2hotFeature one of my absolute favorites!

Tacticalin An absolute waste of money

Nessieldwi Very interesting film. Was caught on the premise when seeing the trailer but unsure as to what the outcome would be for the showing. As it turns out, it was a very good film.

Dirtylogy It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

JohnHowardReid In 1951, Bud Abbott and Lou Costello enjoyed a moment of glory when voted by British cinema exhibitors into second place as the previous year's top money-making stars. Only Bob Hope sold more tickets in 1950. The distributor quickly adjusted to the team's sudden surge of popularity and began releasing A&C efforts such as this one as well-promoted "A" features. In Australia, the absolute reverse was happening, whilst on their American home front, A&C were still raking in good money but not the windfalls of the early 1940s. (Available on an excellent Universal DVD).COMMENT: After a none-too-promising opening, this Abbott and Costello comedy gets into stride once the comedians reach the land of Lost in a Harem. Charles Lamont's direction improves, the script becomes genuinely amusing, the photography is A-1, and we are introduced to two very personable villains, admirably portrayed by Walter Slezak and Douglass Dumbrille. There is a good climax, starting with a wrestling match which the comedians deftly turn into a free-for-all before the villains' dumbfounded eyes and ending with a glorious chase in which our heroes in a stolen jeep are pursued by a commendable number of dress extras mounted on camels. Although the sets are nowhere as lavish as those in Lost in a Harem, art directors Bernard Herzbrun and Eric Orbom have created settings that are reasonably beguiling. Love the towels in the Sheikh's bathroom: a great big His and numerous small Hers. Our comedians are given plenty of mirthful opportunities to shine, what with verbal gags, slapstick, wild chases and mishaps galore. We love Costello loose with a machine gun and all the other Beau Geste legionnaire mayhem. Yes, plenty of action. A fast-paced, brightly photographed 79 minutes. And it's all stylishly narrated by Jeff Chandler! What more could any fan ask?

utgard14 Slight Abbott and Costello comedy has them playing wrestling promoters whose star attraction has quit and gone home to Algiers. The duo follow after him and are tricked into joining the Foreign Legion. This is not one of the boys' better efforts but it's still a decent way to pass the time. Most of the gags are pretty stale but I did laugh here and there. Walter Slezak and Douglas Dumbrille are good heavies but the script doesn't give them a lot to do. Patricia Medina looks like a Hedy Lamarr clone. Wrestlers Wee Willie Davis and Tor Johnson are fun to see. The wrestling gags are some of the movie's best. Maybe Bud and Lou should have made a wrestling movie instead and forgotten all this Foreign Legion stuff. Like I said, not their funniest but enjoyable enough to pass the time.

bensonmum2 In Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion, Bud and Lou head to Algieria to find a wrestler named Abdullah who left them high and dry and owing a mobster quite a bit of money. Once there, the boys get mixed up with Sheik Hamud El Khalid (Douglas Dumbrille) and draw his ire at a slave auction. In their attempt to escape, Bud and Lou inadvertently sign-up for the French Foreign Legion. Things only get worse when they learn that their Sergeant is in cahoots with the Sheik. Now how are they going to get back to Brooklyn? As a general rule, I'm a fan of A&C. Some of their movies (like Who Done It?, Hold that Ghost, and A&C Meet Frankenstein) I consider to be true classics. Unfortunately, by the time the boys made A&C in the Foreign Legion, much of their comedy had started to get tired and old. The movie has a "been there, done that" feel to a lot of it. For example, the "Oui vs. We" bit reminds me of several of A&C's more classic routines. Or take a look at the scene with the fish and the false teeth. To me, it shows how desperate the boys were. It's completely ridiculous and not in the least bit funny. A solid cast, however, almost makes this movie worthwhile. Douglas Dumbrille and Patricia Medina are a lot of fun. However, even though I think Dumbrille makes for a perfect villain, he's about as Algerian as I am (which is none).Finally, one thing I really enjoyed about A&C in the Foreign Legion was the chance to see some classic, old-school wrestlers. Wee Willie Davis vs. Tor Johnson! How cool is that?

BaronBl00d Great addition to the Abbott and Costello film canon as Bud and Lou go after a wrestler in Algiers. Soon they are hunted by a local sheik and his men and a traitor in the foreign legion...none other than slimy(but wonderful) Walter Slezak. Charles Lamont directs the comedic duo once again, and adds some very funny gags to the proceedings. Some of the material has not dated particularly well, but most of it is still very amusing. Some of the highlights include Lou being pursued through the streets of Algiers, Lou training in the foreign legion, the boys out in the desert seeing various mirages, a trip to an oasis, and finally a wrestling performance for the sheik. Look for Tor Johnson as one of the wrestlers. For my money the funniest scene is Lou matching wits with a fish with dentures in the oasis pool. I laughed real hard. Good, clean fun!