Now that my collection of reviews for Marx Brothers
films is nearly complete, a string of "Abbott and Costello"
movies will be appearing on the At-A-Glance Film Reviews
page soon, starting with today's "Here Come the Co-Eds."

In the spirit of the occasion, here is, for your entertainment,
a classic "lost" Abbott and Costello routine, which
they wrote during an unusual moment of mutual foresight.

----------------------------------------------------------

Costello: Hey, Abbott!

Abbott: Yes, Lou?

Costello: I just got my first computer.

Abbott: That's great, Lou. What did you get?

Costello: A Pentium II-266, with 40 Megs of RAM, a 2.1 Gig hard drive, and a 24X CD-ROM.

Abbott: That's terrific, Lou.

Costello: But I don't know what any of it means!

Abbott: You will in time.

Costello: That's exactly why I'm here to see you.

Abbott: Oh?

Costello: I heard that you're a real computer expert.

Abbott: Well, I don't know . . .

Costello: Yes-sir-ee. You know your stuff. And you're going to train me.

Abbott: Really?

Costello: Uh huh. And I am here for my first lesson.

Abbott: O.K. Lou. What do want to know?

Costello: I am having no problem turning it on, but I heard that you should be very careful how you turn it off.

Abbott: That's true.

Costello: So, here I am working on my new computer, and I want to turn it off. What do I do?

Abbott: Well, first you press the Start button, and then--

Costello: No, I told you I want to turn it off.

Abbott: I know, you press the Start button--

Costello: Wait a second. I want to turn it off. I know how to start it. So tell me what to do.

Abbott: I did.

Costello: When?

Abbott: When I told you to press the Start button.

Costello: Why should I press the Start button?

Abbott: To shut off the computer.

Costello: I press Start to stop?

Abbott: Well, Start doesn't actually stop the computer.

Costello: I knew it! So what do I press?

Abbott: Start.

Costello: Start what?

Abbott: Start button.

Costello: Start button to do what?

Abbott: Shut down.

Costello: You don't have to get rude!

Abbott: No, no, no! That's not what I meant.

Costello: Then say what you mean.

Abbott: To shut down the computer, press--

Costello: Don't say "Start!"

Abbott: Then what do you want me to say?

Costello: Look, if I want to turn off the computer, I am willing to press the Stop button, the End button, and the Cease and Desist button, but no one in their right mind presses the Start button to stop.

Abbott: But that's what you do.

Costello: And you probably go at stop signs, and stop at green lights.

Abbott: Don't be ridiculous.

Costello: I'm being ridiculous? Well, I think it's about time we started this conversation.

Abbott: What are you talking about?

Costello: I am starting this conversation right now. Good-bye.