Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves!

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is a movie I didn't think I would like as much as I did when it started. Despite yearning to be an "epic", it's pretty clear early on that that the budget won't really allow that. Frankly, I'm shocked that we did actually seem to get forty thieves, a mob which made setting up some shots a horror, I'm sure. "Ali Baba" is portrayed unconvincingly by Jon Hall. This is a character who begins life as a boy named "Ali" who pledges himself to his young girlfriend and then is swept away only to see his father betrayed and killed. He is taken in by the "Forty Thieves" whose leader named "Baba" raises him until he grows to manhood sufficient to lead them. 

His little girlfriend grows up to be Maria Montez whose father was the betrayer of young Ali's father, the legitimate caliph. Mongols have taken control and rule with cruelty. Their leader wishes to take the thoroughly grown-up Montez as his wife, when by chance Ali and she meet again at an oasis where she's presented as being nude. (She's not.) Turhan Bey is her loyal man-servant who proves very useful and enterprising in this rattle-trap yarn. The most peculiar thing in the movie is Andy Devine as one of the thieves who is charged early on in the story with taking care of Ali. His presence makes this one feel even more like an oater than it does already. 

This one often feels like a musical number is about to break out. Our two leads seem a bit too old for their roles as well. Other than that, it's a utterly fine entertainment, but not a great one. 

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Arabian Nights!

This is a rousing affair indeed. Arabian Nights from Walter Wanger takes elements of the classic tales and throws them into a blender, draws off the magic and keeps the adventure and romance. The movie features some fantastic art design and some parts of it, especially early are quite creepy. The story is a simple one, a brother wants to overthrow his sibling for the love of a woman who it turns out falls in love the overthrown brother when they all try to escape the dangers of the city. Add the mischievous Sabu into the pot and you have an entertaining flicker for sure. 

The leads are Jon Hall as our deposed caliph who falls madly in love with Maria Montez. She's playing "Sherazade", a doll no one can deny. Sabu is an acrobat who for reasons never really well motivated helps the Hall character countless times and gets him involved with the traveling troupe that holds many of the best characters. 

We have several comedic characters but there is a two-man act of "Aladdin" and "Sinbad" played by John Qualen and Shemp Howard respectively. Aladdin is always looking for his lost lamp and Sinbad always wants to wax on about some trip he's made. Billy Gilbert plays the leader of the troupe and gets massive screentime for his romps. "Wee Willie" Davis, a wrestler is on hand to play the strong man. The villains are Lief Erickson and Edgar Barrier and they glower as necessary. 

This is an action-filled romp, and quite diverting. I recommend it at cheap prices. 

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