Early Life
Abbott was born in Asbury Park, New Jersey into a show business family. His parents worked for the Barnum and Bailey Circus: his mother, Rae (née Fisher), was a bareback rider and his father, Harry, was an advance man. Rae was from Maryland of German Jewish heritage and Harry was born in Pennsylvania of British parentage. Bud Abbott dropped out of school as a child and began working in Coney Island. When Abbott was 16, his father, now an employee of the Columbia Burlesque Wheel, installed him in the box office of the Casino Theater in Brooklyn. Eventually, Abbott began arranging burlesque show tours.
In 1918, he married Betty Smith, a burlesque dancer and comedienne. Abbott and his new wife soon began producing a vaudeville "tab show" called Broadway Flashes, which toured on the Gus Sun Vaudeville Circuit. Around 1924, Abbott began performing as a straight man in an comedy act with Betty. As his reputation grew, Abbott began working with veteran comedians like Harry Steppe and Harry Evanson.
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