Abbott & Costello’s Final Act, Plus Felix the Cat’s Universal Future (Ep. 121)

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey catch up on the latest Universal news, from King Kong’s temporarily modified return at Islands of Adventure to fresh progress on Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Orlando. They also look at Universal’s surprisingly deep catalog of classic characters, including Felix the Cat, and new clues surrounding Universal’s planned UK resort. Then Jim concludes the story of Abbott and Costello with a look at the personal tragedy, professional tensions, health struggles, and Hollywood twists that shaped the comedy team’s final years. NEWS • Skull Island: Reign of Kong reopens at Islands of Adventure while its giant Kong animatronic remains hidden for maintenance. • Construction walls and rerouted pathways appear near Toon Lagoon, reviving discussion about how Universal could eventually reuse that part of Islands of Adventure. • Fast & Furious: Hollywood Drift in Orlando reaches the pull-through testing stage, while the Hollywood version gets a special Halloween Horror Nights ride add-on. • Universal’s plans for 2027 and beyond spotlight Shrek 5, How to Train Your Dragon, Jurassic World, Universal Monsters, and the unexpected return of Felix the Cat. • New information surrounding Universal’s proposed UK resort points toward six themed areas, with properties such as Paddington, Back to the Future, Jurassic World, Wizarding World, and Minions among the possibilities. FEATURE • Jim concludes the story of Abbott and Costello by examining how Lou Costello’s health problems and personal tragedies affected the legendary comedy team. • The unusual production history of Fireman Save My Child reveals how Buddy Hackett and Hugh O’Brian stepped in after Costello became ill. • A tragic 1943 radio broadcast became one of the most remarkable moments of Lou Costello’s career after the death of his infant son. • Jim traces the growing tensions between Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, their eventual reconciliation, and the creation of the Lou Costello Jr. Youth Foundation. HOSTS • Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia | Instagram: @JimHillMedia | jimhillmedia.com • Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey | Instagram: @erichersey | strongmindedagency.com FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR Planning your next Universal getaway? Be Our Guest Vacations can help take the guesswork out of choosing the right hotel, tickets, and trip extras, whether you are headed to Epic Universe or Universal Studios Hollywood. Visit BeOurGuestVacations.com and let them know the Epic Universal Podcast sent you. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices