Africa Screams (1949)
Bumbling bookseller Stanley convinces a party of adventurers that he can read a map to unexplored African territory, and he and his partner Buzz are dragged along on their safari. Cannibals, lions, and a very large ape complicate the expedition once the group realizes Stanley knows nothing at all.
An independent production made away from Universal, which is why Africa Screams slipped into the public domain once its copyright lapsed. The safari spoof surrounds Abbott and Costello with real-life animal handlers Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck playing themselves, plus Shemp Howard and Joe Besser in support.
Background
Africa Screams was made as an independent production outside the usual Universal Pictures system that had produced most of Abbott and Costello’s earlier films, which is part of why its copyright eventually lapsed and placed it in the public domain. The plot follows a bumbling bookseller who convinces a party of adventurers that he can read a map to unexplored African territory, dragging his partner along on a safari filled with cannibals, lions, and a very large ape once the group discovers he actually knows nothing about the terrain.
What to watch for
Watch for the film’s unusual pairing of comedy with real-life animal handlers Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck, both well-known figures from actual safari and circus work, playing versions of themselves alongside the comic leads. Shemp Howard and Joe Besser also appear in supporting roles, giving the film a fuller comic ensemble than some of Abbott and Costello’s more tightly focused two-person vehicles.
