Lost in a Harem (1944)

Director:

Charles Reisner

Writers:

Harry Ruskin (screenplay) &
John Grant (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

December 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot:

Two bumbling magicians help a Middle Eastern prince regain his rightful throne from his despotic uncle.

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Palm Tree | Nightclub | Abbott And Costello | Scimitar

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Peter Johnson
Lou Costello	...	Harvey Garvey
Marilyn Maxwell	...	Hazel Moon
John Conte	...	Prince Ramo
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Nimativ
Lottie Harrison	...	Teema
Lock Martin	...	Bobo (as J. Lockard Martin)
Murray Leonard	...	The Derelict
Adia Kuznetzoff	...	Chief Ghamu
Milton Parsons	...	Crystal Gazer
Ralph Sanford	...	Mr. Ormulu
Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra	...	Themselves

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:S | USA:Approved (PCA #10118) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Sweden:15

Company:

Loew's

Trivia:

Overseas program #820 for U.S. troops during the war.

Quotes:

The Derelict: Quiet! People will think you're crazy.
Harvey Garvey: Oh, and I suppose you're all right?
The Derelict: Of course!
Harvey Garvey: Of course?
The Derelict: I have a brother who is crazy -
[screaming]
The Derelict: but I'm all right!
Harvey Garvey: [gasping] Who told you?
The Derelict: My brother!
Harvey Garvey: That does it, brother!

Movie Connections:

Featured in Twenty Years After (1944)

Soundtrack:

It is Written

A terrible motion picture

This is an absolutely abominable picture. Abbott & Costello were never very good, even at their best. They are not anywhere near their best in this garbage. In addition to the usual supposedly funny situations that routinely happen in one of these "comedians loose in a harem" type movies, A&C manage to add more drivel. EXAMPLE: There are two really stupid scenes that take place in different jail cells where they encounter an obnoxious looney-bin character who actually reprises the tired and old "Niagra Falls, slowly I turned" routine. And, since this is an A&C picture, the bit, unfunny to start with, is naturally overdone. The second jailhouse scene with the fruitcake lasts about 15 minutes, which is about 14 minutes too long. What makes it worse is that the scene seems to last for an hour. I admit that I never cared for A&C but, it many of their films, I could find a couple of laughs. But, for me, there were no laughs in this turkey. Just, tired old routines that contributed to the boredom factor.