Abbott & Costello - Who's On First
Who's on First? is the comedy routine made famous by Abbott and Costello. This routine has been performed on burlesque stages, radio, television and even feature films (including Rain Man.)

"Who's On First?" is descended from turn-of-the-century burlesque sketches like "The Baker Scene" (the shop is located on Watt Street) and "Who Dyed" (the owner is named Who). By the early 1930s, a "Baseball Routine" had become a standard bit for burlesque comics across the country.

After Abbott and Costello teamed up, they adopted the routine and kept adding to it until it became their signature skit. Some say they have performed that routine more than 10,000times in their careers. Once, they performed it at President Roosevelt's request.

The comedy routine was first featured in Abbott and Costello’s 1940 film debut, One Night in the Tropics. Abbott and Costello reprised the bit in their 1945 film The Naughty Nineties, and it is that version which is considered their finest recorded rendition. Abbott and Costello also performed the routine numerous times in the 40s on radio.

The video clip below was performed on a television show on the fifties.


In 1956 a recording of "Who's On First?" was given to the Baseball Hall of Fame museum in Cooperstown, New York, where it now plays continuously on video screens..

In 1999, TIME magazine named “Who’s On First” the Best Comedy Sketch of the 20th century. An early radio recording was placed in the Library of Congress' National Recording Archives in 2003. In 2005 the line "Who's On First?" was included on the American Film Institute's list of 100 memorable movie quotes.

Great Abbott & Costello Video Clips:

Abbott & Costello - Who´s on 1st Pt. 1 Watch Video Clip	Abbott & Costello - Who´s on 1st Pt. 2 Watch Video Clip
Abbott & Costello - Who´s on 1st Pt. 3 Watch Video Clip	Abbott & Costello Rent A Car Watch Video Clip