Why Beat the Devil despite its strengths may have been a flop

I cut out (as did our power) shortly before the conclusion of the John Huston 1944 crime caper, Beat the Devil, but stayed w/ the film long enough to see that it was a very funny movie with an intentionally ridiculous plot (various rival groups en route by boat to Africa where they each hope to gain access to a rich trove of uranium) that doesn't bear much scrutiny but that has many fine comic moments - thanks largely to a screenplay by Huston himself and what must have been a very young Truman Capote - and some fine performances from Bogart, Gina Lollabridgida in a surprisingly rich comic role, Peter Lorre, Jennifer Jones, and others. Lots of films since then have tried to mix comedy w/ high-jinx crime, with usually limited success. The comedy works, however, in this film because of rich variety of accents, a self-mockery throughout, a fast pace, and a tight adherence to the 90-minute schedule that I wish more movies would honor. It holds up quite well over time, and I would guess it's probably been remade and updated though I'm not sure of that. Bro-in-law J believes the movie was a flop on its release, which seems probable as it was way out of synch of the mood of the world in the shadow of WWII, when a crime comedy set variously in Italy and Morocco, with some sporting on the high seas, would seem to many viewers insensitive and out of touch, at best - most were looking for patriotic and inspirational movies or pure escapism, not subtlety and cosmopolitan wit.