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Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics) by John Rawlins
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DVD Cover InformationActor: Billy Gilbert, Jon Hall, Leif Erickson, Maria Montez, Sabu Director: John Rawlins Brand: Unknown Cinematographer: Milton R. Krasner Editor: Philip Cahn Producer: Walter Wanger Writer: Michael Hogan Writer: True Boardman DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Subtitled) Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Original recording remastered, Restored, Subtitled Picture Format: 1.33:1 Running Time: 86 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-02-06 Audience Rating: Unrated Studio: Universal Studios
Movie Reviews of Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)Movie Review: Sabu, gloriously rich Technicolor are the main draws in uneven mix of adventure and slapstick Summary: 3 StarsArabian/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.
Summary of Arabian Nights (Universal Cinema Classics)Two brothers compete to be caliph of Baghdad and for the love of a beautiful dancer. Genre: Feature Film-Drama Rating: NR Release Date: 6-FEB-2007 Media Type: DVD Warning: Technicolor silliness ahead, as Universal's nutty series of turban-and-camel movies comes into view. Arabian Nights was the first of these confections, and after it became a big wartime hit it spawned a series of follow-ups, most of them starring some combination of Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Sabu, and Turhan Bey. The story is nonsense, with Hall as a deposed caliph battling his half-brother (Leif Erickson) while remaining incognito amongst a group of traveling players. Montez plays dancing vixen Scheherazade, and her crazy costumes and limited acting range give ample evidence for her later enshrinement as a camp icon. The film's level of seriousness is aptly demonstrated by the casting of Shemp Howard (of the Three Stooges--like there's another Shemp Howard?) as Sinbad; John Qualen plays Aladdin, and vaudeville pro Billy Gilbert plays the leader of the troupe. Coming off best is Sabu, the young star of The Thief of Baghdad and The Jungle Book, whose innate likability is infectious even in these inane circumstances. Arabian Nights probably isn't the most fun of these movies; check out Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Robert Siodmak's crazed Cobra Woman, too. They work on two fronts: family-movie fodder and high camp. --Robert Horton
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