Title: Africa Screams
Year: 1949
Genres: Adventure; Comedy
Director: Charles Barton

Cast:

• Bud Abbott as Buzz Johnson
• Lou Costello as Stanley Livington
• Clyde Beatty as himself
• Frank Buck as himself
• Max Baer as Grappler McCoy
• Buddy Baer as Boots Wilson
• Hillary Brooke as Diana Emerson
• Shemp Howard as Gunner
• Joe Besser as Harry
• Burton Wenland as Bobo
• Charles Gemora as The Ape

Synopsis:

Bookseller Buzz Johnson discovers that a rare map is hidden inside a copy of Dark Safari and promises to help his timid coworker Stanley Livington translate it—only to learn it’s actually a treasure map leading to diamonds. They join explorer Diana Emerson’s safari to the Congo, accompanied by a motley crew of hunters and Frank Buck’s animal collection. Misadventures include narrowly escaping cannibals, befriending a gorilla they saved, and surviving a giant ape encounter. In the end, Stanley and his gorilla companion return home wealthy—while Buzz ends up as his elevator operator.

Trivia:

• The film’s title parodies the 1930 documentary Africa Speaks!
• It fell into the public domain in 1977 when its copyright was not renewed.
• The Breen Office forced the gorilla character’s sex to be changed in the script to avoid bestiality implications.
• This was the only film in which Joe Besser and Shemp Howard appear together; Besser later joined The Three Stooges.
• Clyde Beatty supplied many of the live animals used on set, including the lions and alligators.