ABBOTT & COSTELLO (LOU COSTELLO) - DOCUMENT SIGNED 12/18/1953 - HFSID 177686

LOU COSTELLO
Comedian Lou Costello, one-half of Abbott and Costello, signed this document in 1953 with Bank of America to receive a $35,000 loan on a Los Angeles tract of land, to be paid back wtih 7 percent interest.
Document signed"Lou Costello" as President of Cosman Productions, Inc. and by secretary of Cosman Productions, bothin blue ink. Lead pencil notations on page 1 and black ink notations on page 2, both in unknown hand. 2 pages, 8¼x14, 1 sheet, front and verso, carbon copy. Sunset-Clark Branch of Bank of America, Los Angeles, California, Dec. 18, 1953. Titled: "Escrow Instructions/(Real Estate Transaction)". Abbott signed this document to receive a loan of $35,000 on a plot of land owned by Cosman Productions, his production company. The loan had an interest rate of 7 percent, and the principal and interest were to be paid back at a monthly rate of $500 between Feb. 1, 1954 and Feb. 1, 1956 and $400 thereafter. Costello and partner Bud Abbott were into the second year of their TV show, The Abbott and Costello Show (1952-1958), in the year that Costello signed this contract. The comedy duo also appeared in two films: Abbot and Costello Go to Mars and Abbot and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. With partner BUD ABBOTT (1895-1974, born William A Abbott in Asbury Park, New Jersey), LOU COSTELLO (1906-1959, born Louis Francis Cristillo in Paterson, New Jersey) 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 to 1946 and on NBC from 1946 to 1949. Abbott and Costello were also guest hosts of NBC's hour-long live variety show, The Colgate Comedy Hour, seven times between 1951 and 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 toned and creased. Carbon copy marks. Two file holes at top edge. Folded twice, comes folded once. Otherwise in fine condition.