Synopsis
Comedy Is No Laughing Matter
A fact-riddled behind-the-scenes drama about the stormy partnership of the famed comedy team that came out of burlesque to conquer radio, movies and television.
Bud and Lou
Cast
Harvey Korman Buddy Hackett Michele Lee Arte Johnson Robert Reed William Tregoe Danny Dayton Art Eisner Tracy Morgan Judy Hanson Henry Brandon Edmund Penney Betty Harford Burr Smidt Ronn Wright George Barday Bobby Baum Richard Sanders Chris Christiansen Russell Arms Robert Banas George Barclay Steven Bourne John Edward Donald Hotton Peggy Lynn Moore Harvey Solin
Director
Producers
Writer
Original Writer
Casting
Cinematography
Executive Producer
Camera Operator
Art Direction
Composer
Releases by Date
TV
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USA
Releases by Country
USA
15 Nov 1978
- TV NBC
Popular reviews
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Kevin Smith recently mentioned this on a podcast of his and I decided to see if I could find it for free on YouTube. Low and behold I did.
This is absolutely terrible. Buddy Hackett is so bad that it is embarrassing. I don’t know if he is trying to play mentally challenged or a child but it plays somewhere in between those two.
You really learn nothing about these two other than Lou was a dick and Bud was a drunk. Other than that I walked away knowing anything really knew or interesting.
Oh and these two doing “Whose on first” is the worst thing I have ever seen recreated in my entire life.
This has been hidden away in the depths of YouTube for a reason. Stay away at all costs! -
Bud Abbott (Harvey Korman) meets Lou Costello (Buddy Hackett) meet up and decide to become a team where they conquer vaudeville and then set their eyes on Hollywood.
I grew up watching Abbott and Costello and it didn't take too long for me to go through each and every film that they made. I had heard about the television movie BUD AND LOU but stayed away from it because of its horrid reputation. I decided to give the film a chance and I must admit that this is a very rare film as it turned out to be much worse than its reputation.
There are so many issues with this film including the fact that they never once show what…
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Saw this as a pre-teen when it first aired and thought it was terrible. It's even worse watching it now. Hackett plays Costello as a deranged sociopath and Corman is utterly toothless as Abbott. Try to sit through their cringingly unfunny rendition of Who's on First, I dare you.
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On paper "Bud and Lou" looks like a winner. The casting of Harvey Korman as Bud Abbott and Buddy Hackett as Lou Costello looks like "can't miss" stuff. Unfortunately, the movie does miss and in a pretty big way. Korman never seems comfortable as Abbott and Hackett is forced to play Costello as a miserable bully. The supporting cast is a lot better with nice work from Michele Lee, Artie Johnson and Robert Reed. But the tone of the movie is so downbeat that whatever chance the movie ever had is smothered. If someone who doesn't know who Abbott and Costello were ever watched this movie they would finish it without having a clue why they were popular in the first place.
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Right off the bat they fucked up the history of Bud and Lou lol.
There is a scene where Bud is having an epileptic fit in stage and he tells Lou to hit him. I feel that could’ve happened in real life, I wouldn’t be surprised.
I also feel Lou is portrayed as a bit of a jerk. I hop that’s not true. I heard people speak highly of him so who knows.
Lou death with the strawberry malted..ya that’s a little out of place.
All and all I don’t hate it, but it’s not good. The routines don’t flow, to be fair they were trying to re-create a comic timing that only the actual Bud and Lou could do.
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A legendarily awful made-for-TV biopic that earns every shitty thing ever said about it.
As a lifelong fan of the duo it’s beyond insulting in both casting, script and direction. Every moment is so far off the mark it’s almost parody.
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