Perdidos num Harém

Like MGM's previous Abbott and Costello film, RIO RITA, LOST IN A HAREM has a sound and feel to it that is indicative of being filmed in a sound stage with lots of echo--an odd choice for a desert film. As a result, the film has a certain artificial and claustrophobic feel to it. Why MGM wouldn't take this immensely popular comedy team (one of the biggest box office draws of the era) and put them in a higher quality film is a mystery. MGM had a habit of misusing comedy teams--particularly in the post-Irving Thalberg era.

Now this doesn't mean that they cut lots of corners indoors, but what they did do wasn't exactly crowd-pleasing. These musical numbers were even more lavish than those in the Universal Pictures films the team made and starred Jimmy Dorsey and his famous orchestra--in the desert. All these songs didn't give the fans what they wanted--more Abbott and Costello. As a result, their three MGM films failed to make the money the studio had expected.

Despite these shortcomings, the film does have some laughs. While far from sophisticated, the prison skits with the seriously crazy cell-mate are pretty funny and are based on old Vaudeville routines--particularly the 'Pokomoko' skit. In fact, it was done in other films and by other comedy teams (such as The Three Stooges)--and was probably done by other comedy teams long before Abbott and Costello. Murray Leonard was very funny (though far from subtle) in these routines and worked well with the team.

As for the plot, it's a bit silly and unfortunately also has the formulaic lady and her love interest (who really do little in the way of plot or comedy). In this case, a beautiful blonde just happens to be in this desert country and the boys are trying to help her escape back to America. Unfortunately, there is an evil usurper (Douglass Dumbrille--who was pretty funny in a cartoony way) who has taken the throne and uses his cool hypno-rings to make people do his bidding. He immediately is taken by the blonde and the boys get caught up in a plot by the rightful monarch (is this an oxymoron?) to get the hypno-rings--helping him and the rebels to depose Dumbrille. Naturally, much of the film consists of the boys running about the palace and trying to avoid being executed.

Whether you like this film will depend a lot on whether or not you find these antics funny. Abbott and Costello fans will clearly find enough to merit watching, though those not familiar with the duo might find this hard-going, as the film is watchable but far from their best.

Mildly amusing A&C. Moving over to big-budget MGM means bigger production values than usual. And some of the Middle-East cityscapes are really impressive. The boys are helping the prince of the realm (Conte) regain the throne from the evil usurper Nimativ (Dumbrille). Needless to say, their help is a lot funnier than effective. The sketches are okay but the connecting narrative is flatter than usual. And too bad we don't see more of the harem than the pudgy little keeper who looks a lot like Costello—a funny bit.

Actually, my favorite part is the frenetic dance routine imaginatively set to the exotic strains of Scheherezade—the long scarves flying fast and furious. Surprisingly, we don't see much of Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra, despite their featured billing. At the same time, there's the lovely Marilyn Maxwell who mostly gets to stand around and look blonde.

Some of the funnier parts—pretending to be Hollywood talent scouts to get the harem girls on their side, the derelict (Leonard) doing his "Slowly I turn…" bit that usually ends with Costello looking like a pretzel, and the invisible man routine that turns Costello into a janitor. Anyway, it's a peppy 90-minutes and if not among their best, at least it has its share of laughs.

LOST IN A HAREM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1944), directed by Charles Reisner, marks the second of three Abbott and Costello comedies for MGM. Taking another loan from their home base of Universal, this production is a spoof on either Paramount's "Road" comedies featuring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope, or the then current Arabian Nights adventures minus the Technicolor backdrop. It does include a villain, wonderfully played by Douglass Dumbrille, who had menaced another comedy team of The Marx Brothers in A DAY AT THE RACES (1937) and THE BIG STORE (1941), as earlier menaced Abbott and Costello in RIDE 'EM COWBOY (Universal, 1942). For romantic subplot, Marilyn Maxwell and John Conte come along for the ride with plot that's mostly a series of vaudeville gags put together in story form for much of its 90 minutes of entertainment.

Following a narrative introduction from a crystal glazer (Milton Parsons), the story begins in a mythical city of Port Inferno where Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell) works as a singer at the Cafe of All Nations, accompanied by Peter Johnson (Bud Abbott) and Harvey D. Garvey (Lou Costello), who had earlier helped her stranded troupe and now has acquired them jobs as magicians for their good nature. Prince Ramo (John Conte) wants to meet with Hazel, but while in need of her assistance to help him regain his throne taken from his wicket uncle, Nimativ (Douglass Dumbrille), she simply mistakes him for a masher. Following a riot that sends Pete, Harvey and Hazel to jail, Ramo agrees to their escape in return for Hazel's assistance, considering how Nimativ is attracted to rarely seen blondes. After Ramo and his caravan return to Barabeetla to get him out of power by stealing his uncle's hypnotic rings, Pete and Johnson pose as Hollywood talent scouts while Hazel, much to her dismay, to find herself chosen to become Nimatiy's wife number 37, among other unforeseen results. Others in the cast include: Lottie Harrison (Teema); J. Lockhard Martin (Bobo); Adia Kuzenikoff (Chief Gnamu); and Ralph Sanford (Mr. Ormulu). On the musical program is Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra with songs featuring: "What Does It Take to Get You?" (Sung by Marilyn Maxwell); "Sons of the Desert," (good tune) "Old John Silver," and "Noche De Ronda" (dance number).

