1949 Directed by Charles Barton
When bookseller Buzz cons Diana into thinking that his friend Stanley knows all there is to know about Africa, they are abducted and ordered to lead Diana and her henchmen to an African tribe in search of a fortune in jewels.
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I was 15 years old before I ate my first animal cracker.
That poster just screams "Abbott and Costello Get Cancelled".
I have seen this before, believe it or not! Years and years ago when I was just a kid and the TV room was adjacent to my parents room we were watching this during the summer and we had to be quiet. When Costello describes the cannibalistic native chieftain who he whacked on the head, he then realizes the same native is in the tent with him, and he freaks out. my friend Jesse started laughing harder than anyone has ever laughed in their life. My brother and I jumped on him to shut him up because we had to be quiet because my parents were sleeping in the adjacent room. All of that being said, this is hilarious and…
I too was wondering why someone would pay $2,500 for directions to a department store.
Made in 1949 and there’s, unfortunately, some offensive content in here that is certainly of its era. Yes, it is a shame and it does affect your enjoyment of the piece.
“Africa” also feels a little studio-bound, oddly making no use of stock footage to at least attempt to give an illusion of the beautiful continent. The sets feel small and look unconvincing.
What we do get is a decent enough plot, that moves the picture along. Giving the boys an opportunity for their shenanigans. There is a juvenility to the humour that doesn’t play to the strengths of the duo, which in my opinion was their repertoire within quick-fire wordplay and brilliantly conceived miscommunication. There are small roles for Shemp Howard (the 4th Stooge) and Joe Besser (the 5th Stooge!). Shemp is possibly the funniest person in the film.
My first Abbot and Costello...
Since last year I have been meaning to take a peek at the duo’s incredible collection, and yesterday was supposed to be where I start finally but then I was yawning too much at that time I was about to watch this, so I slept off instead. So here we are, after watching two horrible movies earlier this evening, I wanted to bounce out of the utter disgust they me had in.
I picked Africa Screams to be my first because since this is like over 70 years old, I’ll always be curious of how the place I would later spring out of was portrayed or represented in Cinema especially from a much longer time ago.…
Features not one, but two real life adventurers from 1930s serials - Clyde Beatty & Frank Buck. Features not one, but two Three Stooges - Shemp Howard & Joe Besser. Features not one, but two Baers - boxing greats Max Baer & Buddy Baer. And features not one, but two numskulls trapped in the jungle with gorillas and pussycats. Namely Abbott & Costello. This was their least funny in years, but having Costello constantly running from trouble provided plenty of laughs.
As if to make up for their first independent production, THE NOOSE HANGS HIGH, being packed with a half dozen routines, this follow up production has next to none, and instead relies of situational comedy, like their later Universal years. This decision brings the comedy down several notches. To pick up the slack they enlist not one but two Stooges (Shemp and Joe Besser). If this was a Universal picture, it might have been called "Abbott and Costello meet Frank Buck", who was a legendary figure back then (and completely unheard of today), the world's leading supplier of wild animals. It would be his last picture. Also on hand was Clyde Beatty, the lion tamer, and Max and Buddy Baer,…
One of my favourites that Abbott and Costello made. One of their two films that's now in the public domain. They go to Africa in this one and have run ins with lions, gorillas and cannibals. Lou is at his best here and quite hilarious. Also the only time that two "third" stooges would appear together on film as Shemp Howard and Joe Besser both have bit parts which are also really funny. Recommended watch for fans of Abbott and Costello and classic comedy.
Definitely not Abbott and Costello's best, but there's some solid laughs to be found in Africa Screams. Lou's interactions with various large and dangerous animals are hysterical, as are his pathetic animal "impersonations". Even Bud gets to have some fun towards the film's end with his diamond-mad rants. Shemp and Joe Besser of Three Stooges fame appear onscreen together for the only time, which is quite a treat. Besser is particularly funny with his screaming, campy whines. Africa Screams should keep Abbot and Costello fans satiated, everyone else can avoid.
Africa Screams. And the audience shifts restlessly in their seats.
I was just a little bit bored by Africa Screams. It'd been a very long time since I'd watched anything from Abbot and Costello and the comedy magic I remember didn't seem to be manifested here. For me, the funniest bits came from the two Stooges in the cast: Joe Besser and Shemp Howard. I wish they'd been granted much more screentime than they actually had.
Africa Screams is mildly amusing and moderately engaging. Bud and Lou are fine, but their routine seems to be running out of steam. More Shemp would've helped.
