Customer Reviews

Lost in a Harem [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Charles Riesner directs this classic A & C film. The film was made during the team's loan out to MGM from the parent studio UNIVERSAL. The team travel to Arabia to bring back heroine Marilyn Maxwell and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra (who villain Douglas Dumbrille has hypnotised into playing ONLY for him). The boys MANAGE to convince the shiek Dumbrille's ENTIRE harem and a towering guard, that they're talent scouts from Hollywood looking for new stars. One of the film's BEST highlights has Bud and Lou locked in a room. Dumbrille hypnotises them into thinking they're termites. Before long the boys have DEVOURED EVERY piece of furniture in the room. GREAT Abbott & Costello flick. LOTS OF LAUGHS.

Not one of Abbott & Costello's best works. Costello has some funny bits but overall I was rather unimpressed with this one. Don't get me wrong the movie is definitly watchable and has some very funny scenes but it just doesn't compare to some of the other work they put out around this same time. There are much better works to choose from "Time Of Their Lives", "Hold That Ghost" & "Rio Rita" to name a few.

If yo like Abbott and Costello, this is your movie. Overlooked by many, it is funnier than Buck Privates with many of the great A&C routines used to great advantage. A truly memorable comic masterpiece.

Lost In A Harem is one of the best Abbott & Costello films for 3 reasons: One, unlike most of their films in the 1940s which were produced at Universal Studios (and available on DVD in a Universal set), this one was done at MGM with that studios usual higher production standards, including a few spectacular musical numbers. Two, it is one of only about a dozen filmed appearances of big band great Jimmmy Dorsey, who performs, with his band, a number called John Silver ("15 men on a dead man's chest") which I haven't found elsewhere, and a few other songs. Three, the "Pokomoko" routine ("Slowwwwly I turned, step by step I crept upon him . . .") is done to perfection by A&C with Murray Leonard as the Derelict, which I've always remebered as one of my favorite A&C routines since I was 10 years old. Furthermore, there's a real live giant (Lock Martin), full costumes and exotic sets as you would expect from MGM, a magic skit by A&C, hypnotism, a fine performance from Douglas Dumbrille as the bad guy, and more good music. I would rate it below Abott & Costello Meet Frankenstein, In The Navy, In Society, The Naughty Nineties, and perhaps 3 or 4 others, but definitely in their top ten or twelve. But since it's not in the Universal set, it's not available on DVD anywhere.

LOST IN A HAREM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
Release Date(s): November 8, 1944 (Newe York City, New York)(premiere). December, 1944
Runtime: 89 minutes

Director:
Charles Reisner

Producer:
George Haight

Writing Credits:
Harry Crane
John Grant
Harry Ruskin

Cast:
Bud Abbott......Peter Johnson
Lou Costello.....Harvey Garvey
Marilyn Maxwell..Hazel Moon
John Conte......Prince Ramo
Douglas Dumbrille..Nimativ
Lottie Harrison...Teema
Lock Martin....Bobo
Murray Leonard..The Derelict
Adia Kuznetzoff..Chief Ghamu
Milton Parsons..Crystal Gazer
Ralph Stanford..Mr. Ormula
Bud Wolf.....Chase Guard
Carey Loftin...Chase Guard
Harry Cording -
Eddie Abdo.....Native
Sammy Stein....Native Jailor
Duke York....Jailor
Karin Booth....Beautiful Girl
Frank Penny....Beareded Vendor
Nick Thompson...Native
Tor Johnson.....Majordomo
Jody Gilbert....Native Laundry Woman
Paul Newlan.....Guard
Eddie Dunn......Sentry
Sondra Rogers....Zaida the Maid
Richard Alexander....Executioner
Tom Herbert....Drunk
Jimmy Dorsey....Himself

Music by:
Johhny Green

Cinematography by:
Lester White

Film Editing by:
George Hively

Other Crew:

Plot Summary:
Peter Johnson and Harvey Garvey are a traveling magic act that get caught up in an adventure to overthrow an evil ruler.

after costello's illness mgm and universal rushed 2 films into production...this one is not their best....they seem to be disinterested//slow moving//one or 2 good routines//not their best