Coworker said they were heading to Niagara falls and instantly quoted "slooowly I turned". I'm 36 and knew it was a bit obscure, but was surprised that absolutely no one around knew what I was talking about. I had only seen the Stooges and Lucy version, but they're all so funny!
I was in elementary school in the early 60's and if "Niagara Falls" was ever uttered by anyone there would always be about a half dozen kids who said that, almost as if it was planned. But it never was. EVERYONE knew that back then.
My grandfather back when he was alive and i was a kid used to make me giggle reciting this! "Slowly i turned step by step closer and closer AND I GOT YOU AHHH" haha memories
I remember watching these shows on a Sunday morning as a kid, and I remember a blessing Costello used to give the Audience, "May You Live as long as You want, and not want as long as You Live." I hope I remember this blessing as long as I Live.
Best burlesque bit ever done! Sid Fields played the bum who beat Costello up. He played Mr. Fields as well as other parts; many don't know it but Sid Fields was a good comedy writer, worked for Steve Allen and Jackie Gleason. Joey Faye claimed credit for this bit but who knows with burlesque comics it is based on a verbal tradition. This piece of business is second only to "pocket full of nickels".
I have loved Abbott and Costello since a child. Their films were so much fun to watch, hilarious, and truly classics. I vaguely remember the television series that they had. This skit was so well done!
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I may have been born in 2000 but my dad was born in 1957 and we have all the Abbott & Costello and Three Stooges dvds and that's the shit I grew up on, and this is the second most important Abbott and Costello memory for me (I mean come on, you can't beat "Who's on First") and it gets referenced all the time. Or at least before the....eh I won't get into depressing details. This skit is the shit
When I was little we went to Niagara Falls on vacation. The whole drive up there we kept saying "Niagara Falls Slowly I turned Step by step Inch by inch" over and over. I didn't know what it was but I thought it was the funniest thing ever.
THANK YOU for sharing 7+decades and we listened and watched these wonderful guys from radio and tv Just listening toe Lou Costello when he yells ABBOTT....Lous' voice sounds just like a Frenchie dog shrill!
Abbot & Costella - Absolutely love this sence I laughed so hard 😂😂😂Sid Fields is superb & Costello pure legend, I love the look in his eye on the first 'slowly I turned' before his first slapping. Plus every time I watch this clip I do the routine with my knee!! 😂 brilliant classic comedy.
michael driver Bud and Lou also did this sketch in their film "Lost In A Harem" (1944), which is set in a fictitious Arabian country. In this movie, the boys are arrested after inadvertently starting a riot in a nightclub and put in a local jail, where they meet a broken down tramp similar to the one in this video. He too tells a sad story about how a stranger he had invited into his house had stolen his wife and baby, how he had searched for him for years before finally catching up with him. Only in this version, he finds him, not at Niagara Falls, but on "the banks of the Pokomoko." It is that latter word that causes him to speak the "Slowly I turned, step by step" line and to attack Lou, while Bud just stands around scolding his friend for "interrupting the man" while he's "telling you his life story." Variations on this routine have appeared on "Your Show Of Shows" with Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, on "I Love Lucy," and even on a musical-variety special with Julie Andrews.
You can tell as Costello & Joe Kirk leave the cell there is a camera cut. So Mr Fields can change and they put another actor in the cell to finish up playing the part of the vagrant
I can't watch Costello without thinking how tormented he must have been after his son's drowning in 1943, something that must have constantly played on his mind as it would with anyone.
@@nancystowell4877 I always figured this was a Vaudeville act done on stage many times by many people, and then later Abbott & Costello were the ones who first brought it to film.
This was an old vaudeville routine, similar to the "peace and quiet" one seen in "The Night They Raided Minsky's", which Abbott & Costello covered elsewhere. It was of course covered by many comedy teams.
They were giants in those days! And the guy playing the bum - that's an awful lot of lines to memorize! And he didn't miss a beat!!! Well, OK, he DID beat Costello, but he did remember his lines. Nicely done!
That was Mr Fields. When they leave the cell. There is a camera cut and Mr Fields is the lawyer. Joe Kirk, Mr Baccigulupe is the guard who coincidentally is Costello's brother in law in real life
Best vaudeville routine ever, Bud & Lou included all their best vaudeville routines in those 2 seasons of TV series episodes, still funny today, That's when TV had class, the fabulous fifties, now it's all pretty much garbage, great upload, thanks!!!
@@andrewft31 Vaudeville, was before the boyz got a hold of it, many acts used it, before and after since, it's public domain stuff, still relevant and funny today...
@@mikestang679 I knew of the Stooges version before ik Abbott and Costello did it. And according to Google both teams did the routine on film the same year, 1944.
Folks, this is undoubtedly the second most famous vaudville routine of all time. The most famous, naturally, is Who's on First. This was one of the immortal classics of a sadly, long gone art form. As it stands now, the only way you can see fresh routines like this is to watch Congress in action - but that's depressing.
bud & lou played these routines for a decade. when trying to film them they had a hard time because the director wanted to use multiple takes and they could only do it in one take.
Some years ago, I (stupidly) put ""Slowly I Turned"" on my first FB page waiting for friends (or others..perhaps even my sister!!!) to bite!! Silly moi!! I could have sworn that everyone of my age group, would know this classic line and skit!!! Sigh..not a comment..Such is youth...
@@andrewft31 It actually is an older Vaudeville routine claimed by three different comedians before the Three Stooges. Each generation added their own take on it…
I love the classics. They just don't do funny comedy without cussing anymore. This is stuff that you can watch with your kids and laugh for days. My favorite by far is Who's on first. They all are classics and still funny to watch today. Thank you so very much for uploading theses. Do you have any problem with me saving them to my channel so i can keep them to enjoy with my kids? If you say no i totally understand. If you say yes. I'd greatly appreciate more than you will ever know.
I liked this sketch but I always hope Costello would turn the table and take a base ball bat and get revenge on all the so called funny beatings he took
You ask who could give this a thumbs down? Well, the suspects include the Niagara Falls Chamber of Commerce, The American Karate Martial Arts Society (for bad chops, etc.), and several PTA ladies, just out of onrieness!!!!! Moving on here....
It was most likely intended as a derogatory statement, meant to indicate UCLA was somewhat less than respectable as a choice in higher education. "Did you go to a good college?" "No, I could only get into UCLA."
It is a classic vaudeville routine. It was widely performed in that era, in different variations with different trigger words. The Three Stooges did not originate it so it was not stolen from them.
Oh my gosh I'm just too old? Thing is this was just so funny. It was free of condensation. There was no belittling. Excuse me younger generation, I've only noticed what you're calling funny, comedy? Is only full of belittling condescending and dissension. I only have a few years left and I count myself fortunate for that.
Saw this was a week old so I figured I would comment. I'm 29, but my parents grew up with Abbot and Costello, Laurel and Hardy, Ma and Pa Kettle. I know a lot of people probably don't even know what they are anymore. But I consider myself fortunate that my parents introduced these classics to me. I have all 4 volumes of Abbott and Costello's films. Their comedy is timeless.
