Abbott and Costello 1943-11-25 Thanksgiving Dinner Party
Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Host: Harold’s Old Time Radio
Original Air Date: November 25, 1943
Podcast Release Date: November 5, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode features a classic broadcast of the Abbott and Costello Show from Thanksgiving Day, 1943. The show revolves around the comedic duo preparing for a high-society Thanksgiving dinner at Abbott’s house—with Costello, as usual, muddling through misunderstandings, slapstick mishaps, and wordplay. The episode is packed with vaudeville-style routines, character-driven chaos, and a mix of recurring gags and period humor.
Key Discussion Points & Segments
1. Thanksgiving Day Banter & Dinner Plans
Timestamp: 01:27–06:08
- Opening Gag: The humor kicks off with Costello mixing up "kittens" and "chickens," suggesting Abbott’s cat gave birth to chickens—a setup for classic Abbott & Costello confusion.
- “Your cat just had chickens.” – Lou Costello [01:33]
- “Cats don’t have chickens.” – Bud Abbott [01:38]
- Dinner Invitation Gone Wrong: Abbott politely refuses Costello’s request to join his Thanksgiving dinner, insisting it’s a “classy affair for the snooty set,” triggering a round of puns and misunderstandings:
- “I have a little silver tray to brush the crumbs on.” – Bud Abbott [03:00]
- “Don’t you have crumbs at your table? Sure, Abbott, you’re welcome anytime.” – Lou Costello [03:01]
2. Mistaken Etiquette & Table Manners
Timestamp: 03:11–05:09
- Costello’s ignorance of proper table etiquette leads to a string of malapropisms:
- “You have no finesse.” – Bud Abbott [03:09]
- “What would I do with a furnace in California?” – Lou Costello [03:11]
- They riff on etiquette books, and Costello expresses his culinary method for eating peas:
- “I just slide my lower lip under the plate and bank the peas off the mashed potato.” – Lou Costello [04:35]
3. Thanksgiving Dinner Duties & French Cooking Shtick
Timestamp: 05:41–10:21
- After some pleading, Costello is invited but must “make himself useful” by working in the kitchen and waiting on the table.
- Comedic misunderstanding of “hors d’oeuvres,” “oyster dressing,” and “singeing the goose.”
- “Orders? That’s French for leftovers.” – Lou Costello [05:57]
- “You want me to dress a bunch of naked oysters!” – Lou Costello [06:50]
- Costello botches the recipe measurements:
- “Two tubs of butter.” – Lou Costello [09:39]
- “That’s tablespoons!” – Bud Abbott [09:47]
4. Guest Arrivals & High-Society Antics
Timestamp: 18:13–21:29
- Costello bumbles through announcing the guests and confusing their names and titles, including Lady Jennifer and Lord Beaverboard.
- “Announcing Lord Pip Street, Knight of the Garter. Lord Beaverboard, Knight of the Bath, and Hedy Lamar.” – Lou Costello [18:18]
- “Hedy Lamar isn't here. I was thinking of another night.” – Bud Abbott [18:29]
- Interaction with Lady Jennifer provides more wordplay and misunderstandings about her hair and martinis:
- “Yes, make it a martini with the black olive.” – Lady Jennifer [19:41]
- “You drink martinis with a black olive? ... Because I just poured one. When I dropped the olive in, the olive stuck out its pimento.” – Bud Abbott/Lou Costello [19:45–19:51]
5. The Turkey Carving & Disappearing Necklace Farce
Timestamp: 21:06–24:34
- Thanksgiving dinner turns into chaos as guests are served unusual parts of the turkey.
- The room goes dark and Lady Jennifer’s pearl necklace disappears, sparking a detective parody.
- Costello (as a police officer) interrogates suspects with more verbal gags:
- “Where were you sitting when the necklace was stolen?” – Lou Costello [23:14]
- Mystery quickly resolves itself when Lady Jennifer discovers her pearls in her tapioca.
- “My pearls weren’t stolen at all. They slipped off my neck into my tapioca.” – Lady Jennifer [24:25]
- “Leave them there. You look better wearing tapioca.” – Bud Abbott [24:31]
6. Classic Costello Misunderstandings & Conclusion
Timestamp: 24:34–27:00
- Costello’s little brother Sebastian admits to turning off the lights, trying to spare Louis the embarrassment of showing his thumb in the soup.
- “Because you said you didn’t want to see Louis’ thumb in the soup.” – Sebastian (Lou Costello) [24:47]
- Finale features Costello proudly describing his (overly seasoned) stuffing, leading to a final joke:
- “Did you taste it? I couldn’t even get near it.” – Lou Costello [26:53]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Table Manners:
- “I have no etiquette? You don’t even know how to say the word.” – Lou Costello [04:03]
- On Cooking Skills:
- “That’s tablespoons! I threw them in too!” – Costello’s misunderstanding leads to him putting entire tubs instead of tablespoons. [09:47]
- Absurd Detective Work:
- “Ain’t you got a relative doing time at that? ... Yeah, he didn’t wipe off his fingerprints when he robbed the bank.” – Lou Costello [22:59]
- Summing up the chaos:
- “I’m a bad boy.” – Sebastian (Lou Costello) [25:08]
Key Timestamps for Important Segments
- Abbott and Costello’s Opening Banter – 01:27–05:09
- Costello tries (and fails) at kitchen duties – 09:29–10:21
- Arrival of Socialite Guests, Lady Jennifer mishaps – 18:13–19:47
- Disappearance and recovery of Lady Jennifer’s pearls – 21:40–24:34
- Thanksgiving dinner ends in slapstick chaos – 24:34–27:00
Episode Tone and Style
The episode brims with classic vaudeville energy, rapid-fire puns, deliberate misunderstandings, and boisterous character voices. Costello is ever the loveable buffoon, with Abbott playing the straight man exasperated by his partner's literalism and wordplay. The format alternates quick gags with longer slapstick scenarios, all underscored by a light-hearted holiday theme.
For First-Time Listeners
Even without background on the original radio show, this episode is an accessible entry-point into Abbott & Costello’s comedy. The routines are centered around universal Thanksgiving chaos—misunderstanding etiquette, botched recipes, and family mishaps.
Expect fast-paced dialogue, outdated (but charming) language, and a warm, comedic send-up of holiday gatherings gone wrong.