“TECHNICOLOR SABERS”

By Raymond Benson

Was this really a movie sub-genre? Colorful “Middle Eastern” action-comedy-adventures loosely derived from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights? Full of harem girls, saber-wielding swashbucklers, epic set pieces with beautifully designed sets and “Arabian” costumes, camels and horses and tigers, and… comedians?

The answer is, ahem, yes. During the war years of the early 1940s, Universal Pictures made several of these “exotic adventure” pictures that capitalized on the success of Britain’s Thief of Bagdad (1940). Hollywood quickly got into this act, but like the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope “Road to…” pictures, these movies set in the world of ancient Arabia were filmed on sound stages in southern California… and it shows.

The films were hugely popular at the time, but they have not aged well. We shall examine two of the more successful entries of this short-lived movement—Arabian Nights from 1942, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves from 1944. Each picture shared some actors and a cinematographer (W. Howard Greene). Nights was nominated for no less than four Academy Awards in the categories of Cinematography and Art Direction (both richly deserved), Sound Recording, and Score (by Frank Skinner). Ali Baba did not chart at awards season, but it is, in truth, the better picture.

The good: These are gloriously produced old Technicolor extravaganzas that show off the artistry and imagination that only Hollywood can concoct. The films are truly gorgeous, and the new high definition restorations bring out the colors with intensity (of the two, Arabian Nights looks the best, but both are visually exquisite). Secondly, the films provide some excellently choreographed action sequences such as battles between Arabs and Mongols. It’s as if the pirate film genre had migrated to the Islamic Golden Age.

But therein lies the bad. These films have almost nothing to do with the real Book of One Thousand and One Nights. They are full of stereotypes and likely blasphemous depictions of Islam. Arabic characters are played by white Hollywood actors with darkened skin makeup. If all that weren’t bad enough, way too much of each movie is played for laughs. Blatantly comic actors are cast in major roles and they stand out like broccoli in a fruit basket. Consider this: Shemp Howard plays “Sinbad” in Arabian Nights, and he acts exactly like… Shemp Howard, complete with New York accent, mugging facial expressions, and squeaky vocalizations when he’s frightened. Loud, sneezy Billy Gilbert also has a sizable role in the picture. Ali Baba is graced with the presence of none other than… Andy Devine in a supporting role as one of the Forty Thieves. Andy Devine as an Arab? He even speaks like Andy Devine in his whiny drawl, “Aw, Ali, you don’t want to marry the princess! A thousand gold coins can get you a girl in the marketplace who’s just as purdy!”

Jon Hall stars in both movies as our hero. In Arabian Nights, he’s Haroun-Al-Raschid, the brother of the caliph. He has the title role in Ali Baba. Sultry Maria Montez is also in both pictures as the love interest. In the first, she is the famous dancer, Scheherazade (although in the credits and promotional materials, this is spelled Sherazade, but the characters pronounce her name the proper way). In Ali Baba, she is Amara, the prince’s daughter. Turkish-Czech actor Turhan Bey also appears in both movies in supporting roles. The popular Indian actor Sabu is a featured performer in Arabian Nights, having emigrated to Hollywood after the success of Thief of Bagdad.

Arabian Nights is the tale of two rival brothers, Haroun and Kamar (Leif Erickson, credited as Leif Erikson), their pursuit of Scheherazade, and their quest to gain power in Arabia.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is the tale of Ali, the true caliph who is in exile because Bagdad is overrun by the Mongols. He wants to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, Amara, run the Mongols out of town, and reclaim the city for the Arabs.

The eye-rolling aspects aside, one must consider the films within the context of when they were made and released. Yes, they’re silly and loads of rubbish, but in their own way they are fun and entertaining. If one can get past Shemp Howard and Andy Devine, one might have a few laughs and appreciate the scenic beauty on display in these admittedly superb presentations.

Both films come with interesting audio commentaries by film historian Phillipa Berry. The theatrical trailers for each title and others from Kino Lorber are on both disks as well.

Arabian Nights and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, available separately from Kino Lorber, are prime examples of the Exotic Technicolor Adventure movement that Hollywood once pushed. So, grab your magic lamp, rub it a few times, sit back, and watch these vibrant burlesques with your favorite genie.

CLICK HERE TO ORDER "ARABIAN NIGHTS" FROM AMAZON

CLICK HERE TO ORDER "ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES" FROM AMAZON