Africa Screams (1949)

Two booksellers (Abbott & Costello) search for diamonds in Africa, meeting a visually-impaired gunner, a hungry lion, and a tribe of cannibals in a hilarious send-up of the "Safari Movie"...

Director Charles Barton was probably overjoyed when United Artists presented him with a cast consisting of: Comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, Shemp Howard and Joe Besser (of Three Stooges fame) animal trainer/explorer s Frank Buck and Clyde Beatty, Boxer/actor Max Bear and his son Buddy...with trained animals (and Ape costume) provided by Beatty himself, a budget of $500,000 and a custom Los Angeles Jungle set to shoot on...

The plot of this 79 minute feature is serviceable enough-but as in most of the Abbot and Costello movies the plot is merely the delivery system for barrage after barrage of comedic mayhem-and frankly I wouldn't have it any other way! Despite consistent audience demand and revenue, UA allowed the Copyright to elapse, and Africa Screams entered Public Domain in 1975, allowing us to enjoy it here...Sound, B&W.