Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950)

62% of users liked it
(491 ratings)

Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play wrestling promoters whose star attraction, Wee Willie Davis, skips town to return to his home in Arabia. While scouring the desert in search of Davis, Bud and Lou inadvertently purchase slave girl Patricia Medina, and with equal inadvertence join the Foreign Legion.… More Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play wrestling promoters whose star attraction, Wee Willie Davis, skips town to return to his home in Arabia. While scouring the desert in search of Davis, Bud and Lou inadvertently purchase slave girl Patricia Medina, and with equal inadvertence join the Foreign Legion. In their own bumbling, inept fashion, our heroes manage to foil a desert uprising fomented by shiek Douglas Dumbrille and traitorous Legion commandant Walter Slezak. The film's highlights include an opening-scene parody of pre-rehearsed wrestling matches, a "mirage" routine capped by one of the hoariest vaudeville punchlines in history, and a runaway-jeep climax. All in all, however, Abbott & Costello in the Foreign Legion is one of the team's lesser efforts. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 19 min.
Directed By: Charles Lamont
Genres: Action & Adventure, Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 19, 1950 Wide
On DVD: Jun 29, 1994

Critic Reviews

Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
The beginning of the end for the comedy team, but it does have some hilarious moments.
Widgett Walls, Needcoffee.com
Again, not their best effort, but still a worthy endeavor. It's quick paced and ridiculous, just like you want these films to be.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

In this film Bud and Lou get there first taste in being outside the US, Its comical to see what wasn't political correct in these days. The are on a quest to find a wrestler who broke his contract and left New York for his home tribe in Algiers. Comedy is there but again not like… More
In this film Bud and Lou get there first taste in being outside the US, Its comical to see what wasn't political correct in these days. The are on a quest to find a wrestler who broke his contract and left New York for his home tribe in Algiers. Comedy is there but again not like some of there other films. 3 stars
Anthony V

One of the better outings with plenty of funny gags.

Cast

            Bud Abbott as Jonesy

            Lou Costello as Lou Hotchkiss

            Patricia Medina as Nicole

            Walter Slezak as Axmann

            Douglas Dumbrille as Hamud El Khalid

            Leon Belasco as Hassam

            Marc Lawrence I as Frankie

            William "Wee Willie" Davis as Abdullah

            Tor Johnson as Abou Ben

            Jack Raymond as Ali Ami

            Fred Nurney as Commandant

            Paul Fierro as Ibn

            Henry Corden as Ibrim

            David Gorcey as Newsboy

            Chuck Hamilton as Thugs

            Ted Hecht as Proprietor

            Alberto Morin as Lieutenant

            Buddy Roosevelt as Orderly

            Dan Seymour as Josef

            Guy Beach as Saleem

            Charmienne Harker as Arab Girl

            Ernesto Morelli
            
            Jack Shutta
            
            Bobby Barker as Man

            Sammy Menacker as Bertram
See full cast