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.
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars - Great Comedy
If you 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.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars - An okay film as long as Abbott & Costello are on screen
The title tells you where Abbott & Costello end up in this 1944 film directed by Charles Riesner. When a vaudeville show becomes stranded in Port Inferno, a strange city in the mystic East, singer Hazel Moon (Marilyn Maxwell) gets a gig at the Cafe of All Nations and persuades the owner to hire the show's prop men, Harvey Garvey (Lou) and Pete Johnson (Bud). After their magic act ends them all in jail, a desert shiek named Ramo (John Corte) offers to help them escape if they help him regain the throne of Barbabeeha. Standing in the way is the evil Nimativ (Douglas Dumbrille), who has a weakness for blondes. Unfortunately, Nimativ knows how to hypnotize people and you can imagine what this means for the boys. "Lost in a Harem" is one of those films where the only worthwhile moments are when Abbott & Costello are on screen. In addition to the magic act spoiled by Lou, the boys do the famous burlesque routine "Slowly, I Turned" with Murray Leonard. The problem was that the Three Stoges short "Gents Without Cents" also came out in 1944; today most people associate the bit with the Stooges. Lou also does a great bit where he is trying to sleep in a crowded tent where he has to contend with a beard and scimitar. Pretty much Abbott & Costello on cruise control, but that is still pretty good. Final note: Not only do Hazel and Prince Ramo marry in the film, co-stars Maxwell and Conte became engaged during the production.