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John Grant (screenwriter)
John Grant (December 27, 1891 – November 19, 1955) was a comedy writer best known for his association with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Costello called him their "chief idea man". Grant contributed to Abbott and Costello's radio, film and live television scripts, as well as the films of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Ma and Pa Kettle. Career Early career Although he appeared in a few legitimate musical comedies, Grant was primarily a burlesque comedian, straight man and producer. He performed in shows on the Columbia and Mutual Burlesque wheels in the 1920s, and at Minsky's in the early 1930s. His second wife, Dorothy Maye, was a strip tease artist. Abbott and Costello Grant met Bud Abbott in burlesque in the early 1920s when Abbott was still working in theater box offices. While working for Mutual as a general manager and trouble shooter, Grant cut Lou Costello's salary during the Great Depression. Two years later, according to Hedda Hopper, he and Costello met a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tarentum, Pennsylvania
Tarentum is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is northeast of Downtown Pittsburgh, along the Allegheny River. Tarentum was an industrial center where plate glass and bottles were manufactured; bricks, lumber, steel and iron novelties, steel billets and sheets, sack and wrapping paper were also produced. The Pennsylvania Railroad operated a station in Tarentum; its rail line ran through the town. The population was 4,530 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Two statues of Hebe (mythology), Hebe, the Greek goddess of youth, are displayed by the borough in Tarentum. Geography Tarentum is located at (40.603042, -79.755447). According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of , of which is land and , or 12.06%, is water. Streams * The Allegheny River forms the borough's eastern border with Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, Westmoreland County. * Bull Cree ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Here Come The Co-Eds
''Here Come The Co-Eds'' is a 1945 American comedy film starring the comedy team Abbott and Costello. Plot Oliver Quackenbush, Molly McCarthy and her brother Slats who acts as her publicity agent work for the Miramar Ballroom as taxi dancers. Slats plants a phony article in the local newspaper that declares Molly's ambition is to attend Bixby College. The dean of Bixby reads the article and offers her a scholarship. She agrees, but only if Oliver and Slats can accompany her. They are hired as caretakers. Meanwhile, Chairman Kirkland, whose daughter Diane also attends Bixby, holds the mortgage on the college and threatens to foreclose if the dean continues to ignore tradition and does not expel Molly. Slats and Oliver run into some problems of their own as they fail at every task assigned to them by their supervisor, Mr. Johnson. Slats devises a plan to raise $20,000 to save the school: Oliver will wrestle the Masked Marvel. However, just before the match the Masked Marvel becomes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hugh O'Brian
Hugh O'Brian (born Hugh Charles Krampe; April 19, 1925 – September 5, 2016) was an American actor and humanitarian, best known for his starring roles in the ABC Western television series ''The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp'' (1955–1961) and the NBC action television series ''Search'' (1972–1973). His notable films included the adaptation of Agatha Christie's ''Ten Little Indians'' (1965); he also had a notable supporting role in John Wayne's last film, ''The Shootist'' (1976). He created the Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership Foundation, a nonprofit youth leadership-development program for high-school scholars. It has sponsored more than 500,000 students since O'Brian founded the program in 1958, following an extended visit with physician and theologian Albert Schweitzer. Life and career Early life and military service O'Brian was born Hugh Charles Krampe in Rochester, New York, the son of Hugh John Krampe, who served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott And Costello Meet The Mummy
''Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy'' is a 1955 American horror comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. It is the 28th and final Abbott and Costello film produced by Universal-International. Plot Two Americans who are stranded in Cairo, Egypt, happen to overhear Dr. Gustav Zoomer discussing the mummy Klaris, the guardian of the Tomb of Princess Ara. Apparently, the mummy has a sacred medallion that shows where the treasure of Princess Ara can be found. The followers of Klaris, led by Semu, overhear the conversation along with Madame Rontru, a businesswoman interested in stealing the treasure of Princess Ara. Abbott and Costello go to the doctor's house to apply for the position to accompany the mummy back to America. However, two of Semu's men, Iben and Hetsut, murder the doctor and steal the mummy just before Abbott and Costello arrive. The medallion has been left behind, though, and is found by Abbott and Costello, who attem ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott And Costello Meet The Keystone Kops
''Abbott and Costello Meet the Keystone Kops'' is a 1955 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. After the film was completed, Universal-International wanted to rename it ''Abbott and Costello in the Stunt Men'', because they did not consider the "Keystone Kops" to be relevant anymore. However, in October 1954, the studio relented and agreed to use the "Keystone Kops" name. Plot Willie Piper is in a nickelodeon watching a silent film: "Eliza and the Bloodhounds" a melodrama which ends with a mother and small child escaping in a snowstorm across a frozen river from a pack of hounds. He gets thrown out for being too demonstrative in the film. His friend Harry Pierce is waiting outside, he shows him an advert in a newspaper looking for people to invest $5,000 in a motion picture studio, exactly the amount of cash they have. They are sold a deed to the West Orange Studio by a con man, Joe Gorman, on the pretext that he has two stu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott And Costello Meet Dr
Abbott may refer to: People *Abbott (surname) *Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849–1921), American painter and naturalist *Abbott and Costello, famous American vaudeville act Places Argentina * Abbott, Buenos Aires United States * Abbott, Arkansas * Abbott, Mississippi * Abbott, Nebraska * Abbott, Texas * Abbott, Virginia * Abbott, West Virginia * Abbott Township, Potter County, Pennsylvania Companies * Abbott Laboratories, an American health care and medical devices company * Abbott Records, a former American record label * E. D. Abbott Ltd, an English maker of car bodies between 1929 and 1972 Other uses * Abbott-Detroit, an American luxury automobile * Abbott's Get Together, a magic convention held in Michigan * Abbott 33, a Canadian sailboat design * Abbott House (childcare agency), an American human services agency See also * Justice Abbott (other) * Abbot, an ecclesiastical title * Abbot (other) An abbot is the head of a monastery; the term is usually used i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott And Costello Go To Mars
''Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'' is a 1953 American science fiction comedy film starring the comedy team of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello and directed by Charles Lamont. It was produced by Howard Christie and made by Universal-International. Despite the film's title, no character in the film actually travels to the planet Mars (although Abbott and Costello's characters ''believe'' they are on Mars at one point.) Plot Orville, the oldest orphan at the Hideaway Orphans Home, accidentally hides inside a truck headed to a top-secret laboratory. There he is placed under the supervision of lab worker Lester to help load supplies onto an experimental rocket ship. While on board with Lester, Orville flips the ignition button and the rocket ship blasts off, flying across the country and eventually landing outside of New Orleans, where Mardi Gras is in progress. Lester and Orville, dressed in their spacesuits, witness the grotesquely costumed celebrants and conclude that they have successf ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Abbott And Costello Meet Captain Kidd
''Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd'' is a 1952 comedy film directed by Charles Lamont and starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, along with Charles Laughton, who reprised his role as the infamous pirate from the 1945 film ''Captain Kidd (film), Captain Kidd''. It was the second film in Cinecolor, SuperCineColor, a three-color version of the two-color Cinecolor process, and which utilized an Eastmancolor negative as Cinecolor did not offer three-color origination, only two-color origination via bipack. Plot On their way to their jobs at the Death's Head Tavern, Oliver "Puddin' Head" Johnson and Rocky Stonebridge encounter Lady Jane, who asks them to bring a love note to the tavern singer, Bruce Martingale. At the tavern, the notorious Captain Kidd dines with Captain Anne Bonney, a female pirate. She complains that Kidd raided ships in her territory and demands her share of the treasure. Kidd informs Bonney that he has hidden the amassed treasure on Skull Island, and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sailor Beware (1952 Film)
''Sailor Beware'' is a 1952 American comedy film starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis and is an adaption of a 1933 Kenyon Nicholson and Charles Robinson play of the same name. It was released on February 9, 1952 by Paramount Pictures. The working title was ''At Sea with the Navy''. It was the fifth film collaboration of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, who would make 16 movies together before their partnership's end. Plot After meeting in the Navy recruiting line, Al Crowthers and Melvin Jones become friends. Al has tried to enlist before, 11 times, but was always rejected because of a bad knee. However, he keeps trying so that he can impress women. Melvin, meanwhile, is allergic to women's cosmetics and his doctor prescribed ocean travel, so he decided to join the Navy as this was the only way he could afford to follow doctor's orders. Unbeknownst to Al, the naval requirements have been lowered and this time he has been accepted, as has Melvin. They are assigned to Lardosk ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ma And Pa Kettle At The Fair
''Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair'' is a 1952 American comedy film directed by Charles Barton. It is the fourth installment of Universal-International's ''Ma and Pa Kettle'' series starring Marjorie Main and Percy Kilbride. Plot Ma and Pa Kettle are trying to raise money to send their daughter Rosie to college, although the couple are unemployed and in debt. Pa deliberately walks in front of street traffic, hoping to win a monetary injury settlement, but only succeeds in causing a collision. Ma then decides to participate in contests at the county fair, and Pa buys Emma, an old tired horse, on credit for the Harness Race, promising to pay the owner later with Ma's fair prize winnings. Birdie Hicks tries her best to win all of the contests, but the Kettles are the ones who get the last laugh. Cast *Marjorie Main as Ma Kettle *Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle *Lori Nelson as Rosie Kettle *James Best as Marvin Johnson *Esther Dale as Birdie Hicks *Emory Parnell as Billy Reed * Russell S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Double Crossbones
''Double Crossbones'' is a 1951 American comedy adventure film distributed by Universal International, produced by Leonard Goldstein, directed by Charles Barton, and stars Donald O'Connor and Helena Carter. It was shot in Technicolor and was released on January 22. The story is of shopkeeper apprentice Davey Crandall becoming a pirate after being accused falsely of being involved of selling stolen goods. Plot In the late 1700s, Charleston, South Carolina, is a haven for pirates, who sell their plunder there. One day, Davey Crandall (Donald O'Connor) and his friend and coworker, Tom Botts (Will Geer), see the ship ''Liverpool Queen'' enter the harbor. As soon as the cargo is unloaded and transferred to the shelves of Davey's employer, cranky shopkeeper Caleb Nicholas ( Morgan Farley), Charleston territorial governor Gerald Elden ( John Emery) brings his ward, Lady Sylvia Copeland ( Helena Carter), and British aristocrats Lord and Lady Montrose to view the new wares. While Sylvia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lost In Alaska
''Lost in Alaska'' is a 1952 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello. Plot The time is the 1890s, and the place is San Francisco. George Ball and Tom Watson are firemen who rescue 'Nugget' Joe McDermott from committing suicide by drowning. Joe wants to die because his girlfriend, Rosette no longer loves him. The boys keep an eye on him and Joe is thankful for it after receiving a telegram the next morning from Rosette claiming that she still loves him. George and Tom take their gold reward to the bank when they learn the police mistakenly believe Joe was murdered for his gold that night by the two men who actually rescued. They catch up to Joe on his boat for the Yukon and try to get him down to the police station only to see the ship depart San Francisco with all three of them on it. Joe returns to Alaska, with George and Tom anxious to get him back to San Francisco to clear their names. Once they arrive, it is learned that many people want to kill Joe, as he was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
