Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion

USA 1950
produced by
Robert Arthur for Universal
directed by Charles Barton
starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Patricia Medina, Walter Slezak, Douglass Dumbrille, Leon Belasco, Marc Lawrence, William 'Wee Willie' Davis, Tor Johnson, Sammy Menacker, Jack Raymond, Fred Nurney, Paul Fierro, Henry Corden
story by D.D. Beauchamp, screenplay by John Grant, Martin Ragaway, Leonard Stern

Abbott & Costello

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have gone to Africa to look for wrestler Abdullah (William 'Wee Willie' Davis), and they learn he is the brother of sheik Hamoud (Douglass Dumbrille), who just happens to be the baddie of the film, and to get away from him, Abbott and Costello join the Foreign Legion - and are soon recruited by female spy Nicole (Patricia Medina) to invesigate against sheik Hamoud. And before you know it, the two of them find themselves marooned in the Sahara, then captured by Hamoud's men and forced to wrestle against Abdullah and his menacing sparring partner (Tor Johnson). Fortunately though, Abdullah is on their side and helps them escape, and  by some accident, Abbott and Costello manage to lure Hamoud and his men into an abandoned fort and blow it up ...

Very mediocre Abbott & Costello movie - meaning it's not very funny. It's pretty much just Abbott and Costello doing their routines once more, with Abbott seriously lacking in charm as the straight guy while Costello's comedy is of the childish variety. What the film seriously lacks though are any genuine comic setpieces, all of the scenes here seem to be interchangeable with any other Abbott & Costello movie or are even reused from older films. On top of that, the plot is purely functional and doesn't really build the basis for the comedy which seems to be only tacked on.

That said, the film isn't totally bad, but compare this one to the similar themed Bonnie Scotland starring Laurel & Hardy and you'll see a world of a difference ...

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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