Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)

Comment: Arabian/Oriental adventure was one of the rages in Hollywood of the war years, made all the more attractive by the huge commercial and artistic success of the Alexander Korda production THE THIEF OF BAGDAD in 1940. A couple of years later, Universal decided to do its own "Arabian Nights" adaptation, making it quite apparent by the obvious title, the hiring of BAGDAD costar Sabu for a major role, and the use of Technicolor (a first for the studio) that it was going for the same audience. The film didn't disappoint at the time, getting several Academy Awards technical nominations and making a decent chunk of change for producer Walter Wanger and the studio.

Sadly, it doesn't really hold up today, and certainly isn't going to be any kind of competition for the British film among the annals of classic adventures. The problems are manifold; first, a tired storyline that makes the fairly simple plot of the earlier film seem Proustian in comparison, in which good Caliph Haroun Al-Raschid (Jon Hall) gets overthrown by his evil half-brother Kamar (Leif Erickson), flees and falls in love with Kamar's intended Scheherezade (Maria Montez), while being helped back to his rightful place by loyal acrobatic performer Ali Ben Ali (Sabu, of course). Second, plodding direction by John Rawlins - forgotten today and deservedly so if this is a typical example of his work - which tends to cut away from the action sequences before we can actually get into them, and focus far too much on boring exposition, with uninteresting set-ups throughout that rarely help to take us out of the cheap sets and into fantasy-land. And third, terribly mediocre acting on the part of nearly everyone apart from Sabu - and a focus on slapstick antics that, again, keep us continually aware that we're watching a movie. Casting Shemp Howard as Sinbad certainly doesn't help, and a vaudevillian/slapstick sequence at a blacksmith shop towards the end is a serious low point.

But Sabu IS compelling, as always - he belongs in a better film; and the color, particularly in the early sequences, is excellent, even stunning. Montez gets a lot of flack as an actress in general, and I can't say that I find her as beautiful as her reputation, but her odd accent and seriousness actually work pretty well here, though she's not really given much to do apart from a dance scene at the end which looks like it could have been body-doubled for the most part. And I suppose that all in all, this probably works as a camp-fest if you can't take it seriously (and how could you?).

Nothing much in the way of extras here on this well-mastered DVD, just a nice little Robert Osborne intro and the original trailer. All in all, a fun waste of an hour and a half, and worth a look for anyone who, like me, is a bit obsessed with this kind of exotic adventure story. Just don't expect this to be one of the best examples.

Comment: I hope this DVD will keep my English 12 students involved. I have not seen it yet.

Comment: I've always been a sucker for, "Old Hollywood" movies, with all their grandeur, great costumes, and pomp. Arabian Nights was a wonderful trip down memory lane to a movie I last saw on Bill Kennedy at the Movies, many, many years ago.

This is a 1942 gloriously technicolor movie that was just what America needed to take it's mind off our boys fighting in WWII. It starts off in a harem, where an older gentleman is sleeping/ snoring when he is supposed to be teaching the ladies in a harem a story. When he finally awakens, the story that is unvieled is about a beautiful dancer named, "Sherazda" who sends a spurned lover off on what she thinks is an unattainable quest...to become the Caliph. Little does she know he is the brother of the Caliph and does exactly that.

Sherazada is breath-takingly played by Maria Montez, who can chill or warm a man with one look from her eyes. The girl has got it goin' on. She is a member of a traveling circus and it was foretold to her that she would marry into royalty and reign. Joining her in the circus is a wonderful diverse cast of characters, including, I was excited to see, the man who played, "Shemp" in the three stooges, and a gifted young actor named, "Sabu".

While doing what we would now call a, "pyramid", with Sabu on the very top, Sabu ( Ali ) sees the good Caliph shot with an arrow ( his brother had taken Sherazada's words to heart and started to take over the kingdom ). Jon Hall plays Haroun-Al-Roschid, the good Caliph, and he and his would be assassin tumble a couple of stories to the ground. Sabu sees this while performing and comes to Jon's rescue. Sabu hides the true Caliph's identity, knowing that the Caliph's brother would continue to hunt him down. Sabu removes the Caliph's ring and places it on his would be assissin's finger ( the assissin's face was smashed beyond recognition during the fall, thus ensuring that the Claiph's brother would think that the Caliph was dead ).

Jon's wound is tended to by Sabu and his fellow circus comrades, the only one knowing his true identity being Sabu ( Ali ). Though Sherazada wants her foretold future, she is drawn to Jon's honorableness and loyalty and begins to fall in love with him. He too feels himself falling, even though he knows this woman was what triggered his brother to try and usurp and kill him.

What follows is a great adventure with betrayals, horse chases and laughs. The acting occasionally is a bit over the top, thus the 4 out of 5 stars, but it was still a really fun, carefree way to spend a few minutes of my day.

Comment: Not by a long shot. Actually quite boring in spots. Nice to look at but not as much of the type of fantasties I am used to from this period.

Comment: Mindless, five-star fun in dazzling color! If you need to let go of some stress, worries or the urge to think, don't miss this perfect antidote to the world of 2008. Only topped by Cobra Woman which is sadly and mysteriously unavailable.