Africa Screams (1949)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Simply Perfect

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This movie is of special interest to me as a Three Stooges fan, in that it features not one but two actors who were part of the Stooges at one time or other, Joe Besser and Shemp Howard. Joe, almost universally regarded as the least funny of all who were ever part of the trio, was the only member to have a more successful comedy career apart from the Stooges than with. Shemp, despite sometimes being compared unfavorably with his brother Curly, was a solid member of the trio for 10 years, while his career apart from the Stooges never really amounted to much.In this movie we see both of those realities at work. Joe is, in a word, hilarious, and steals virtually every scene he is in. It's not much of a stretch to say that this is as much his movie as Bud's and Lou's. Shemp, on the other hand, plays a nearsighted buffoon, and his performance is nothing more than a running gag that involves him repeatedly running into things, which quickly grows tiresome.Seeing Joe Besser's comedic talents on display here (as well as in other settings, like the post-Stooges Joey Bishop Show), leaves one marveling at how one so hilariously funny could have flopped so completely as a Stooge. Whereas Shemp will always be remembered as one of the Three Stooges and nothing else, and his performance in this movie does nothing to change that.

Abbott and Costello head off to the jungles of Africa on a search for diamonds in this OK but unspectacular comedy. As the story begins, Costello is drafted by Abbott to impersonate a big-game hunter in order to lead a somewhat shady expedition to Africa. The movie lost a bit of credibility right off the start when Costello's secret obviously came crashing down in his exchange with Clyde Beatty, who was apparently a real big game hunter playing himself. The exchange was funny, but why Beatty wouldn't have simply outed him right then was beyond me. As the movie progresses, there are a series of adventures with various wild animals and with a tribe of cannibals, and the movie finally progresses to its end, as Costello (who seemed beaten) emerges from the adventures apparently fabulously wealthy, while Abbott works as his elevator operator.There were scattered chuckles throughout, and some good physical comedy in places, but for the most part the story was relatively weak and lacking in any sense of flow. This also features a somewhat nonsensical (but what else would you expect) appearance from Shemp Howard, of "Three Stooges" fame. If you need to waste a bit of time, it will do that - and not unpleasantly - but it really is nothing more than a time-waster. 5/10

Even by Abbott & Costello standards, 'Africa Screams' is a terrible film with a few amusing moments. There are some items of interest to movie buffs today, such as the casting of two of the Three Stooges, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser, in secondary roles; this was seven years before Besser replaced Shemp as the 'third Stooge.' 'Africa Screams' was a rare independent production for A&C. It was filmed by Nassour Studios, though the team was still under contract to Universal. The previous year had seen Bud and Lou reach the top of the box office after a slump in the mid-forties, with 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein,' arguably their best film ever. Whether 'Africa Screams' was planned prior to that success or was a result of it, I don't know. In any event, it was a 'one-off,' as A&C immediately returned to Universal afterward and stayed there until 1955, when they were dropped. They made one more independent film in 1956, 'Dance With Me, Henry', before calling it quits for good. 'Africa Screams' is a hodgepodge of old routines, a few new ones, and an 'African safari' plot that pops up occasionally, mainly to justify the presence of animal trainers Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck. The pro boxing brothers, Max Baer and Buddy Baer, are along for the ride too as a couple of tough henchmen. So we get the obligatory 'lion-taming' sequence from Mr. Beatty, and a punch-out scene with the two Baer brothers. Frank Buck, fortunately, has virtually nothing to do. Joe Besser has one funny moment when he hears one of the others reveal a secret; he punches the guy on the arm and in his best spoiled-brat voice says, "Ooo, you're such a snitch!" Shemp Howard, like Frank Buck, is nowhere to be seen during most of the action and when he is, has nothing amusing to do. As for Abbott & Costello themselves, they resurrect any number of old routines, most of which are not related to the plot at all. It's almost like watching an early television variety show where they come on at intervals, do a sketch, then depart. Abbott does the familiar bit where he thinks Lou has been killed and delivers a long, mournful monologue about what a great guy Lou was and how he, Abbott, is to blame... even though Lou's standing right there. (How many times did A&C AND the Three Stooges use that routine?) My favorite is Lou reprising the 'whispering threat' business from 'Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap' where he challenges the bad guys to a no-holds-barred fight, but from a distance where they can't see him and in a voice so slight they can't hear him. For about three minutes, it's a very funny film. The casting of Besser and Hillary Brooke, as the female lead, foreshadows in fact the Abbott & Costello TV show of the early fifties, as both would be regulars. Production values of 'Africa Screams' are bottom-of-the-barrel, making any of the team's Universal flicks look like 'Gone With The Wind' by comparison. Well, the good news is, there are about 35 other Abbott & Costello films to watch instead.

