Jeffrey Richard's otherwise excellent study of swashbucklers, Swordsmen of the Screen, doesn't give a lot of time to this Eastern, which is surprising since it had a healthy budget and stars one of the leading second-tier swashbucklers, Cornel Wilde. Wilde had just made A Song to Remember for Columbia, who guessed the film would be a success (it was) so signed him up for a number of other films.
He plays Aladdin, who seeks the hand of a beautiful princess (Adele Jurgens), whose father has been kidnapped and replaced by his twin brother (Denis Hoey). There is plenty of colour and dancing girls and exotic excitement.
Occasionally the film seems to be a bit too smart-arse-y for its own good - it is full of contemporary jokes, especially from Phil Silvers as Wilde's friend; he wears glasses, makes references to things like the Waldorf Hotel and gin rummy and guns not being invented yet. While this is sometimes funny (I loved the bobbysoxer gag at the end), sometimes it's a bit irritating - it's as if they're trying to have their cake and eat it too, make an Eastern with all the cliches but wink at the audience and say "this is all a joke, we're not as serious as those Maria Montez movies". OK, yes, it's a joke - but if it's too much of a joke, then why care what happens to the characters? That doesn't quite happen here, but it goes close at times.
A fresh gimmick is here the genie is a girl (Evelyn Keyes, reasonably fun in a role that is automatically great fun - she isn't gold, though, and you can't help wishing the role went to someone who was gold). Years before I Dream of Jeannie - and like that show fun is to be had from wondering "would she do anything he wanted?"
Wilde is quite likable as the hero - as one of the best swordsmen on the screen, it's a shame he only gets one sword duel. He sings (dubbed) a few times.
Dusty Anderson plays Jurgens' handmaiden; she gets all these close ups and things to do in the script, it's quite a big role, overshadows Jurgens at times, and you can't help thinking either (a) Columbia were building her up or (b) she was a producer's girlfriend. Some mediocre acting by a dog (the genie turns Wilde into one so he can get into Jurgens chambers - but he runs away when she takes a bath. What's the story with that?) Great performance from a camel.
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