Africa Screams
Movie review of Abbott and Costello’s “Africa Screams”, with Hillary Brooke, Joe Besser, and Shemp Howard. A comedy of Bud & Lou’s that’s fallen into the public domain.
Africa ScreamsMovie review of Abbott and Costello’s “Africa Screams”, with Hillary Brooke, Joe Besser, and Shemp Howard. A comedy of Bud & Lou’s that’s fallen into the public domain.
Africa Screams Buck Privates, starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, is the first movie that starred the comedy duo. In many ways, it is their funniest. In a nutshell, Abbott and Costello are small-time con men who try to escape a police officer …. Only to enlist in the Army by mistake. Who turns out to be their drill instructor? None other than the police officer that they were trying to escape. The film contains some of their funniest moments. Including Lou Costello becoming hopelessly confused during a drill – it must be seen to be appreciated.
Other characters include Shemp Howard (in a pre-Three Stooges role) and the Andrews Sisters, singing “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” among others. A very patriotic film, based in America shortly before the U.S.A. entered World War II (1941). Some of their best routines are found here, such as the classic you’re 40, she’s 10, and Lou Costello explaining to Bud Abbott that 28 divided by 7 is 13 — a hilarious routine, that’s worth its’ weight in gold.
Buck PrivatesOne of the classic Abbott and Costello routines, where Bud Abbott takes advantage of a common math mistake that we all make to fleece his pal, Lou Costello, out of all of his money. The skit ends with a simple ‘read my mind’ routine that takes Lou’s last remaining bill. This routine was done many times, both in the movies and their radio show.
Bud Abbott: Do me a favor, loan me $50.
Lou Costello: Bud, I can’t. I can’t loan you $50.
Bud Abbott: Oh, yes, ya can.
Lou Costello: No, I can’t. All I got is $40.
Bud Abbott: All right, give me the $40 and you’ll owe me 10 Loan me 50 dollars
You’re 40, she’s 10 – A classic Abbott and Costello skit, where Bud Abbott tries to play a prank on Lou Costello, only for Lou to use his clownish math skills.You’re 40, she’s 10 [Abbott and Costello skit]
A classic Abbott and Costello routine, from their first movie, One Night in the Tropics, where Bud Abbott shows that he’s not above running a quick scam on his friend, Lou Costello, in order to make a few dollars.
Bud Abbott: Have you got two tens for a five?
Two Tens for a FiveThe Vitamin Skit is a funny Abbott and Costello routine, taken from the Abbott and Costello radio show episode, “Abbott and Costello Radio – Linda Darnell“. Lou Costello misunderstands ‘B1’ for ‘be one’, among other verbal humor. Enjoy!
Vitamin SkitBlackie (Bud Abbott) and Heathcliff (Lou Costello), having been unsuccessful at entering through the gates of the Cal-Aero, Army Air Corps flight training academy, enter the U.S.O. club and approach the lunch counter with only one quarter between them and take their seats. Gloria (Martha Raye, playing the parts of twin sisters Gloria and Barbara) waits on them from behind the counter.
Sandwich and a Cup of CoffeeIn the movie The Noose Hangs High, there’s a very funny routine, where Abbott and Costello are being guarded by a gangster — and Bud Abbott decides to bet their warden that Bud can prove that the gangster isn’t there! It’s a classic piece of clown logic, that gets even better when the gangster decides to win his money back by making the same bet with Lou Costello — only for Lou to turn the tables on him!
I bet you that you’re not hereTaken from Abbott and Costello‘s radio show, although they also did the same basic routine in Lost in Alaska, and in their TV show as well. The basic premise is that Lou Costello’s Uncle has struck gold in Alaska, and Lou and Mr. Fields discuss mining for gold ..
Gold OreA classic Abbott and Costello routine from their radio show – where Bud Abbott is talking about his Uncle Herman who works in a dye factory, and Lou Costello confuses “dyeing” for “dying” — with minimal effort, it could be turned into a gospel ministry skit, at the end the clown taking Bud’s part talking about dying, spiritual death and eternal life.
Bud Abbott: You’d better take that suit over to my Uncle Herman’s, At the Kurt Dry Cleaning Plant.
Lou Costello: Dry Cleaning Plant? What’s your Uncle Herman doing there?
Bud Abbott: Well this is Wednesday, He’s dyeing today.
Lou Costello: That’s terrible Abbott, I didn’t even know he was sick.Dyeing Routine