Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950)

Truly Dreadful Film

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Not bad at all in my opinion. Two wrestler promoters with scripts for the match (gee I guess they are rigged, maybe?) are trying to set up a fake match between two wrestlers, one of which is an Arab who belongs to a rather aggressive tribe. For whatever reason he decides to go back to Africa. Bud and Lou must go after him or die. Looking for him ends up with both of them in the French Foreign Legion through the machinations of a corrupt Legion sergeant who is working with the rebel tribe. There is a French intelligence agent who is trying to dig up evidence about the rebels. Man is she cute. Anyway the movie runs through the standard Abbott and Costello routines with a couple of variations. There is the fish scene at the oasis and the harem scene at the end of the the movie. This is another funny movie by the duo.

Some of Abbott and Costello's later films sure seemed like they were aimed more at kids than a wider audience. Some were obvious kids films (JACK AND THE BEANSTALK) and some merely featured rather juvenile humor that most adults would find less entertaining. While I enjoyed watching ABBOTT AND COSTELLO IN THE FOREIGN LEGION a few minutes ago, I sure enjoyed it much more when I was a little kid--after all, this was the target audience. Let me give you a few examples. First, the fish with the dentures (a gag, by the way that the Three Stooges also used). I just can't imagine an adult laughing at the plastic catfish in this gag. Second, while they were a bit funny, the mirage scenes were also pretty low-brow--even by Abbott and Costello standards. Yet, despite all this, the film manages to do a decent job of entertaining--even with its rather modest pretensions.The film begins with Bud and Lou as wrestling promoters. When their star stomps off to return to his home in the North African desert, the boys follow to try to convince him to return. Unfortunately, they walk right into the middle of a plot by the Sheik (Douglass Dambrille) to kill them. The boys take refuge in a foreign legion recruiting station and the rest is history.As legionnaires, the two are pretty sad. Bud's in his mid-50s and Lou is....Lou. Although they are awful in their new jobs, they accidentally bump into adventure after adventure. First, they discover who the traitor is within the regiment. Next, they get lost in the desert and almost die. Next, there is a wild and crazy ending where they foil the plot to destroy the legion. And, finally, they get to go home and live happily ever after (especially Lou).None of this is terrible, though not much is especially great or inspired either. Overall, it's a bit of a time passer--albeit a very good one. A couple of the highlights of the film include seeing Tor Johnson in a role many years before he shot to fame for his magnetic performance in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE. Another is a cheap but funny line by Lou: "She's either a very ugly woman, or a very pretty monster".Inoffensive and I'm sure the kids will love it. And, if you've ever seen Abbott and Costello's LOST IN A HAREM, then you have a general idea what this film is about, as they both star Dambrille in very similar roles and the laughs are sometimes very similar--and both were clearly shot on sound stages and not on location (giving them both an echo that is noticeable from time to time).

This Abbott and Costello movie is pretty good. Abbott and Costello was good as always! It was cool to see William 'Wee Willie' Davis as Abdullah! The film is funny! If you like Abbott and Costello then see Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion!

This movie is pretty much a combination of Abbott and Costello meet the Invisible Man and Lost in Alaska. A sheik/professional wrestler leaves the camp of Bud and Lou to return to his native Africa. Bud and Lou, on the verge of losing $5,000, follow him to try and bring him back. They get duped into joining the French foreign legion in the area and deal with a french spy and a traitor in the legion. For a former long time pro wrestling fanatic like me, this movie makes me laugh, mostly because I used to take wrestling so seriously. The intro is great, especially Bud Abbott, who shows passion that he would only show periodically in the team's later years. The chemistry is good in the scenes in Africa until the boys join the legion when the movie stalls slightly. There is a funny bit with Costello manning a machine gun and a hilarious miscounting scene that is the best bit in the film. Some great pro wrestling nonsense and a chaotic ending finish the film. This is one of the Abbott and Costello flicks that I missed seeing in my youth. Other then the wrestling bits and some really beautiful women, Abbott and Costello and their routines carry this one.