And they did make an awful lot of films starting with their debut in Universal's ONE NIGHT IN THE TROPICS (1940). And they did stay busy at Universal; where along with Miss Deanna Durbin, they managed to keep the Studio's doors open. But, they did not go exclusive with Universal; opting for some simultaneous work to be done for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Samuel Goldwyn Studios/United Artists as well as some independents.Of all their films, we liked ABBOTT & COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (Universal-Intermnational, 1948) the best; but that, my dear Schultz, is another story and review. Following this would be both more simplified, yet more complicated; simplified because it provided a road map of where to start with an A&C vehicle and where to go with it. As for the more complicated aspect of the equation; it becomes a matter of, "how do we top this?" With the release of Africa SCREAMS (Huntington-Hartford/Nassour Pictures/United Artists, 1949), it is obvious that all of this business learned on the A&C Frankenstein Project was applied to the "jungle project".First of all, they started with a simple enough premise and storyline to boot. Bud & Lou work in a big, Downtown Bookstore; being kind of like a B. Dalton, Bookseller or Kroch's & Brentano's (here in Chicago). Lou entertains dreams of being a big time Jungle Guy, sort of like co-stars Frank Buck and Clyde Beatty.* In true comedy movie fashion, the pair get tangled up with Treasure Hunter s Diana Emerson (Hillary Brooke) and her Henchmen Boots Wilson (Buddy Baer) & Grappler McCoy (Max Baer).They wind up at her house, having plenty of interplay with her Butler, Harry (Joe Besser) and Safari "Guide", Gunner (a Coke-bottle spectacled Shemp Howard). They eventually get to be part of Miss Brooke's expedition by lying about knowledge of the map needed to find a treasure trove of diamonds, worth a King's Ransom. They get into trouble with the local natives, "Bring 'Em Back Alive" Mr. Frank Buck (Himself) and the "World's Greatest Animal Trainer" Mr. Clyde Beatty (Himself).Lou also runs into a Gorilla who has apparent crush on him, in an emotional lovelorn way; not being a sort of Wrasslin' maneuver. And the censors objected to a female Gorilla feeling amorous about Costello; so the production team made the Gorilla a Male! So our would be 'G' Rated (today) Saturday Afternoon Kids Matinée special now has a Homosexual Bestiality relationship, right out there in front of God and Everybody! (Isn't it great to see how lucky we are in having an Arbiter of Public Taste and Morals looking- out for us in the Movie Business!**) So, in no surprise to anyone, after all of the above has transpired and a Giant King Kong/Mighty Joe Young knockoff Gorilla brings the action on the Dark Continent to a climactic crescendo, the Comical Pair returns to New York; where Lou has become some sort of Tycoon and Abbott some kind of blue collar worker in Costello's employ! THE END! A film of only about 80 minutes in length, Africa SCREAMS is obviously a project conceived as an Abbott & Costello movie from the most embryonic of stages. While it is no masterpiece; it is a top flight laugh maker, which is what it is all about, after all is said and done! The film is a crazy-quilt of the most unusual collection of personalities involved in the production at all levels. First of all, we have the cast; which we have already acknowledged in previous paragraphs; but, here we go again. Other than Bud & Lou we have a relatively small (not in size for the Baers) cast. The just mentioned brothers, Heavtyweights in the Prize Ring both, provided the brawn heavies in the gang, the "muscle." "The Livermore Larruper" former Heavyweight Champion of The World, Max Baer and his "little" brother, the near giant Buddy Baer did just fine in performing their shtick with Bud & Lou. Both Hillary Brooke and Joe Besser were later regulars on "THE ABBOTT AND COSTELLO SHOW" (CBS TV/ NBC TV, 1952-53); with Hillary providing the glamour and Joe playing the Man-Boy, "Stinky" in the Buster Brown suit! And let's not forget the old-pro, the comedians' comedian, the maverick Stooge (himself), Shemp Howard as the "blind-as-a-bat" (with or without the "Harry Caray-style" glasses.)In going beyond the cast we find a really strange conglomeration of people in different roles. Take for example: Musical Director, Walter Schumann-he of the "DRAGNET" theme and music for NIGHT OF THE HUNTER! We have Donald Crispi as Executive Producer! William Nassour (Producer of "SHEENA, QUEEN OF THE JUNGLE" TV Series, 1956) was Ececutive in Charge. Norman Abbott (Bud's nephew) worked as dialogue coach. Perhaps the most unusual member to be involved is Huntington Hartford, whose name is the same as his Production Company. Mr. Hartford, whose family owned the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as the A&P Food Stores; once totaling about 15,000 Supermarkets nationwide.Now in Public Domain, Africa SCREAMS is easy to find; being all over the place, much like IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Liberty Pictures/RKO Radio, 1946) used to be.NOTE: * These 2 guys were real life Jungle Bwanas; Mr. Buck having been known as "Bring 'Em Back Alive" for some 25 years before this picture. Clyde Beatty had his own Circus, was known as "the World's Greatest Animal Trainer" and had made many films before, including 2 Serials portraying Himself.NOTE: ** This begs the question: Who's pitchin' and who's catchin'?