Among the gags by John Grant involving Abbott and Costello, such as the opening magic act, other highlights include them with a third party, Murray Leonard as the Derelict, with their classic exchange of "Pokomogo! Slowly I turn. Step by step!" This familiar routine dating back to vaudeville has been performed by other comics as the Three Stooges as later by Lucille Ball in her classic 1950s show of "I Love Lucy." Leonard's character adds much to the story, especially when reappearing numerous times when least expected. He would do his "Pokomogo" routine again with Bud and Lou on television in "The Abbott and Costello Show." Another funny bit involves Bud and Lou hypnotized as termites and eating anything made of wood, followed by Costello disguised as one of Nimativ's harem wives. While some comedy material works, others such as the very extended one involving an invisible friend named Mike is often amusing, especially when sound effects are concerned, but is something that could have been shortened a bit before viewer's lost of interest sets in. Marilyn Maxwell plays a satisfactory heroine, but with Abbott and Costello around, she gets little to do except look pretty.

While Abbott and Costello got lost again in LOST IN ALASKA (Universal, 1952), the much better LOST IN A HAREM, formerly available on video cassette and later DVD, can be seen and appreciated the next time it turns up on Turner Classic Movies cable channel. (**1/2 sheiks)

"Lost In A Harem" is Abbott and Costello's second Universal loan-out to MGM. As such, the film benefits from MGM's always excellent production values, but loses much in the fact that MGM didn't have a big comedy unit.

Bud and Lou play entertainers stranded in the Middle East with singer Marilyn Maxwell. They are enlisted by a Sheik who schemes to overthrow his evil uncle with their help.

A&C aren't bad, but there appears to be some energy missing from their performance. This is probably due to Lou's tough year in 1943; his bout with Rheumatic Fever, coupled with his son's tragic death, undoubtedly contributed to this (this was their first filmed effort in 1944, although "In Society," filmed after this, was released earlier.) A&C's carbon copy of the Three Stooges' "Niagara Falls" routine doesn't help either. Musical numbers abound, padding the film length to an unwieldly (at least, for A&C) 89 minutes. Also probably contributing to the downturn in humor was the team's pay cut at MGM! The print used in the video version is scratchy, which also doesn't help matters.

There are other funny moments, including seeing Jimmy Dorsey in a fez, but the tedium in the film outweighs moments of hilarity, keeping "Lost In a Harem" a notch below the team's middling efforts. All in all, A&C were better off at Universal. 5 out of 10.

John Conte is the renegade Prince in hiding with his desert tribesmen, with both a yen for Marilyn Maxwell and an interest in getting back the throne that his Uncle, Douglass Dumbrille, has stolen from him. The first I can understand, but who does he get to aid him in his second objective. Marilyn, stranded showgirl in the desert, and her sidekicks Abbott and Costello. If you're willing to suspend reality and believe' that anyone looking to pull off a coup d'etat is looking for help from Abbott and Costello, well then sit back and enjoy the fun.

I have to say that the boys are up to their usual monkeyshines and Marilyn Maxwell is inclined to make any self-respecting prince drool, but the real treat is Douglass Dumbrille. Dumbrille was a fine character actor who usually played smooth villains. He's probably best remembered for being the lawyer trying to cheat Gary Cooper out of his inheritance in Mister Deeds Goes To Town. However there are moments went Dumbrille shows a nice sense of comic timing and plays a very good straight man for Costello. Hypnosis is one of the tricks in Dumbrille's bag and he hypnotizes the boys, Marilyn Maxwell, and even the whole Jimmy Dorsey band. I guess they like swing music on the desert.

Dumbrille played a similar function in The Big Store with the Marx Brothers. He gets right into the clowning with them also.

There's a woman who plays one of Dumbrille's hare girls who looks a lot like Rosie O'Donnell. Naturally at one point the plot calls for Costello to get into drag and disguise himself as her to fool Dumbrille.

Good, funny, Abbott and Costello nonsense. Easily the best of the films they did on that MGM loan out from Universal.