Africa Screams

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello temporarily leave their usual Universal stamping grounds to star in the Huntington Hartford production Africa Screams. Costello plays the colorfully inept Stanley Livingstone, a meek book salesman who poses as a big-game hunter at the behest of his shifty pal Buzz Johnson (Abbott). It's all part of a scheme to extract some money from adventuress Diana Emerson (Hillary Brooke), who intends to search for a lost diamond mine in the heart of Africa. It seems that Stanley has committed to memory a long out-of-print book which contained a map to the mine. Despite his mortal fear of wild animals, Stanley accompanies Buzz, Diana, and Diana's henchmen on the African expedition. The subsequent comic complications involve a legendary giant gorilla, a cannibal tribe, and a friendly orangutan who falls in love with Stanley. Animal trainer Clyde Beatty and big-game tracker Frank Buck make cameo appearances while character comics Shemp Howard and Joe Besser provide laughs as, respectively, a nearsighted gunman and a sissified flunky. Also on hand are boxer brothers Max Baer and Buddy Baer, who engage in an amusingly unconvincing display of fisticuffs. But the film belongs to Abbott & Costello, who are in fine form. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Features:
  • Biographies
  • Filmographies
  • Photo gallery
  • Interactive menus
  • Jump to scene
  • Dolby sound
  • PC/MAC compatible

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Bud Abbott - Buzz Johnson
       Lou Costello - Stanley Livingston
       Hillary Brooke - Diana Emerson
       Max Baer - Boots
       Buddy Baer - Grappler
       Clyde Beatty - Himself
       Frank Buck - Himself
       Shemp Howard - Gunner
       Joe Besser - Harry

• Director:

  Charles Barton

• Producer:

  Edward Nassour, Huntington Hartford

• Screenwriter:

  Earl W. Baldwin

• Cinematographer:

  Charles Van Enger

• Composer (Music Score):

  Walter Schumann

• Editor:

  Frank Gross

• Production Designer:

  Lewis H. Creber, Jane Huizenga

• Set Designer:

  Edward Ray Robinson

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Robert Pritchard

• Special Effects:

  Carl Lee

• First Assistant Director:

  Joseph E. Kenny

• Technical Director:

  David D. Martin