and forth with vocal and trumpet (Eflat to F). His solos are red hot and full of intensity. When he comes to the line..If I had the wings of an Angel, Pops tells us "I was wonderin' how that song got in" then proceeds to wail over the band and singers in Aflat with another huge highEflat ending. Pops also calls out the name Robert twice-perhaps a studio guest?

Goodnight, Angel- We wrap up the Angelic party with a lovely ballad from 1937 (recorded that year by Artie Shaw and Dick Robertson). Many Louis fans have noted a similarity to his Someday,You'll be Sorry on the first four bars. Pops may have remembered this tune, but it's probably just a case of sound-alike. Louis intros with a horn-like vocal, the choir takes the lead with some muted backround (unfortunetly it dissapears after a few bars). Louis sings the next chorus with much feeling and scats a nifty coda.

I'd also like to mention the cute cover art with Louis, wings superimposed behind him and a halo over his head with a visible string. (reminds me of those great Ed Wood special effects). The album is on a Verve CD and also a British MCA (along with Louis and the Good Book-another great Pops/Sy collaboration).

Louis has been up there swinging with the angels since 1971, but thankfully his amazing musical gifts will be around forever.

If you've passed on this album, thinking it's a lame concept lp, well you're in for a Heavenly treat with Louis and the Angels.

Special thanks to my good friend and fellow Louis nut, Phil Person, for his help on key identifications. Great ears, Phil!

Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955)

This is our first post on the wonderful comedy team of Bud Abbott (1895-1974) and Lou Costello (1906-59). Along with the Three Stooges, Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Bros. they are among my all-time comedy heroes.

The boys became a team in vaudeville in the 30s and quickly rose to stardom in radio and finally films, becoming the star comics of the 40s and early 50s and becoming one of Universal Studio's biggest money makers.

This film, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), a personal favorite, was ironically their last for Universal. A series of sub-par outings, the ascension of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and the power of television had all contributed to their demise at Universal. However, they went out with a very funny and worthwhile swan song.

The boys had met most of the classic Universal monsters starting with A&C Meet Frankenstein, one of their very best films. So it was an easy task to pair them with another Universal horror staple, The Mummy.

The threadbare plot (the best kind for slapstick) involved the boys trying to clear themselves of the murder of archeologist Dr. Zoomer, who they applied to for the job of "accompanying his Mummy to the states!" They get mixed up with treasure hunting crooks led by sultry Madame Rontru (Marie Windsor), the cult of the mummy Klaris led by Semu (Richard Deacon in his pre -Leave it to Beaver and Dick Van Dyke Show days) and a host of cops, waiters, natives and other assorted foils.

Cute Peggy King, a popular singer and regular on the George Gobel show, wanders into a nightclub setting to sing "You came a Long way from St.Louis." The boys are in good form as they are put through their usual slapstick paces and get in a few of their patented verbal routines. Bud, approaching 60, is not as nasty as he was in the early films. (He could be downright cruel!) He does get in his usual quota of slaps and pushes on Costello. Lou, despite some recent bouts with rheumatic fever, is as energetic and full of fun as ever. In the end credits the boys are listed as Pete Patterson (Bud) and Freddie Franklin (Lou) but these names are not used and they just call themselves Abbott and Costello.

Also along for the ride as Rontru's cohorts are Michael Ansara, from the TV classic Broken Arrow (Charlie) and veteran character actor Dan Seymour (Josef). Fans of the B classic, Little Shop of Horrors will enjoy seeing Mel Welles (Mushnick,the Florist) as Semu's henchman, Iben. Veteran Universal stuntman Eddie Parker plays Klaris, the Mummy. The film was directed by Charles Lamont, a veteran of the Sennett and Christie studios who had piloted many A&C comedies (including some of their worst!).

The film moves at a leisurely pace and Bud and Lou seem to be having a good time. There are many comic highlights in the film, here are some of my favorites:


The old Vaudeville gag of a girl speaking in French to Bud who replies with "Lady, I can't!" Lou's response is "Hey Bud, maybe I can!"

An A&C standby where the body of Dr. Zoomer keeps moving from room to room much to Lou's dismay and cries of "Hey Abbott!"

Lou's snake-charming efforts on flute resulting in a response from a very live snake and the old rope trick with Bud getting a lift thanks to Lou's flute-tooting.

The sacred medallion that leads to the treasure brings death to whoever possesses it. Bud plops it into Lou's hamburger. Lou eats the medallion, of course, and the crooks X-ray him and then try to throttle the medallion out of him.

A return to their "Who's on First" roots with a clever John Grant routine involving picks and shovels." My pick is the pick. Your pick is the shovel." You get the idea.

The film's climax in the tomb has three mummies running around, Klaris and Bud and Charlie posing as him. This is good stuff with lots of double takes and screams.

The film's coda has a neat scene where the boys have opened the Kafe Klaris. The entire band is decked out as mummies and Lou does the old slip into a one-piece tuxedo gag, resulting in a slap from Bud. When Bud toots on the flute and a beautiful girl emerges from a vase, Lou tries it only to meet up with another snake and a classic Costello pratfall to close out the show.

There are also some unintentionally funny bits including some Egyptian dance routines, Richard Deacon's hammy performance as Semu and some "infidel" references for good measure.

Despite good reviews, the film did only so-so at the box office and spelled their end at Universal.

Bud and Lou made one last film, Dance with Me Henry (1956), a pleasant but mediocre film about the boys running an amusement park and getting into a money mix up with gangsters.

In 1957 the team split. Lou did solo appearances including the Steve Allen Show, Wagon Train and the Minsky's Show in Vegas. He also made a cute comedy for Columbia, The 30 Foot Bride of Candy Rock (1959), a take off on the 50 Foot Woman with Dorothy Provine as his girlfriend and title character. In March of 1959 we lost Lou to a heart attack. Bud was devastated and the world of comedy lost a little giant.

Bud took things easy, although he did a G.E. Theatre episode and briefly teamed up with musician/comic Candy Candido. In 1967 he voiced a series of Abbott and Costello cartoons. (Stan Irwin voiced Lou). The cartoons are so-so, but it's fun to hear Bud's gravelly voice again. In later years Bud was dogged by tax problems and was living at the Motion Pictures Actor's Home in Hollywood. He passed from cancer in April of 1974. The greatest straight man went up to join his partner.

For the "daddy" of all mummy comedies, check out our post on the Three Stooges' We Want our Mummy (1939). Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy is available on Universal DVD. Next time out, we'll explore the boys' wonderful TV show of the early 50s.

Till then, I'm going to try to find out Who's on First?