Abbott and Costello stumble into The Desert Song – they play two vaudevillians who get caught up in an Arab dispute along with a lounge singer (Marilyn Maxwell)… which perhaps indicates the influence of the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby Road pictures. The duo (or, rather, trio) take the side of a young Arab (John Conte) against his uncle – how do they know the young guy is a better ruler of his people? But Douglas Dumbrille as the sheik is an excellent foil; indeed he is one of the toughest antagonists our heroes ever faced, he’s pretty much always got the drop on them until he’s hypnotised.There are some spectacular musical numbers (played by Jimmy Dorsey’s orchestra dressed up sillily as Arabs) and some funny routines. My favourite involves the chubby unloved first wife of Dumbrille (Lottie Harrison); it’s also fun that Dumbrille has a thing for blondes, any blondes. I wasn’t as in loved with the “Slowly I Turned Rountine” with prisoner Murray Leonard though this is meant to be famous. This was made for MGM, one of the three the team made for that studio; it doesn’t look that different from their Universal films – perhaps a little more glossy (the sets are re-used from Kismet). Maxwell is very pretty and engaging.
No comments:
Post a Comment