ABBOTT & COSTELLO (LOU COSTELLO) - DOCUMENT SIGNED 01/02/1954 CO-SIGNED BY: ANNE (MRS. LOU) COSTELLO - HFSID 173126

LOU COSTELLO and ANNE COSTELLO
Lou Costello and Anne Costello sign a tax form for the 1953 tax year.
Carbon Partly Printed Document Signed: "Lou Costello" and "Anne Costello" in ink as Taxpayers, 1p, 8x10½. Los Angeles, California, 1954 January 2. Headed: "Consent Fixing Period of Limitation Upon Assessment of Income and Profits Tax". In full: "In pursuance of the provisions of existing Internal Revenue Laws Lou and Anne Costello, a taxpayer (or taxpayers) of Los Angeles, California, and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue hereby consent and agree as follows: That the amount of any income, excess-profits, or war-profits taxes due under any return (or returns) made by or on behalf of the above-named taxpayer (or taxpayers) for the taxable year ended December 31, 1950, under existing acts, or under prior revenue acts, may be assessed at any time on or before June 30, 1955, except that, if a notice of a deficiency in tax is sent to said taxpayer (or taxpayers) by registered mail on or before said date, then the time for making any assessment as aforesaid shall be extended beyond the said date by the number of days duirng which the Commissioner is prohibited from making an assessment and for sixty days thereafter." Also signed by a Commissioner of Internal Revenue and initialed in unknown hand. ANNE BATTLERS was married to LOU COSTELLO from 1934 until his death on March 3, 1959, five years after they signed this agreement. The couple had four children, including a son who drowned just days before his first birthday. In 1954, Costello appeared in one film, Fireman Save My Child, and was in his last year of hosting the television series, The Colgate Comedy Hour (1951-1954). With partner BUD ABBOTT, COSTELLO (1906-1959) formed one of the greatest comedy teams in the history of show business. They mastered the straight man/clown relationship, creating a magical chemistry that took them from vaudeville and burlesque to radio, Broadway, film and television. The Abbott & Costello Show aired on radio on ABC from 1941-1946 and on NBC from 1946-1949. Abbott and Costello were also guest hosts of NBC's hour-long live variety show, The Colgate Comedy Hour, seven times between 1951-1954. Their "Who's on First?" routine is enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Abbott and Costello split up in 1957 after troubles with the Internal Revenue Service left both men broke. Lightly creased with folds, lower horizontal fold underlines Commissioner's signature. Slightly soiled. Receipt stamp at upper left portion, 2 file holes at upper margin. Irregular lower edge. Fine condition.