Peter Lorre describes Huston’s spoof of the classic international intrigue drama as “a deliciously sardonic comedy, meant for art houses.” Although the film did not enjoy remarkable box office success, it has evolved into a cult classic. The plot, with its absurd twists and turns, is the cornerstone of the comedy: a group of crooked travelers concoct a scheme to fraudulently purchase a plot of uranium-rich land in Africa, but complications arise when their ship explodes and the group is stranded on a desert island, held captive by Arabs, and then arrested. Lorre plays O’Hara, an Irishman with a suspicious German accent.