The duo made 36 films from 1940 to 1956, and were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II.
Among their most popular films are Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, Who Done It?,
Pardon My Sarong, The Time of Their Lives, Buck Privates Come Home, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.

In the summer of 1942, the team went on a 35-day cross-country tour to promote and sell War Bonds.
The Treasury Department credited them with the sale of $85 million in bonds.

In March 1943, after completing a winter tour of army bases, Costello had an attack of rheumatic fever and was unable to work for six months.
On November 4 of that year, he returned to the team's popular radio show, but upon arriving at the NBC studio, Costello received word that his infant son, Lou Jr., had accidentally drowned in the family pool.
The baby worked loose one of the slats on his crib, climbed out and fell into the pool, unnoticed by the nanny.
The baby ('Little Butch') was just two days short of his first birthday.
Lou had asked his wife to keep Butch up that night so the boy could hear his father on the radio for the first time.
Rather than cancel the broadcast, Lou said, "Wherever he is tonight, I want him to hear me", and went on with the show.
No one in the audience knew of the death until after the show, when Bud Abbott explained the events of the day and how the phrase "The show must go on" had been epitomized by Lou that night.
Maxene Andrews of The Andrews Sisters, said that his entire demeanor changed after the tragic loss of his son, saying, "He didn't seem as fun-loving and as warm ... He seemed to anger easily ... there was a difference in his attitude."

It was about this time that serious cracks began to appear in the relationship between Abbott and Costello.
In 1945, when Costello fired a domestic servant and Abbott hired her, Costello announced that he would no longer work with Abbott.
However, they were still under contract to Universal and required to complete two movies in 1946.
They did Little Giant and The Time of Their Lives, but barely appeared together in either film and rarely spoke to one another off-camera.
Abbott reached out to heal their relationship, suggesting that the foundation he and Costello had founded for rheumatic fever sufferers be named the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation, which touched Costello deeply.
The project became a youth foundation.

Their radio program moved to ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from 1947 to 1949.
It was pre-recorded.

In 1951, the duo began to appear on live television, joining the rotating hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour. (
Eddie Cantor, Martin and Lewis and Bob Hope were among the others).
The following year they began their own filmed situation comedy, The Abbott and Costello Show.
Costello owned the half-hour series, with Abbott working on salary.
The show, which was loosely adapted from their radio program, ran for two seasons, from 1952 to 1954, but found long life in syndicated reruns.

They were forced to withdraw from Fireman Save My Child in 1954 due to Costello's poor health — he had been plagued by heart problems all his life due to a childhood bout of rheumatic fever — and were replaced by look-alikes Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett.
The team could not reach a contract agreement with Universal the following year and left the studio after 15 years.

Costello was surprised and honored by Ralph Edwards on NBC's This Is Your Life in 1956.
The duo made 36 films from 1940 to 1956, and were among the most popular and highest-paid entertainers in the world during World War II. Among their most popular films are Buck Privates, Hold That Ghost, Who Done It?, Pardon My Sarong, The Time of Their Lives, Buck Privates Come Home, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man.
In the summer of 1942, the team went on a 35-day cross-country tour to promote and sell War Bonds. The Treasury Department credited them with the sale of $85 million in bonds.
In March 1943, after completing a winter tour of army bases, Costello had an attack of rheumatic fever and was unable to work for six months. On November 4 of that year, he returned to the team's popular radio show, but upon arriving at the NBC studio, Costello received word that his infant son, Lou Jr., had accidentally drowned in the family pool. The baby worked loose one of the slats on his crib, climbed out and fell into the pool, unnoticed by the nanny. The baby ('Little Butch') was just two days short of his first birthday. Lou had asked his wife to keep Butch up that night so the boy could hear his father on the radio for the first time. Rather than cancel the broadcast, Lou said, "Wherever he is tonight, I want him to hear me", and went on with the show. No one in the audience knew of the death until after the show, when Bud Abbott explained the events of the day and how the phrase "The show must go on" had been epitomized by Lou that night. Maxene Andrews of The Andrews Sisters, said that his entire demeanor changed after the tragic loss of his son, saying, "He didn't seem as fun-loving and as warm ... He seemed to anger easily ... there was a difference in his attitude."
It was about this time that serious cracks began to appear in the relationship between Abbott and Costello. In 1945, when Costello fired a domestic servant and Abbott hired her, Costello announced that he would no longer work with Abbott. However, they were still under contract to Universal and required to complete two movies in 1946. They did Little Giant and The Time of Their Lives, but barely appeared together in either film and rarely spoke to one another off-camera. Abbott reached out to heal their relationship, suggesting that the foundation he and Costello had founded for rheumatic fever sufferers be named the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation, which touched Costello deeply. The project became a youth foundation. 
Their radio program moved to ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from 1947 to 1949. It was pre-recorded.
In 1951, the duo began to appear on live television, joining the rotating hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour. (Eddie Cantor, Martin and Lewis and Bob Hope were among the others). The following year they began their own filmed situation comedy, The Abbott and Costello Show. Costello owned the half-hour series, with Abbott working on salary. The show, which was loosely adapted from their radio program, ran for two seasons, from 1952 to 1954, but found long life in syndicated reruns.
They were forced to withdraw from Fireman Save My Child in 1954 due to Costello's poor health — he had been plagued by heart problems all his life due to a childhood bout of rheumatic fever — and were replaced by look-alikes Hugh O'Brian and Buddy Hackett. The team could not reach a contract agreement with Universal the following year and left the studio after 15 years.
Costello was surprised and honored by Ralph Edwards on NBC's This Is Your Life in 1956.
Lou Costello