US Release date: 4 May 1949
First Melbourne Saturday Suburban: 4 February 1950
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA.
Running time: 79 minutes.
Director: Charles Barton
Cast: Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Clyde Beatty
Australian Distributor: United Artists
Melbourne Premiere Venue: Four weeks at Hoyts Lyceum Theatre from 23 December 1949 with Western Heritage as support.
Suburban Release Type: Hoyts Victory EX-2
Rankings
| Rank | ||
| EF Points | 190 | 125 |
| EF PPE | 3.88 | 140 |
| Metres Travelled | 482,158 | 153 |
| Average MT | 9,840 | 266 |
| Engagements | 49 | 105 |
| Slots | 55 | 143 |
| Weeks | 6 | 155 |
| Weeks as % of engagements | 12.24% | 182 |
| Saturdays | 19 | 131 |
| Sats as % of engagements | 38.78% | 167 |
| Tuesdays | 24 | 62 |
| Tues as % of engagements | 48.98% | 107 |
| First billed | 36 | 111 |
| Second billed | 13 | 180 |
| Feature only | 0 | 34* |
Hoyts Ratios
| Engagements weeks 1-10 | 48 |
| Ratio | 97.96% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 5.60% |
| Eng weeks 11-26 | 1 |
| Ratio | 2.04% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -3.35% |
| Eng weeks 27-52 | 0 |
| Ratio | 0.00% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -2.24% |
| Hoyts eng | 34 |
| Ratio | 69.39% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 3.61% |
| Independent eng | 3 |
| Ratio | 6.12% |
| Difference to chain ratio | -5.38% |
| Suburban eng | 12 |
| Ratio | 24.49% |
| Difference to chain ratio | 1.77% |
NOTES: Independently produced A&C comedy that enjoyed a long (for the Lyceum) city run and equal success in the suburbs. Although its initial Victory foray was as a support, the majority of its bookings were topping the bill, usually with the noir Follow Me Quietly on the lower half.
Africa Screams engagements
| SUBURB | VENUE | CHAIN | DATE | W | D | B | CO-FEATURE |
| St.Kilda | Victory | Hoyts | 4/2/50 | 1 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Albert Park | Park | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Fitzroy | Regent | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Ascot Vale | Ascot | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Caulfield | Crystal Palace | Suburban | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Malvern | New | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| North Fitzroy | Merri | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Port Melbourne | Eclipse | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Richmond | Cinema | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| South Yarra | Regent | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Windsor | New | Hoyts | 11/2/50 | 2 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Richmond | Globe | Suburban | 18/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Ascot Vale | Waratah | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Essendon | Plaza | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Glenhuntly | Glenhuntly | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Thornbury | Regent | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Brighton | Centre | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Elsternwick | Renown | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Brunswick | Padua | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Coburg | Grand | Hoyts | 18/2/50 | 3 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Bentleigh | Bentleigh | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Carnegie | Carnegie | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Footscray | Barkly | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Blind Goddess |
| Glenferrie | Palace | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Preston | Circle | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Collingwood | Austral | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 2 | Too Late for Tears |
| Northcote | Northcote | Suburban | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 2 | John Loves Mary |
| Balwyn | Time | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Camberwell | Broadway | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Gardiner | Regent | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Hampton | Southern | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Kew | Rialto | Hoyts | 25/2/50 | 4 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| North Fitzroy | Palace | Suburban | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Brunswick | Lygon | Hoyts | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Ivanhoe | Ivanhoe | Hoyts | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Malvern | Victory | Hoyts | 4/3/50 | 5 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Newmarket | Newmarket | Suburban | 4/3/50 | 5 | T | 2 | Too Late for Tears |
| Canterbury | Maling | Hoyts | 4/3/50 | 5 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Hartwell | Regal | Suburban | 4/3/50 | 5 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| North Melbourne | Loco | Independent | 11/3/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Brass Monkey |
| Williamstown | Shore | Hoyts | 11/3/50 | 6 | S | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Yarraville | St. George | Suburban | 11/3/50 | 6 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Fairfield | Fairfield | Suburban | 18/3/50 | 7 | S | 2 | Too Late for Tears |
| Oakleigh | Paramount | Independent | 18/3/50 | 7 | T | 1 | Follow Me Quietly |
| Brunswick | Alhambra | Hoyts | 18/3/50 | 7 | T | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Clifton Hill | Clifton | Suburban | 18/3/50 | 7 | W | 2 | It’s Magic |
| Prahran | Empress | Hoyts | 25/3/50 | 8 | T | 2 | Mr Joseph Young of Africa |
| Box Hill | Rialto | Suburban | 1/4/50 | 9 | T | 2 | John Loves Mary |
| Reservoir | Plaza | Independent | 15/4/50 | 11 | T | 1 | Brass Monkey |
The 1950 Project 