Who's on First?: Difference between revisions
imported>Aleta Curry (stub for Feb write a thon) |
imported>Hayford Peirce (removed an apostrophe -- Dorothy Sayers is on first, Margery Allingham is on second, Ngaio Marsh is on third, and some other "Hum-drum" (as someone called the whole school of them) is behind the plate) |
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The title of the skit is a double entendre. As the sketch begins, Bud Abbott begins to describe the action to Lou Costello. It soon becomes evident to the audience that they are misunderstanding each other: one is making a statement, to wit that a player surnamed ‘Who’ is fielding on First Base, the other is asking a question: who is the player at first base? The [[running gag|standing joke]] becomes: “Who’s on First?” “That’s right!” The misinterpretations continue, with the humor becoming funnier as the characters become more and more frustrated with each other. | The title of the skit is a double entendre. As the sketch begins, Bud Abbott begins to describe the action to Lou Costello. It soon becomes evident to the audience that they are misunderstanding each other: one is making a statement, to wit that a player surnamed ‘Who’ is fielding on First Base, the other is asking a question: who is the player at first base? The [[running gag|standing joke]] becomes: “Who’s on First?” “That’s right!” The misinterpretations continue, with the humor becoming funnier as the characters become more and more frustrated with each other. | ||
The sketch has | The sketch has its roots in old [[vaudeville]] routines. Abbott and Costello themselves performed many different versions, on television, stage and on film. Who’s on First? became an American comedy classic; was eventually [[copyrighted]] to Abbott and Costello It has been reenacted or referenced in countless other teleplays, shows and mass media. Copies of recordings of Who’s on First are held at the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress. It has been voted one of the American Film Institute’s 100 most memorable movie lines. | ||
Revision as of 00:08, 3 February 2010
Who’s on First? is a famous skit by the American comedy duo Abbot and Costello. It is a play on words describing the play, that is, the mode of play, and the players, in a fictional baseball game.
The title of the skit is a double entendre. As the sketch begins, Bud Abbott begins to describe the action to Lou Costello. It soon becomes evident to the audience that they are misunderstanding each other: one is making a statement, to wit that a player surnamed ‘Who’ is fielding on First Base, the other is asking a question: who is the player at first base? The standing joke becomes: “Who’s on First?” “That’s right!” The misinterpretations continue, with the humor becoming funnier as the characters become more and more frustrated with each other.
The sketch has its roots in old vaudeville routines. Abbott and Costello themselves performed many different versions, on television, stage and on film. Who’s on First? became an American comedy classic; was eventually copyrighted to Abbott and Costello It has been reenacted or referenced in countless other teleplays, shows and mass media. Copies of recordings of Who’s on First are held at the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Library of Congress. It has been voted one of the American Film Institute’s 100 most memorable movie lines.