John Grant (December 27, 1891 – November 19, 1955) was a writer best known for his association with Abbott and Costello. Lou Costello called him their "chief idea man".[1]
Grant was a burlesque producer of the 1930s working in Toronto. In 1938 Abbott and Costello joined the Kate Smith radio program and their sketch Who's on First? was performed for a live audience in March 1938. Before the sketch was performed live it was polished up by Grant, who was later asked to join the comedy duo's writing team helping them with other sketches in the future. Grant wrote on many of the most memorable movies from Abbott and Costello. He also wrote for the Colgate Comedy Hour as well as authoring many screenplays.
Grant's gags were also performed by the teams Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis and Ma and Pa Kettle.
Grant usually contributed to scripts for Abbott and Costello films after other writers had done a first or second draft. He would go through the script and see where he could inject comedy routines. He usually worked alone and most of his material would be included in the final film because he was the only writer Abbott and Costello listened to.[2]
During the Red Hysteria of the early 1950s Lou Costello became convinced there was a communist conspiracy to infiltrate the film industry and demanded that his employees sign a petition swearing that had no part in any Communist work or organisation. Grant would not sign and Costello fired him, meaning Grant did not work on Lost in Alaska. Grant was not blacklisted and went on to work for Martin and Lewis on Sailor Beware. Costello felt that the script to Lost in Alaska suffered because of Grant's absence and rehired him for Abbott and Costello Meet Captain Kidd.[3]
Along with his Abbott and Costello films, he wrote "Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair" (1951), Martin and Lewis "Sailor Beware" (1951), Spike Jones and Buddy Hackett "Fireman Save My Child" (1954), and the detective drama "Ring of Fear" (1954 featuring Pat O'Brien and Mickey Spillane. Grant, himself, acted in "The Noose Hangs High" (1948).
Grant died after writing Abbott and Costello's second last movie as a team, Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy. He left behind a wife Dorothy, a brother and three sisters.[4]
Grant's love of vaudeville was passed down to his daughters. He also inspired his great grandson, Ken Drab who in 2008 became a webcomic.
He was married to former burlesque star, Dorothy Maye Grant.