Thursday, April 15, 2010

From Buckles


Scan12803, originally uploaded by bucklesw1.

Posted by Buckles at 4/15/2010 05:47:00 AM

1 comments:

Roger Smith said...

Interesting this photo's caption didn't credit the reason for this gathering. These 4 co-starred in 1949's AFRICA SCREAMS.

Producers included the uncredited, beloved character actor Donald Crisp, whose other career was as a banker. Also producing was A&P Supermarket heir Huntington Hartford--who put Al Pacino in the 1969 play "Does the Tiger Wear A Necktie?", from which Coppola cast him in THE GODFATHER, as noted by IMDb.

Norman Abbott, Bud's nephew, was dialogue director. We worked with Director Norman on the never-aired pilot for WALTER OF THE JUNGLE, with our Jungleland animals, at Universal, in '68.

Featured in AS were the Baer brothers, Max, Sr., and Buddy, the boxers, no relation to Parley Baer. Also look for Three Stooges alums, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser.

I had a very enjoyable correspondence, facilitated by Lou's daughter Chris Costello, with co-star Hillary Brooke, who played Diana Emerson. She told me the whole cast stood in awe of Clyde Beatty's ability with his animals. Her son, Don Klune, told me of his mother's long association with Abbott & Costello. She was Lou's girlfriend on their TV series.

Chris Costello runs the A&C fan club and their excellent website, which see. She gave me great information on this picture. Some fans may recall that Lou was 10 years younger than his partner, Bud.

Newcomers have a chance here to see Beatty in action, but it is not his act, as such. He bounces 4 lions, while Costello hams it up under a pedestal. But the bouncing is vintage Beatty, even if 4 lions was all this low-budget outing could afford.

15 April, 2010 22:59

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