Africa Screams (1949)

Director:

Charles Barton

Writers:

Earl Baldwin (story)
Earl Baldwin (screenplay)

Release Date:

27 May 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Adventure

Tagline:

You'll Go Ape Over This DVD!

Plot:

Abbott & Costello search for diamonds in Africa, along the way meeting a visually-impaired gunner, a hungry lion, and a tribe of cannibals...

Plot Keywords:

Lion | Liar | Gorilla | Public Domain | Crosley Automobile

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Buzz Johnson
Lou Costello	...	Stanley Livington
Clyde Beatty	...	Himself
Frank Buck	...	Himself
Max Baer	...	Grappler McCoy
Buddy Baer	...	Boots Wilson
Hillary Brooke	...	Diana Emerson
Shemp Howard	...	Gunner
Joe Besser	...	Harry
Burt Wenland	...	Bobo (as Burton Wenland)

Also Known As:

Abbott and Costello in Africa

Runtime:

79 min | Argentina:82 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (alternate rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | UK:U

Filming Locations:

Nassour Studios - 5746 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Huntington Hartford Productions

Trivia:

There is a scene where Bud Abbott and Lou Costello are talking in their tent and Joe Besser dashes into the tent, grabs a glass of water and dashes out again. He repeats this several times until Abbott stops him and asks why he's so thirsty. Besser replies that he's not thirsty, it's that his tent is on fire. That was based on an incident in Costello's childhood, when he accidentally set some clothes in his bedroom on fire. His father was in the living room, which was between the kitchen and Costello's bedroom. Costello, not wanting to let his father know that he had set his room on fire, dashed back and forth between the kitchen and his bedroom with glasses of water until his father finally asked what was going on, whereupon Costello was forced to tell what he had done.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Stanley's real eyebrows are visible and obviously covered with makeup during the high eyebrow raise scene.

Quotes:

Buzz Johnson: I can't understand why you have this terrible fear of animals in you. What is it?
Stanley Livington: When I was a little baby I was scared by my piggy bank.
Buzz Johnson: That's nonsense.
[walks away]
Stanley Livington: [Grabs Buzz] You wanna hear something worse?
Buzz Johnson: What?
Stanley Livington: I was 15 years old before I ate my first animal cracker.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld (1994) (TV)

Lots of fun with the loony couple in the African jungle

The frantic duo now as a library clerks(Abbott and Costello)who become involve in African adventures when an ambitious group ruled by a nasty,evil woman(Hillary Brooke)thinks which Costello knows a treasure map.They go on an Africa safari which lead to a secret treasure ,the king Salomon's diamonds .Stranded in Africa happen numerous humorous adventures,odds and risks. The picture contains slapstick,simple humor,parody and is pretty amused.This is okay comedy but a cheapie production with low budget developing a sarcastic look to the jungle films.Most entertainment and madcap scheme comes from the animals apparition when are frightening at Costello as gorilla,croc and lions,especially when into a cage he believes being Abbott.Besides as supporting cast appear familiar faces joined in the mayhem,thus, Hillary Brooke(acting alongside with crazy duo ¨Against the captain Kidd¨) as femme fatal is especially known as wicked roles(¨Woman in green¨ against Sherlock's Basil Rathbone); Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck ,they were actually lions tamers;The Baer Brothers,Max and Buddy,real life muscle men heavyweight fighters and Buddy Baer(playing the giant) starred with the couple ¨Jack and the bean stalk¨; even appear the one time ¨Stooges¨(Howard and Besser). The film is regularly directed by usual director of their films,Charles Barton.The flick will like to nutty duo fans.Hilarious and humorous gags make this one of the best from barmy pair.