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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Africa Screams (1949)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Jungle Crooks

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Africa Screams on DVD

This is one of the weaker Abbott and Costello comedies, but since it's in the public domain, I've had a copy in my collection for years, and I've always had a guilty laugh watching it. Playing Buzz Johnson and Stanley Livington, respectively, A&C con their way into joining an African safari; the hunters are secretly searching for diamonds, and they think that Lou has a map. Meanwhile, real-life hunters Frank Buck and Clyde Beatty do their stuff, and real-life boxer brothers Max and Buddy Baer play a couple of hired thugs. Additionally two of the Stooges, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser, provide comic support. The artificial jungle set -- including streams and ponds -- looks great, and I always imagine that the actors must have had a lot of fun running around on it. Plus, you can never have enough footage of guys in gorilla suits. Hillary Brooke stars as the girl that Lou thinks is in love with him. The director, Charles Barton, had previously helmed A&C's best film and biggest hit, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

The DVD I have, from Front Row Entertainment, comes with some poorly-written text biographies of both Bud and Lou, and claims a "remastered AC-3 Dolby Digital surround sound" audio track. But there are so many public domain versions available that it hardly matters which one you see.

With: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Clyde Beatty, Frank Buck, Max Baer, Buddy Baer, Hillary Brooke, Shemp Howard, Joe Besser
Written by: Earl Baldwin, Martin Ragaway, Leonard Stern
Directed by: Charles Barton
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Running Time: 80 minutes
Date: August 24, 2005