Abbott worked in carnivals while still a child and dropped out of school in 1909. He worked as assistant treasurer for the Casino Theater in Brooklyn, then as treasurer or manager of various theaters around the country. He worked as straight man to vaudeville performers such as Harry Steepe and Harry Evanson while managing the National Theater in Detroit, and, in 1931 while cashiering at the Brooklyn theater, he substituted for comic Lou Costello's ill straightman. The two formed their famous comedy team and, through the 1930s, they worked burlesque, minstrel shows, vaudeville and movie houses. In 1938 they got national exposure through the 'Kate Smith' Hour radio show, and signed with Universal the next year for their film debut in One Night in the Tropics. Their 1941 movie Buck Privates, with the Andrews Sisters, grossed what was then a company record $10 million, and in 1942 they topped a poll of Hollywood stars. They had their own radio show (ABC, 1941-6, NBC, 1946-9) and TV show (The Abbott and Costello Show). After the war their movies shifted formula to one in which they met various monsters or found themselves in exotic locations. The team split up in 1957 with both members completely out of money after troubles with the Internal Revenue Service. Abbott started over with a new partner, Candy Candido, in the 1960s but failed. In 1966 he did voice for a cartoon version of their television show.