Crazy Africa
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Crazy Africa |
| Original title | Africa Screams |
 | |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1949 |
| length | 79 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Charles Barton |
| script |
Martin Ragaway Leonard Stern |
| production |
Huntington Hartford Edward Nassour |
| music | Walter Schumann |
| camera | Charles Van Enger |
| cut | Frank Gross |
| occupation | |
| |
Mad Africa is a 1949 American comedy film by comedian duo Abbott and Costello . The screenplay is based on a story by Earl Baldwin.
action
Buzz and Stanley work in a New York department store. You will be asked for a book that shows a map of a diamond mine in the African Congo. The book "Dark Safari" is no longer published, but Stanley can remember the card and wants to copy it for a lot of money from memory for two interested parties, McCoy and Wilson. Little does Stanley know that Buzz promised the well-to-do Diana Emerson a copy for even more money. McCoy and Wilsen are Diana's henchmen. When Buzz and Stanley turn up at Diana's in the evening, the two employees are planning an expedition with the famous explorer Clyde Beatty. Buzz learns how much Diana wants to pay the discoverer. He wants to get more out of Stanley's copy, otherwise they would both go on their own expedition. Reluctantly, Diana agrees. Outwardly, it pretends to be looking for a rare orangutan species. But of course the diamond mine is their real goal.
Once in Africa, Buzz discovers that Stanley really has no idea about the map. In order not to betray themselves, the two lead the expedition as guides inland. On the way, Stanley meets the adventurer Frank Buck, who happens to be looking for the orangutan. One of the monkeys falls into a trap set by Buck, but Stanley accidentally releases the monkey. After a few encounters with the local wildlife, Buzz and Stanley stumble upon the mine they were looking for. Here it turns out that the mine was Diana's real destination. Buzz and Stanley are kidnapped by native cannibals. The grateful orangutan frees Stanley, who, along with Buzz, urges Diana to ban Beatty, McCoy and Wilson from the trade.
The chief and some of his men go to the camp. They offer diamonds for the delicate looking Stanley. Buzz and Stanley flee and are pursued by the natives as well as by Diana's troops. Buzz tries to hide his bag with the diamonds, but runs into the orangutan, who steals the bag from the panicked Buzz. The orangutan collects all the monkeys in the area to save Stanley. The pursuers flee into the jungle.
In New York, neatly dressed Stanley enters the Livington building where Buzz works as an elevator operator. Stanley goes upstairs and reports to his director, the orangutan.
criticism
The lexicon of international films describes the film as "quite entertaining film grotesque."
The New York Times criticizes the comedian duo. Every further film becomes dumber and less funny. The film is a powerless comedy.
background
The premiere took place on May 4, 1949 in New York. In Germany, the film did not appear in cinemas until August 18, 1950.
Clyde Beatty and Frank Buck play themselves here. Clyde Beatty was a well-known animal trainer and animal trainer. Frank Buck, who died a year after the shooting, was a hunter and zoo owner who appeared several times in jungle films and TV series. The cast of henchmen McCoy and Wilson, Max and Buddy Bear, were brothers. The older brother Max was a former heavyweight boxing champion. Buddy was also a boxer, but not quite as successful as Max. The orangutan was portrayed by an actor in disguise. Born in the Philippines, Charles Gemora had a lot of experience as he often portrayed great apes in his career. Two members of the comedian group Three Stooges , Shemp Howard and Joe Besser , had a guest appearance . This was the only time Shemp and Joe appeared together in front of a camera. The dialogue director was Norman Abbott, the nephew of the main actor Bud Abbott.
The title of the adventure parody plays on the documentary Africa Speaks! (1930) from Walter Futter.
The film is freely available as the public domain .
Web links
- Crazy Africa in the Internet Movie Database (English)